This story uses familiar aspects of fairytales such as repetition and groups of three.
“The Tree cried to the Nightingale to press close against the thorn. ‘Press closer, little Nightingale,’ cried the Tree, ‘or Day will come before the rose is finished.’” This is repeated and gives the Nightingale’s sacrifice a deserved emphasis. In addition to repetition of speech Wilde also uses repetition to stress other clauses, “Bitter, bitter was the pain, and wilder and wilder grew her song”.
In “The Nightingale and the Rose” personification is used habitually. In the quote above we see how “the Tree” and “Day” are personified. Using this technique helps Wilde to reflect upon modern life and debate ideas, as these objects can then be used as representations. The Moon is personified and represents a coldness, chastity and virginity, and the rose is child personified. As the story progresses and the rose is created it changes in colour from white to a deep crimson red, just as the Nightingale’s song evolves from pure song to passion. The rose is child personified, growing from pure, the white of the rose, to passion.
The complex meaning of the story is portrayed through fairytale techniques such as personification, then Wilde is able to go on to give the story an indirect meaning. In the introduction Wilde comments:
‘The Nightingale is the true lover if there is one. She, at least, is Romance and the student and the girl are, like most of us, unworthy of Romance. So at least it seems to me but I like to fancy there may be many meanings in the tale..’
This simultaneous meaning allows Wilde to criticise society, and he questions if we are worthy of love and whether we value the Arts, whether we even understand them.
The Nightingale represents truth, beauty and art. By the end of the story we see that the Nightingale has sacrificed her life in vain, and here Wilde is saying how ignorant society is of these aspects of love, and here Wilde uses symbolic objects. As the thorn enters the Nightingale’s heart “she sang of the Love that is perfected by Death”, here she shows the ultimate love – love beyond the grave, “Love that dies not it the tomb”. This is almost a Christian image as the Nightingale sacrifices her “life-blood” for the good of others. The parallel meaning that Wilde portrays here is that he feels we are not appreciative of Christ doing the same for us, he scrutinises how we value religion.
When the Student opens his window at noon, which clearly shows he is not deep in love, and sees the roses he cries “’Why what a wonderful piece of luck!’” Ironically the student misunderstands the symbol of love and does not appreciate the high price at which it was created. Exactly as before when he did not acknowledge the depth of the Nightingale’s song. “’She has form…but has she got feeling?’” This shows the great ignorance of the Student, and as the Student represents society, the great ignorance of society. “She is like most artists; she is all style, without any sincerity.” This is ironic as here he is speaking of himself and lowering the importance of the Arts. “She would not sacrifice herself for others.”
The Professors daughter is also unworthy of love, “I am afraid it will not go with my dress” she answers as the Student presents the rose to her, “…everybody knows that jewels cost far more that flowers.” She prefers material wealth to the great price paid by the Nightingale to produce the only red rose. And the rose is thrown onto the ground, falls in the gutter and run over by a cartwheel. This exaggerates the ignorance of society. “’What a silly thing Love is…’” comments the Student as he returns to a “great dusty book”.
In this deep story the Nightingale represents Wilde, the Student represents the ignorant society and the rose represents the artistic creation. Oscar Wilde himself being an artist in the way of writer, poet and art lecturer, criticises society’s lack of appreciation for the arts. He uses a fairy story to reflect on modern life by using the illustration of the tale to portray his view. “’The Nightingale and the Rose’ deals not only with the nature of romance and true love but also with art and the sacrifice of the artist.”