In ‘My Love is Like a Red, Red Rose’ the poet’s feelings of love are compared to a flower in this case ‘a rose.’ And in doing this it gives a positive image to the reader straight away. And also on the second line where it says ‘Newly sprung in June’ it entends this image of positivity but it goes on to make it sound even more beautiful and pure and gives you the idea that this is a fresh emotion of love and excitement and he is in the first stages of his relationship. However in ‘Mag’ the poet’s feelings are not compared to anything, instead it begins with the poet saying ‘I wish to God I never saw Mag’ which creates an image of regret and negativity. The poet then goes on to emphasise this image when he says in the 2nd and 3rd lines, ‘I wish you never quit your job and came along with me’ and ‘I wish we never bought a license and a white dress.’ But this also gives you the idea that this poem is about a relationship breakdown and the negative side of love, varying greatly to ‘My Love is Like a Red, Red Rose’s’ image of positivity.
In ‘Mag’ the poet’s regretful feelings of his love are known to the reader even more when he repeats ‘I wish’ and ‘I wish to God.’ It makes you think that this man is totally and utterly depressed with what is happening in his relationship, to the point he is wishing his children away. ‘ I wish to God the kids had never come’ which makes you think is the poet feeling sorry for himself here? Is this just the initial result of a bad argument between him and his partner? However the poet does give reference to the fact he has money worries, ‘And rent and clothes to pay for and a grocery man calling for cash,’ has this created the downfall in the relationship it just seems hard to believe that he wants to forget his past life, his wife and above all his children. Which leads me to my next comparison. In ‘Mag’ the poet is very quick to wish his love away and in ‘My Love is Like a Red, Red Rose’ the poet announces he will love his woman forever, no matter what will happen. ‘Till a’ the seas gang dry, my dear, And the rocks melt wi’ the sun; I will luve thee still, my dear, While the sands o’ life shall run.’ This shows a substantial difference between the two different characters of each poem. Whilst in ‘My Love is Like a Red, Red Rose’ the man is passionate and loving, whilst the man in ‘Mag’ is selfish and doesn’t realise how lucky he is. Also at the end of ‘My Love is Like a Red, Red Rose’ you learn the character is being separated from his love, which makes you feel for him deeply, but also furthers the difference between the two characters because even though he’s being separated from his love he says. ‘And fare-thee-weel, my only luve! And fare-thee-weel, a while! And I will come again, my Luve, Tho’ twere ten thousand mile!’ Even though this separation is imminent he tells her she will be his one and only love, and that he will travel ten thousand miles if he has to, to see her again.
Overall I found both poems really enjoyable however my favourite of the two was ‘My Love is Like a Red, Red Rose’ by Robert Burns. I favoured this over ‘Mag’ by Carl Sandburg because of the passion portrayed in the poem. It was amazing to see the love this man held for his beloved and what lengths he was willing to go to, to only see her.
