“Rose, harsh rose, / marred and with stint of petals, / meagre flower, thin, / sparse of leaf,”
Without any context, the poem's initial lines seem critical, or at the very least, pitying of the lackluster sea rose. The reader expects the speaker to expound on the notion that the sea rose has been damaged beyond redemption, perhaps describing how such destruction came about. Although H.D. later includes an explanation for the sea rose's state, these first lines do not prepare the reader for the positive esteem in which she holds the sea rose. For now, the reader senses a sorrowful tone, having surmised that the sea rose is diminished in some way. These lines begin the concise but revolutionary exploration of value, objectification, and female grit encapsulated in this short poem.
"more precious / than a wet rose / single on a stem—"
In order to begin making her point about the unexpected value of the sea rose, the speaker must remind the reader of the way traditional roses are typically viewed in culture. The traditional English Rose, often a "wet rose / single on a stem—" that one might buy in a flower shop, is fresh, idyllic, and usually a symbolic of heteronormative romantic ideals. Because of these associations, such roses are often viewed as intensely amorous, passionate, and tender. Additionally, roses are often used to make pointed gestures of love, and are thus considered more special than the average flower. These cultural associations around the rose are important to note, because the speaker is claiming that the sea rose is "more precious" than this typical rose. Once this claim is made, the reader's expectations are uprooted, and there is a moment of suspense in regards to why the speaker feels that the battered flower deserves such admiration.
“Stunted, with small leaf, / you are flung on the sand,”
At this point in the poem, the speaker has switched to second-person narration, and is directly addressing the sea rose. This shift carries forward a tone of fondness that the speaker has developed surrounding the sea rose, beginning with her claim that it is "more precious" than the typical rose. This emerging position of admiration for the sea rose's grit is in direct contrast to the expectations generated by the first lines of the poem, which seem to emphasize the sea rose's flaws. In the above lines, the speaker acknowledges to the sea rose that she is aware of what the flower has been through: "you are flung on the sand." Further, the speaker has noticed the ways in which the plant has been harmed, noting that it is "Stunted, with small leaf." The word stunted implies that the sea rose has not been allowed to reach its full potential—perhaps functioning as a metaphor for the way women are held back from thriving by oppressive gender norms. Given that leaves provide stability and homeostasis to flowers, the sea rose with its "small leaf" is fragile and vulnerable. Furthermore, the sea rose is at the mercy of forces beyond its control, surviving despite being lifted and bashed against the sand by the wind and water. In these lines, the speaker may be seeking to show both the sea rose's fragility and its resilience, as a metaphor for the ways in which women are both victims and agents—weary but still tenaciously strong.
"Can the spice-rose / drip such acrid fragrance / hardened in a leaf?"
Although the lines of the last stanza are formulated as a question, the implication is not at all uncertain; H.D. is undermining and challenging the cultural presumption that a symbol of femininity is ideal in its embodiment of purity, aesthetic perfection, or innocence. By posing such a query, the speaker suggests that even the highly fragrant and desired scent of a traditional rose that has been dried and pressed cannot compete with the rich, acute scent of the sea rose that has survived hardship, change, and damage. This symbolic statement proposes a new conception of femininity, one that acknowledges and respects both the fragility and ability of the female, who is constantly subjected to oppressive forces in society, but whose suffering or weariness does not diminish her value. Within this paradigm, it is not the sweetness, freshness, or beauty of the female that makes her valuable, but her strength and resilience—as well as the idiosyncrasies of her wise and experienced character.
