Oscar Wilde's The Nightingale and the Rose

 

           A nightingale, a bird. More specifically, a bird with feathers as colored with the oak of a tree, not bigger than a robin, where they have been praised for their melodic songs that they sing. Such a bird paired with a rose as the title suggests definitely blooms of the perfect romance story of perhaps a fine young prince, gifting the said nightingale to a fair maiden from a faraway land.

Is what I would like to say about this story.

This is Oscar Wilde's story. A story of a young male student, whom I suppose, fell in love at first sight upon seeing a professor's daughter. As I wrote, 'I suppose' is because the actions of this young man were rather naive and rushed when one is pursuing love with a soon-to-be significant other.

Let me summarize this story in my own words for my readers.

This is a story of where this young man wishes to ask the professor's daughter for a dance, to where she rejects the man, but only if he were to bring right in front of her, a beautiful red rose. In the middle of the winter, where no red roses were to bloom, the poor man cried and started to wail, complaining about where to find this red rose in the midst of worn out, withered and dead flowers. Coincidentally, a nightingale was making her usual rounds in her world, heard this man's plea for help. The female bird perched on a nearby tree, listened and listened, until she understood why he was wasting his precious tears and his vocal cords for a mere red rose. It was to court the professor's daughter.

However, this nightingale, I believe, is somewhat of a romanticist. Who loves the idea of romance, and makes a huge deal of even the tiniest, slightest chance of a love blooming. As what she did, was after listening to the man's plea, she decided to find a red rose for him. All in the name of 'love'. And so, she flew, tiring her brown wings, just to help this man, searching for the said flower.

She didn't find the flower, rather, how to make a red rose. She was to pierce her heart on the thorn of the rose whilst singing its melodious tune. It was as if she were to give her own life into the blooming of the flower. And as the romanticist she is, she did, and so a beautiful crimson red rose bloomed with the staining of the nightingale's blood. The young man upon seeing this rose was thrilled! disregarding the fact a poor life gave itself to make it bloom, he plucked it and presented it to the professor's daughter.

As she has sent him on a wild goose chase from the start, it was as if signing a rejection letter to the man. Once again, she rejected him, and as furious he was, he through the bloomed rose on the ground, as if it was nothing. The rose he once desperately seek meant nothing as it has no longer served any purpose. Thus, the poor nightingale ended her life without any meaning to this 'love'.

Without further ado, there are some questions that i would like to answer, to give further insight on this story.

“Death is a great price to pay for a rose,” cried the Nightingale, “and Life is very dear to all. It is pleasant to sit in the green wood, and to watch the Sun in his chariot of gold, and the Moon in her chariot of pearl. Sweet is the scent of the hawthorn, and sweet are the bluebells that hide in the valley, and the heather that blows on the hill. Yet Love is better than Life, and what is the heart of a bird compared to the heart of a man?”

1. What does the excerpt reveal about the Nightingale's character and motivations?

   The nightingale as I said is quite the romanticist, but she is also quite naive. This is due to the fact that she talks so elaborately on how life is nothing without love or how love is worth more than life, so this points huge arrows to the fact that she holds 'love' on a high pedestal. And for how she is quite naive. She didn't think of the consequences or how this romance will bloom realistically. She bases her motivations solely on helping the young man in courting a woman to the point of giving up her life. Some people may say the nightingale is such a selfless bird, but I would say she falls short in thinking of the outcomes of her actions but is a good-hearted person. It is true as she says, Love conquers all, even death.

2. What do you think is the significance of the red rose is in this excerpt and the story as a whole?

   After reading the excerpt, I believe that the red rose is the suppose 'True Love' that we humans all wish to obtain. It is explained how difficult it is to achieve the rose, and how even life was given to make it red like blood, but in the wrong hands, the beauty of the rose cannot blossom. As did the nightingale gave to the young man for the professor's daughter. The beauty of love can only bloom with the right treatment from the right people. This story in my eyes explains how easy it is to make mistakes in finding love if we don't look at the bigger picture in ones' life. How assumptions can ruin the chances in love, and where love can only come from both sides of a relationship.

3. Do you think Love is better than Life, and how do you reflect the themes of the story to your own personal life?

   Personally, I do believe that Love is better than Life. Because, in everything we do, there is love. For example, eating food that we like, that is love, smelling your favorite perfume too is love. But that's a different kind of love, no? So, my personal opinion of Love, as in the romantic kind, is better than Life? is also a yes from me. As someone who has lived a life before having a love, I know too well the loneliness and the bitterness of life without someone to love or to be loved by. Its's where, everything you do, has bits and pieces of your significant other, like even looking at my own hand i am reminded of them. And it is true as what they say, loneliness is the most painful heartbreak any life can handle, since there is no one, you can hold onto or lean onto. However, this story has taught me to be more careful and to act less rash, rather to think more thoroughly about my actions in dealing with my love life. As to not end up like the nightingales' efforts in trying to bloom a young man's romance.

As an end to this little post, I'd like to wish everyone good luck in finding love in their life, and that, it's okay to make mistakes, it's okay to feel not perfect or even feel perfect. Love doesn't fit one mold, it's different for everyone so there is not Disney template to strictly follow. One never fails in love, but if one stops trying, then they have failed in life, since love is what makes life sweeter than ever. But what do you guys think about Love? is it better than Life? or is it better to have Life than Love? Would love to hear all thoughts to widen my perspective and knowledge.

From, Lispiy, Peace out!