Themes
In 'Love and Friendship' love is compared to 'the wild rose-briar'
A number of unifying ideas or Central, unifying idea(s) that run through a text. run through the poem. Different readers may attach more or less significance to each of these themes, depending upon how they view the poem.
| Theme | Evidence | Analysis |
| Love: Brontë refers to romantic love in this poem and warns the reader that, though lovely, it is transient and will not last. | ‘Yet wait till winter comes again/ And who will call the wild-briar fair?’ | Brontë starts the poem with a simile, comparing love to ‘the wild rose-briar’. She goes on to show how the rose changes through the seasons, implying that love will also fade. |
| Friendship: On the other hand, Brontë suggests that friendship is steady and constant and able to sustain all difficulties. | ‘But which will bloom most constantly?’ | Friendship is compared to the holly-tree which stays green throughout the year. Brontë suggests that this quality of consistency is shared by true friendship. |
| Seasons: Brontë uses the seasons to represent different times in both friendship and love. | ‘The wild rose-briar is sweet in spring’ | During spring and summer, the wild rose-briar is in bloom and its flowers ‘scent the air’. The seasons represent the times when love is also new and easy. Brontë suggests that winter is a more difficult time and that love, like the rose, might not survive the challenges posed by the colder season. |
| Theme | Love: Brontë refers to romantic love in this poem and warns the reader that, though lovely, it is transient and will not last. |
|---|---|
| Evidence | ‘Yet wait till winter comes again/ And who will call the wild-briar fair?’ |
| Analysis | Brontë starts the poem with a simile, comparing love to ‘the wild rose-briar’. She goes on to show how the rose changes through the seasons, implying that love will also fade. |
| Theme | Friendship: On the other hand, Brontë suggests that friendship is steady and constant and able to sustain all difficulties. |
|---|---|
| Evidence | ‘But which will bloom most constantly?’ |
| Analysis | Friendship is compared to the holly-tree which stays green throughout the year. Brontë suggests that this quality of consistency is shared by true friendship. |
| Theme | Seasons: Brontë uses the seasons to represent different times in both friendship and love. |
|---|---|
| Evidence | ‘The wild rose-briar is sweet in spring’ |
| Analysis | During spring and summer, the wild rose-briar is in bloom and its flowers ‘scent the air’. The seasons represent the times when love is also new and easy. Brontë suggests that winter is a more difficult time and that love, like the rose, might not survive the challenges posed by the colder season. |
Question
How does the poet show that friendship is constant?
- By comparing it to the evergreen holly-tree, showing that friendship is steady.
- She uses the seasons to highlight how love will fade and friendship will remain.
- The poem’s uncomplicated structure suggests something basic is being examined.