Summary
The poem begins describing the "sea rose" in terms not generally reserved for the flower of romance. As the poem progresses, classical ideals are abandoned, and the speaker asserts that perhaps the sea rose is more precious and smells better than a regular rose that has not endured hardship or change. H.D. draws on the traditional symbolic associations of the rose with female perfection and aesthetic beauty, suggesting that the impeccable, sweet, untouched qualities of the traditional feminine ideal are overrated. The "sea rose," likely a metaphor for the modern woman, gains value and preciousness in its maturity and survival of life's tumultuous circumstances.
Analysis:
Though minimalistic in its formulation, this poem is rich with insinuations. H.D. begins the poem by challenging expectation and custom. Roses have traditionally functioned as symbols of soft, elegant, and beautiful romantic love—both in culture and literature. By introducing the rose as “harsh,” H.D. immediately alerts the reader to a possible contradiction or paradox. Clearly, the sea rose is not what we think of when we imagine a typical rose, given that it is “marred,” “meagre,” “sparse,” and “thin”—all words that one would not typically associate with a rose.
Additionally, the adjectives used in this first stanza have decidedly negative connotations—especially “harsh,” “marred,” and “meagre.” These words imply there is something disfigured, inadequate, or even unpleasant about the rose. Further, the words “meager,” “thin,” and “sparse” strongly suggest lack—as though the rose has lost its luster, strength, and vitality. The insinuation is that the rose is not living up to its potential. Instead of exhibiting the lush and vibrant qualities of culture's classic rose, the sea rose is puny and diminished. Instantly in the first stanza, the rose does not perform as an emblem of immaculate beauty and romantic splendor, nor does it conform to typical female tropes.
In the second stanza, there is a shift in tone, as the reader realizes that the speaker admires these non-traditional qualities of the sea rose when the speaker calls it “more precious” than the fresh, single rose that features so heavily in our collective imagination. H.D.’s use of the em-dash after the lines “more precious / than a wet rose / single on a stem” brings the reader to an explanation for why this sea rose is “more precious”: because it is not isolated or protected in a vase, but is “caught in the drift” of the ocean’s waves. This line suggests that the sea rose should be valued and cherished more than a regular rose, because it is shaped by the flow and movement of the sea and wind. This assertion about the sea rose’s value could lead to multiple interpretations.
One possibility is that the speaker feels the rose’s formidable strength in the face of chaos is admirable. Despite the inescapable affliction of rough seawater, corrosive sand and whipping gales, the sea rose remains. H.D.’s shift to second person (“you are caught in the drift”) seems to support this admiration and recognition, because in referring to the rose directly, the speaker’s tone becomes tender and personal—even affectionate. Another reading of this line is that the sea rose has been mixed up with the forces and matter of life’s turbulence, and is therefore more worldly, resilient, and substantive than a rose that has simply been picked and placed in a vase. The speaker likely feels fondness and respect for the robust sea rose. Perhaps the sea rose represents the feminine spirit that is “caught” against its will and brutalized or denigrated by forces beyond her control.
In using this unexpected and direct floral imagery as a metaphor for female identity and strife, H.D. repudiates existing standards of feminine beauty and romance, and honors qualities that have traditionally been dismissed as unacceptable. Such qualities represented by the sea rose include being worn and tough, or drawing value beyond physical freshness, youth, and decoration. The speaker challenges the assumption that the rose derives its worth as an aesthetic object before a patriarchal gaze.
Additionally, despite the seemingly negative connotations of the first stanza, H.D. subverts the notion that a beleaguered and imperfect life is lesser or not worth cherishing. Given that H.D. published this poem a year after she suffered a stillbirth, some believe “Sea Rose” advocates for a social, cultural, and literary embrace of the female subject as both suffering and strong. In this formulation, the female is worth more than her dewy aesthetic and ability to reproduce. One could also take H.D.’s appreciation of the sea rose’s rugged condition—and divergence from romantic expectations—as an allusion to her own bisexuality, or a rejection of conventional notions of feminine presentation.
The third stanza further illustrates the vigor of the sea rose. The speaker observes the flower’s ability to persevere as its damaged, skimpy form is “flung” by the waves onto the abrasive shore, and lifted repeatedly by the wind. One can decipher the vehemence and violence of this natural process from the words “flung” and “drives,” which demonstrate the harshness of the rough sand and relentless wind. The passivity of the phrases “are flung” and “are lifted” show how the sea rose is at the mercy of greater powers, which move and morph its figure without difficulty. The word “crisp” alludes to a coarse kind of sand that wears objects down over time. “Crisp” also evokes a briskness often associated with biting winds.
In this same stanza, the juxtaposition of a typical rose with the unusual, weatherworn sea rose reaches its peak. The speaker notes that the sea rose has been “stunted” and carries only a “small leaf.” This image highlights a stark contrast between the mighty elements and the shabby flower. Ironically, the discrepancy only serves to emphasize the endurance of the sea rose, which continues to survive its severe circumstances. If the idyllic rose known to Western culture represents the feminine, or the ideal woman, then H.D. is proposing a new ideal through the symbolism of the sea rose: a woman of character and justifiable fallibility who has endured hardship and has been moved by life. To persuade the reader, H.D.’s basic yet evocative diction resists drama or lugubriousness, instead revealing directly what the sea rose must endure. The inevitability of this biological process evokes a tone of impressive composure. The speaker does not mince words: she acknowledges corrosion and value can be coterminous. This feminist proposal, through floral symbolism, challenges the cultural temptation to view experienced, timeworn women as “damaged goods.”
In the final stanza, via the speaker's rhetorical query, H.D. makes her boldest assertion yet: that even a traditional rose, pressed and dried into its most potent and fragrant form, may not offer as much as the hardened and bitter scent of the sea rose, which presumably carries within it the substance and grit of its endured hardships. The scent of the traditional rose, often preserved through flower pressing, or in the making of oils and perfumes, is one of its most famous features. Therefore, suggesting that the sea rose offers a more impressive sensory experience is bold and revolutionary. The implication is political by the end of the poem: the sea rose is indeed a metaphor for a new, gritty femininity that should be admired and respected above the pure and innocent woman of culture's hegemonic ideals.
