Roses and their Symbolic Meaning in Literature

In literature, roses often symbolize love and beauty; therefore, they represent ladies, also. Roses are a frequently used flower symbol. From a Christian perspective, a rose is a symbol of heaven and harmony in the world. Furthermore, the rose is considered the flower of the Virgin Mary.

The colour of the rose is often significant.

red for romantic love
white for purity, charm, silence, "You are heavenly", reverence, humility, youthfulness, innocence
pink for youth, early love
yellow for friendship
black for death, twisted relationships (Black Rose)
blue for fantasy, something unattainable

Like other plants, a rose, especially one that is still alive, can also carry overtones of growth, renewal. Roses have thorns which represent the pain or hurt hidden in the beauty, as in "love hurts". Rose bushes can also provide a barrier

The Rose is an important symbol in English literature, especially in romantic love literature. Christianity introduced the rose symbol. But later it assumed secular connotations. In the Elizabethan age, poets in their innumerable lyrics and sonnets used the rose symbol from multiple points of view.
Like the sun, the 'Rose' is an important symbol in literature. Long ago Robert Burns sang : 'My luve's like a red, red rose'. Since then the rose is an integral part of romantic love literature. Chirstina Rossetti wrote about the wonderful rose in the ever poetic style of her own : O Rose , thou flower of flowers, thou fragrant wonder'. The Rose was deep in Yeats' heart. Who can ever forget O.Henry's 'The Rose of Dixie'?