APAD: A rose is a rose is a rose

A rose is a rose is a rose

The meaning most often attributed to 'a rose is a rose is a rose' is the notion that, when all is said and done, a thing is what it is. This is in similar vein to Shakespeare's 'a rose by any other name would smell as sweet'. However, that's not the interpretation given by the author of the phrase.

The line is from Gertrude Stein's poem Sacred Emily, written in 1913 and published in 1922, in Geography and Plays. The verbatim line is actually, 'Rose is a rose is a rose is a rose':

Rose is a rose is a rose is a rose
Loveliness extreme.
Extra gaiters,
Loveliness extreme.
Sweetest ice-cream.
Pages ages page ages page ages.

.

American novelist, poet, playwright, and art collector, Gertrude Stein.

When asked what she meant by the line, Stein said that in the time of Homer, or of Chaucer, "the poet could use the name of the thing and the thing was really there." As memory took it over, the thing lost its identity, and she was trying to recover that - "I think in that line the rose is red for the first time in English poetry for a hundred years."

Stein was certainly fond of the line and used variants of it in several of her works:

- Do we suppose that all she knows is that a rose is a rose is a rose is a rose. (Operas and Plays)

- ... she would carve on the tree Rose is a Rose is a Rose is a Rose is a Rose until it went all the way around. (The World is Round)

- A rose tree may be a rose tree may be a rosy rose tree if watered. (Alphabets and Birthdays)

- Indeed a rose is a rose makes a pretty plate. (Stanzas in Meditation)

所有跟帖： 

• A rose is a rose is a rose… APAD係列越來越有人文氣息，越來越好看了。。 -盈盈一笑間- ♀ (0 bytes) () 10/21/2023 postreply 07:44:49

• 老川就說不出這麽有詩情畫意的話。他隻會說大白話 It is what it is … LOL -盈盈一笑間- ♀ (223 bytes) () 10/21/2023 postreply 07:50:42

• Who first said I will be back? -移花接木- ♂ (0 bytes) () 10/21/2023 postreply 08:00:15

• Huh? Trump? -盈盈一笑間- ♀ (0 bytes) () 10/21/2023 postreply 13:01:16

• The Terminator cyborg -waterfowl- ♂ (0 bytes) () 10/21/2023 postreply 14:36:14

• It is what it is 比較順口 -waterfowl- ♂ (0 bytes) () 10/21/2023 postreply 14:29:37

• A spade is a spade is a spade. -7grizzly- ♀ (0 bytes) () 10/21/2023 postreply 07:56:07

• Should Gertrude Stein b German origin? -移花接木- ♂ (0 bytes) () 10/21/2023 postreply 07:58:41

• Jewish according to Wikipedia -7grizzly- ♀ (0 bytes) () 10/21/2023 postreply 16:30:19

• Interesting proverb. Thanks for sharing -方外居士- ♂ (0 bytes) () 10/21/2023 postreply 09:56:27

• Pages ages page ages page ages. What does that mean? -盈盈一笑間- ♀ (0 bytes) () 10/21/2023 postreply 13:03:12

• 是是是是是：） -忒忒綠- ♂ (0 bytes) () 10/21/2023 postreply 15:14:00

• A good 1！有點“是你是你 身後的青春都是你”的感覺～ -妖妖靈- ♀ (0 bytes) () 10/21/2023 postreply 17:29:14

• 為什麽總是你:-) -7grizzly- ♀ (0 bytes) () 10/21/2023 postreply 17:36:07

• 世上真有結巴之人：） -Zhuzitaba- ♂ (0 bytes) () 10/23/2023 postreply 05:33:03