What happens to the Last Rose of Summer?

[Celeste]

For me, "The Last Rose of Summer" is the quintessential Chloe song. It's my favourite track on her first album, and while I prefer it as a solo -- since it is thematically about oneness, aloneness -- I very much enjoy hearing Chloe perform it as a duet, as she did in the group's concert in Japan.

But what is the poem about? What actually happens in it?

Is it just a comment on old age and the loss of friends as they pass away?

Or is it something more?

Well, let's have a look.

The first verse is familiar enough:

'Tis the last rose of summer
Left blooming alone;
All her lovely companions
Are faded and gone;
No flower of her kindred,
No rosebud is nigh,
To reflect back her blushes,
To give sigh for sigh.

The most obvious themes of the poem are spelled out from the onset: the flower is the last survivor of the summer season, and lingers on, still blooming, after the other flowers -- personified as its "companions" -- have withered.

But what happens in the second verse?

First of all, we discover that the poem does not have an omniscient, third-person narrative voice, but a first-person narrator who is physically involved in the rose's world.

He addresses the rose:

I'll not leave thee, thou lone one!
To pine on the stem;
Since the lovely are sleeping,
Go, sleep thou with them.

Note the emotions with which he invests the flower: "lone"-ness and "pining."

But what's this? He will not "leave" the flower on the stem? He's telling it to "sleep" with its dead companions?

If he won't leave the flower on the stem, in its current lonely state, what, then, will he do?

How will the flower be put to "sleep"?

The rest of the verse provides the answer:

Thus kindly I scatter,
Thy leaves o'er the bed,
Where thy mates of the garden
Lie scentless and dead.

Gasp. He plucks the last rose of summer.

This rose has not been left to die of old age.

The speaker has, in a sense, euthanized it.

Note the use of the word "kindly," though. The speaker considers his act of killing the last rose to be an act of kindness. To him, this is a mercy killing. He considered the flower's lonely condition so painful, so unfortunate, so intolerable, that the "kinder" act, in his eyes, was to put an end to its life.

So now we come to the third vese. We have the poet in the garden contemplating the remains of the last rose of summer -- which has died by his hand. And what does he say to himself?

So soon may I follow . . .

(Make note of that. He contemplates following the last rose.)

So soon may I follow,
When friendships decay,
From Love's shining circle
The gems drop away.
When true hearts lie withered
And fond ones are flown,
Oh! who would inhabit
This bleak world alone?

The poet establishes a set of conditions -- conditions that the rose's previous situation symbolized: an end of friendship, love, and companionship, resulting in a bleak, lonely world.

And under those conditions, he asks "who would inhabit / This bleak world"?

Implicit is the answer is, "Not I." And the word "would" indicates the availablity of choice on the speaker's part -- the choice whether to live or to die.

Indeed, given the conditions that he has set out, the speaker muses, "So soon may I follow" the rose . . . into death.

But here's the rub. To follow the rose is not to follow it into a natural death, because it did not die of natural causes. It died at the hand of the poet. Therefore, for the poet to follow the rose means that he will die . . . by his own hand.

The poem is a contemplation of suicide.

Lest anyone be surprised by this, note that the poem is a product of its time. The author, Thomas Moore, was a close friend of English Romantics like Lord Byron, and suicide -- or the contemplation of suicide -- was a recurrent theme in Romanticism. In 1770, the pre-Romantic poet Thomas Chatterton took his own life at the tender age of 17, prompting many Romantics to enshrine him as the archetypal genius who dies because his talents aren't appreciated by a shallow world. Goethe's poignant novel The Sorrows of Young Werther (1774) tells the story of a sensitive young soul who takes his own life after his heart is broken. And the image of Hamlet, with his "To Be Or Not To Be" soliloquy, was ever present in Romantic minds (Coleridge famously saying, "I have a smack of Hamlet myself"). Manfred, the literary masterpiece of Moore's friend Byron, includes a famous suicide-contemplation scene atop the Jungfrau.

Therefore, for Moore to write a poem such as this, a veiled contemplation of suicide, was for him to express a recurrent sentiment of his time, to explore a theme that was very topical among Romantic artists.

It's a rich literary work -- possibly the richest text of any Celtic Woman song -- and beautiful in its sweet melancholy (a melancholy that is perhaps a shade darker than some readers may initially realize).

[shankdee]

That was very interpretive, and things I had never thought about. I don't think I every heard the entire lyrics just a phrase here and there, and the gorgeous melody as sung both by chloe and hailey and meave in their classic duet. So I really hadn't a clue about all of this. Thanks, now i will listen to it with some "insight"...Shankdee

[Cash]

Some deep philosophical stuff here. I started posting a long reply, then deleted it. I wasn't making much sense. And when my own logic doesnt even make any sense to me, I know its not gonna fly with others. I need to think on this some more. But in short and keeping it simple, I was thinking the rose did not kill itself. In fact it was trying to live. But the human, if contemplating suicide, would not be. I understand what is being conveyed, but I think the analogy is off a bit. Plus, we humans are never totally alone. (unless maybe you are a hermit in the mountains of Montana).

Also...

I don't think I every heard the entire lyrics just a phrase here and there, and the gorgeous melody

I am the same way. Never really listened to all the words, just sort of got carried into a catatonic state listening to the melody. That happenes to me on several songs, though now I make a lot more effort to listen to and get all the lyrics.

 

[cwfan99]

Really interesting post. This is one of my favorites from CW, but I prefer Meav's & Haley's version, because Chloe's narrator would be too young to have the experience of bittersweet loss of loved ones and time passing.

I never saw the suicide angle in the lyrics until pointed out here, but I do see it now. I just took it to mean that the writer was welcoming, indeed inviting, death, but I did not consider his active role presented here. With the literary and philosophical context outlined, it just about has to be a "suicide note".

Considering the spiritual & inspirational nature of all the songs in CW's repertoire, this point of view makes for an interesting, meaningful and very singular exception.

[raven_christina]

Wow. I've never looked at it that way. I'm usually swept up in the melody and the pretty girls singing, heh. But wow. It's funny, at one point I considered studying British Romanticism...

[OrangeTea]

Really interesting post. This is one of my favorites from CW, but I prefer Meav's & Haley's version, because Chloe's narrator would be too young to have the experience of bittersweet loss of loved ones and time passing.

Not getting too off topic, Chloe is turning 20, which is more than old enough to be able to portray this song accurately and be able to draw the right emotions.  I think that Chloe was able to change the feel of the song by making it a sweeter, more accessible to younger people. 
I like the solo version of this song just as much, if not better than the concert versions, because it is such a lonely song.  You put a lot of work into this analysis Celeste.

[cwfan99]

Not getting too off topic, Chloe is turning 20, which is more than old enough to be able to portray this song accurately and be able to draw the right emotions.

[/quote]

Just a quick clarification post. I was referring to the version on her 1st solo album back when she was 13?, 15? I have not heard any later versions from her, but when I do, I'm sure that will change.

[Celeste]

I understand what is being conveyed, but I think the analogy is off a bit. Plus, we humans are never totally alone. (unless maybe you are a hermit in the mountains of Montana).

Well, it's the poet's (or rather, the speaker's) analogy, so it's true for him. And the Romantics were arguably the earliest writers to examine alienation and aloneness even in the midst of a crowd -- a lack of "kindred" spirits in the hurly-burly of modern socity. (To put it in the poem's terms, many weeds in the garden, but few roses.) This was, at the time, a novel theme.

Not getting too off topic, Chloe is turning 20, which is more than old enough to be able to portray this song accurately and be able to draw the right emotions.  I think that Chloe was able to change the feel of the song by making it a sweeter, more accessible to younger people. 
I like the solo version of this song just as much, if not better than the concert versions, because it is such a lonely song.

I strongly agree. Indeed, one could argue that the contemplation of suicide is a quintessentially youthful trope -- for the Romantics, and still in the present day.

I also strongly agree about the effectiveness of the solo version of the song, which is, after all, an expression of the thoughts of a single individual -- Moore's speaker. There is no version quite as beautiful as the solo rendition on Chloe's first CD.

Incidentally, I can hardly take credit for being the first person to discover this theme in the poem. But it did come to me independently as I was reading the text, and I was intrigued to find that others had noted it before as well.

[Ggunsailor]

Wow...I really ought to pay attention to the songs more.

[Celeste]

Incidentally, if anyone finds the themes discussed in this thread interesting, I highly recommend the novel that I mentioned earlier: The Sorrows of Young Werther by Goethe (http://www.amazon.com/Sorrows-Werther-Selected-Writings-classics/dp/0451523032/). It can be argued that this little novel single-handedly created continental Romanticism. It's a sweet, poignant, melancholy, inexpessibly beautiful novel, and I'd rank it among my ten favourite works of literature, ever.

[My Name is a Riddle]

This discussion is of great interest to me, as The Last Rose of Summer (when sung by Miss Chloë Agnew) is one of my favorite songs. And I decided to put in my two cents. (Which doesn't mean I'm trying to give you any money.)

NOTE: These are my own personal opinions, and you are allowed to disagree with me. Also, I want to let you know that I respect your opinions even if I disagree with you.

First of all, I would like to explore the issue of euthanasia a bit more. Then I'll discuss suicide.
Well, to begin, I think that Thomas Moore had simpler meanings in mind when he wrote this poem, and I’m going to share some of my thoughts with everyone. You see, I always considered his words to be written from the point of view of a gardener because of how much care is shown for the plant. I'm not saying that Thomas Moore was a gardener, but he obviously writes as though he has much affection for plants, specifically, for the rose which this song is about. Even if he is not a gardener, note that the entire poem takes place during his stay by a rose. In a sense, he is acting as a sentry while he observes the late-blooming rose. Remember how he used the word "kindly"? He definitely cares for this rose. Let me quote him in an attempt to prove my point:

I'll not leave thee, thou lone one!

I don’t think Moore is staying by the rose because he wants to harm it. He’s not a bird stalking its prey. He is a man who is guarding and watching a flower because it reminds him of his own sad life. But we're talking about euthanasia here, so let me say that unlike Moore’s life, the rose doesn’t have a soul (at least that’s what I believe). So if Moore did destroy the plant (which I’m not sure that he did) he wouldn’t have been taking anyone’s life. There is a difference (I believe) between plant life and human life. In my opinion, destroying a rose (again, I question the idea that he actually did this) is not a crime when compared to murdering someone. And although Moore may be comparing this rose to his life, it is still simply a flower and not really him – he may have taken off the rose's leaves, but he didn't take off his limbs. And why would he slay himself? Because he's so sad? Euthanasia is the slaughtering of life, and this kind of execution is usually performed on people with an incurable illness or other severe problem. Of course, I don’t believe that this is a rational reason for murdering anyone; but, anyway, it is important to be aware of the fact that this rose has no obvious defect. In fact, Moore says:
 
All her lovely companions
Are faded and gone;
No flower of her kindred,              (This implies that she came from a lovely family.)
No rosebud is nigh,
To reflect back her blushes,
To give sigh for sigh.

If he was “mercy killing” this rose, he would be doing it for no reason except that the rose is lonely. Would someone really do this? A true gardener has strong emotions for his flowers just like Moore seems to love this rose. A gardener tries to care for his plants as best as he knows how. Perhaps Moore was actually trying to help this rose like a gardener would. Gardeners are not committing euthanasia when they prune a plant, are they? It is possible that Moore was just trying to prepare this plant for its “hibernation” through winter. As I mentioned earlier, I am not sure that the person in this poem actually destroyed the rose. Does anyone on this forum know something about gardening? I could you use your help if you do! Because I am wondering if plucking the leaves of a rose is a practice (maybe even a common one) that gardeners perform while they are caring for roses and other flowers. It sounds sort of like pruning. Do gardeners actually do this? I'm not quite sure, but I do know of a process called “deadheading” which is the act of get rid of any spent, faded, withered, or discolored flowers from rose shrubs over the course of the blooming season. This sounds similar to euthanasia, but the poem takes place after the normal blooming season. So what is he really doing? As I’m sure you know, every year, flowers “hibernate” and come back the next year. Perhaps, Moore is somehow beginning this period of rest. It might be that he is encouraging the rose to go to sleep, in hopes that next year it will awake along with its companions. Does anyone know a lot about caring for flowers? Has anyone had experience growing roses? Please post your comments!
 
Okay, now it’s time to talk about another unpleasant subject.

Usually we act upon our beliefs. So if Moore believed that suicide was a promising way to end his troubles, why did he not kill himself when all of his five children died or when he was disabled by a stroke? The Last Rose of Summer was written in 1805, so I think it was written before his children died, but their deaths certainly reminds me of these lines:

So soon may I follow,
When friendships decay,
From Love's shining circle
The gems drop away.                                 (His children, obviously, being his gems.)
When true hearts lie withered
And fond ones are flown,
Oh! who would inhabit
This bleak world alone?

The world would indeed look bleak if everyone you loved had died, and of course you would want to follow the people you care about and you would want to be with them. So soon may I follow. Moore's life story was full of sorrow. And to me, it seems as though Moore is not contemplating suicide, but rather he is looking forward to death and perhaps a more joy-filled afterlife. (Heaven, maybe?) This is how I understand the lyrics, and in my own opinion, Moore seems to have been rather lonesome when he wrote this, and it's like he is waiting to be taken to better place where he will be no longer lonely. Oh! who would inhabit this bleak world alone?? (Perhaps he is referring to his bleak life on earth.)

Okay, I'm almost done talking. I had just few more things to say. So I’ll try to say them quickly.

From Love's shining circle
It is interesting to me that the word Love is capitalized. Does it have a hidden meaning? Is Moore referring to someone or something? What is he trying to tell us? Would anyone like to comment on this? Celeste didn't really discuss this detail.
Also, I wanted to remind everyone that even though some of us might read disquieting things out of the lyrics of this song, Miss Agnew may have her own interpretation of The Last Rose of Summer, and someday maybe we can find out what her thoughts are about this song. I don't know why she and/or her father chose this song, but for me, Miss Agnew's voice and the emotion that she conveys through the words are the most captivating part of this recording.

By the way, this is my first post, so I want to say hello to all the other Celtic Woman fans.
“Hello, all you Celtic Woman fans!”
There I’ve said it.
Lastly, I guess I should also warn you that I’m planning on posting something about myself in the New Members thread (probably tomorrow). My introduction might include a riddle which I think will be of particular interest to Celeste because it looks like this member enjoys puzzling over things. It will be interesting to see what kind of replies I get to this message.
Talk to you all later!

[Celeste]

So if Moore believed that suicide was a promising way to end his troubles, why did he not kill himself when all of his five children died or when he was disabled by a stroke?...

Moore's life story was full of sorrow.

I would only point out that the approach that I am taking to the poem is not biographical, but formalist. Most contemporary literary analysis tends to sharply differentiate between a poem's author, and the poem's speaker, who is conceived to be an altogether different being than the author.

Nevertheless, biographical analysis can be interesting...

[My Name is a Riddle]

Most contemporary literary analysis tends to sharply differentiate between a poem's author, and the poem's speaker, who is conceived to be an altogether different being than the author.

Wow! You replied quickly!
Interesting point...

If this poem is really about such sinister ideas, I certainly hope Miss Agnew doesn't agree with any of it. But I have a feeling she just enjoys singing the song.

[Celeste]

But are these ideas really so "sinister"? I certainly don't find them so. Is Hamlet's "To Be or Not To Be" speech "sinister"? It's just a part of living an examined life.

As to your points, they're very interesting, but I just don't see the textual support for the poet's speaker being a gardener, or having that kind of relationship, one of cultivation, to the flower. His encounter with the flower is a springboard for contemplation. He does use the word "kindly," but notice in what context:

Thus kindly I scatter,
Thy leaves o'er the bed,
Where thy mates of the garden
Lie scentless and dead.

The scattering of the leaves, of a rose that had been blooming, is what the speaker regards as his "kindly" act. And why? So that the "lone one" won't "pine on the stem." He is projecting the human emotion of loneliness onto it. There isn't any textual reference to horticulture, or to gardening techniques.

I tend to see the speaker more as a Wordworthian wanderer figure, like the speaker of the Lyrical Ballads, who journeys through natural landscapes and finds, in the elements of nature that he encounters, mirrors of the human condition. True, the analogies are never exact, but they are reflections of the speaker's mindset.

I also don't see enough textual support for a regeneration theme -- not in this specific poem, anyway. In fact, the ideas of regeneration -- a "circle of life" theme, which could have appeared in a poem like this -- are conspicuously absent, and I think that's significant. Rather, the poem is about finality ("faded and gone"; "scentless and dead"; "decay"; "withered"; "flown").

Is the speaker looking forward to an afterlife, a world that is less "bleak" than "this" one is to him? That is certainly possible. But either way, I don't think the mere contemplation of an exit from an unhappy world (just thinking about it doesn't mean acting on it) makes the poem "sinister" -- merely sweetly sad, and poignant, and very touching.

[Jeanine]

I wonder what the actual story behind the song is.  Maggie?  Rich?