Comparison of ‘An Argument’ and ‘My Pretty Rose Tree’
Nicole Pinborough
Both ‘An Argument’, by Thomas Moore, and ‘My Pretty Rose Tree’, by William Blake, are written
in the first person, giving the reader a biased view from the narrator’s perspective. This creates
a confessional tone, which suits the theme of love, while providing a sense of honesty. The
simplistic language employed permits the reader to understand clearly the narrator’s point of
view, as well as creating a nursery rhyme quality. Furthermore, Moore uses the basic language
in ‘An Argument’ to subtly imply the intelligence of the male speaker and the lack of intelligence
of the woman he is speaking to. The persuasive, argumentative and almost threatening attitude
of the narrator is evident in his patronising tone and language, making the reader sympathetic
with the female character.
On the other hand, Blake offers a much more narrative poem that suggests the narrator is
talking about a woman and not directly to her. This could be implying the unhealthy nature of a
monogamous relationship as the man and his, we presume, wife cannot communicate
effectively. Blake supported open marriages and disliked the restrictive nature of monogamous
relationships. When this is compared to ‘An Argument’ the lack of communication becomes even
clearer. Moore employs personal pronouns ‘you and I’ to illustrate the bond of strength between
the two lovers and how they will be ‘damned’ together, however inaccurate that is. In this sense
the narrator is implying they will be damned in their life after death, but due to the fact that
women are judged according to their sexuality, if society discovered that his lover had slept
with him before marriage she would be outcast from the community. However, the reputation
of a man is based around his wealth and status of his career and thus is free to have sexual
relationships without any consequence.
In order to render his argument more successful, Moore subverts the rules of the Church, using
them as a reason to surrender to their ‘desires.’ Women were taught to maintain their chastity
by the Church, and by society in general, and would become a ‘fallen woman’ if they were to
have sex before marriage. Moore, however, states that the lovers would be punished for their
thoughts ‘as much as if the deed were done’ and uses the threat of their damnation to force the
woman into it, saying they might as well ‘enjoy some pleasure for our punishment!’ The
narrator’s frustration at his lover’s reluctance is evident through this use of plosives and
emphasised by the exclaimity.
This same concept of thoughts being punished as well as actions is also found in Blake’s ‘My
Pretty Rose Tree,’ in which the narrator suffers his wife’s anger despite having resisted the
temptation of a ‘sweet flower.’ The narrator did what was morally right, something that should
be rewarded, but even so he is punished by his wife as if he had acted immorally. In contrast to
‘An Argument’ many could interpret that the narrator in ‘My Pretty Rose Tree’ might as well
have ‘enjoyed some pleasure for [his] punishment’ as the reaction of his wife gains him
sympathy with the reader.
Blake employs a more descriptive technique compared to Moore; in ‘My Pretty Rose Tree’ the
motif of a flower is maintained throughout, acting as an extended metaphor for love. The
woman who flirts with the narrator is depicted as merely ‘a flower’ implying superficiality and
the transient nature of beauty. Supported by the seasonal symbolism of a ‘May’ flower, Blake
portrays the fleeting idea of beauty, how the flower will bloom and die quickly, and how the
Nicole Pinborough
Both ‘An Argument’, by Thomas Moore, and ‘My Pretty Rose Tree’, by William Blake, are written
in the first person, giving the reader a biased view from the narrator’s perspective. This creates
a confessional tone, which suits the theme of love, while providing a sense of honesty. The
simplistic language employed permits the reader to understand clearly the narrator’s point of
view, as well as creating a nursery rhyme quality. Furthermore, Moore uses the basic language
in ‘An Argument’ to subtly imply the intelligence of the male speaker and the lack of intelligence
of the woman he is speaking to. The persuasive, argumentative and almost threatening attitude
of the narrator is evident in his patronising tone and language, making the reader sympathetic
with the female character.
On the other hand, Blake offers a much more narrative poem that suggests the narrator is
talking about a woman and not directly to her. This could be implying the unhealthy nature of a
monogamous relationship as the man and his, we presume, wife cannot communicate
effectively. Blake supported open marriages and disliked the restrictive nature of monogamous
relationships. When this is compared to ‘An Argument’ the lack of communication becomes even
clearer. Moore employs personal pronouns ‘you and I’ to illustrate the bond of strength between
the two lovers and how they will be ‘damned’ together, however inaccurate that is. In this sense
the narrator is implying they will be damned in their life after death, but due to the fact that
women are judged according to their sexuality, if society discovered that his lover had slept
with him before marriage she would be outcast from the community. However, the reputation
of a man is based around his wealth and status of his career and thus is free to have sexual
relationships without any consequence.
In order to render his argument more successful, Moore subverts the rules of the Church, using
them as a reason to surrender to their ‘desires.’ Women were taught to maintain their chastity
by the Church, and by society in general, and would become a ‘fallen woman’ if they were to
have sex before marriage. Moore, however, states that the lovers would be punished for their
thoughts ‘as much as if the deed were done’ and uses the threat of their damnation to force the
woman into it, saying they might as well ‘enjoy some pleasure for our punishment!’ The
narrator’s frustration at his lover’s reluctance is evident through this use of plosives and
emphasised by the exclaimity.
This same concept of thoughts being punished as well as actions is also found in Blake’s ‘My
Pretty Rose Tree,’ in which the narrator suffers his wife’s anger despite having resisted the
temptation of a ‘sweet flower.’ The narrator did what was morally right, something that should
be rewarded, but even so he is punished by his wife as if he had acted immorally. In contrast to
‘An Argument’ many could interpret that the narrator in ‘My Pretty Rose Tree’ might as well
have ‘enjoyed some pleasure for [his] punishment’ as the reaction of his wife gains him
sympathy with the reader.
Blake employs a more descriptive technique compared to Moore; in ‘My Pretty Rose Tree’ the
motif of a flower is maintained throughout, acting as an extended metaphor for love. The
woman who flirts with the narrator is depicted as merely ‘a flower’ implying superficiality and
the transient nature of beauty. Supported by the seasonal symbolism of a ‘May’ flower, Blake
portrays the fleeting idea of beauty, how the flower will bloom and die quickly, and how the
