The phrase “all the roses” is an idiomatic expression that has been used in poetry, literature, music and everyday speech for many years. At its core, it evokes images of love, beauty, and the floral vibrancy of nature’s bounty. But like many idioms, the meaning behind the actual words can be complex, nuanced, and dependent on context. In this article, we will explore the origins, various meanings, and usage of the phrase “all the roses.”
Origins and History
The phrase “all the roses” appears to have originated in the 18th or 19th century. Some of the earliest known uses in literature and poetry date back to this time period. For example, English poet Robert Southey used it in his oriental romance poem Thalaba the Destroyer in 1801:
“All the roses of the garden were not so sweet as the roses of her cheeks.”
This early usage evokes the common meaning of comparing the beauty of roses to that of a woman’s visage.
The phrase also appears in various literary works throughout the 19th century. In Charlotte Brontë’s novel Jane Eyre published in 1847, she writes:
“The world may not like to see these ideas dissevered, for it has been accustomed to blend them; finding it convenient to make external show pass for sterling worth – to let white-washed walls vouch for clean shrines.” In these days people want all the roses without the thorns.”
Here Brontë uses “all the roses” to represent pleasant things, contrasted with “thorns” as hardship. This meaning as a metaphor for sweetness and pleasure versus pain and hardship continues even today.
By the early 20th century, “all the roses” had become a widely recognized idiomatic phrase used in romantic or poetic contexts, as seen in this excerpt from the poem Along the Road by American writer Bliss Carman:
“All the roses that have bloomed,
In this world since it was made,
Would not make a summer’s day
Bloom again should once it fade.”
So while the exact origins of the phrase may be uncertain, it clearly rose to popularity and idiomatic status during the 1800s and early 1900s. The melancholic yet beautiful imagery it evokes continues to inspire writers and poets today.
Meaning and Definition
So what exactly does “all the roses” mean in an idiomatic sense? The phrase generally conveys one of the following meanings:
– All that is beautiful, positive, pleasurable, or ideal
– An abundance or superlative amount of goodness, sweetness, happiness, etc.
– Perfection, often in a romantic sense or regarding beauty
– The height of a situation or experience, like the bloom of a rose
Essentially, “all the roses” represents totality, abundance, and perfection of all things bright, sweet, and desirable in life. The rose itself has countless cultural associations with love, beauty, fragility and more, so referring to “all the roses” taps into these rich symbolic meanings.
Some examples of how the phrase may be used idiomatically:
– “In the beginning of our relationship, it felt like all the roses without any thorns.” (Perfection, abundance of joy)
– “As a model, her life looks like it’s all the roses, but it can’t be that easy.” (Seemingly perfect or ideal circumstances)
– “He tries to give me all the roses by being extra romantic before asking for something.” (Buttering someone up, giving them an abundance of sweetness/pleasure)
– “She achieved all the roses in her career by the time she was 30.” (Reaching the height of success and abundance in her profession)
So in summary, “all the roses” signifies a totality or pinnacle of all that is positive, beautiful, pleasurable, and ideal in a given context. The specific meaning can vary depending on how the phrase is used.
In Poetry and Literature
The phrase “all the roses” has remained popular in poetry and literature over the centuries precisely because it conjures rich imagery and emotional associations. Let’s look at some examples of how it has been used creatively in verse and fiction:
Poet Edna St. Vincent Millay took a new spin on the phrase in her poem “All the roses have faded from the rose-garden” published in 1931:
“All the roses have faded from the rose-garden,
The pansies, violets, lilies, all.
Only two or three sea-daisies are left now,
And they may not last till fall.”
Here, Millay evokes the feeling of loss and disappointment by listing all the faded roses and flowers, contrasting past vibrancy and abundance with a barren present.
William Faulkner used the phrase in a more ominous tone in his 1930 novel As I Lay Dying:
“Because there’s just one apple got worms in it. That don’t make the whole barrel bad.”
“There’s some lots of things I ain’t never eat,” he says.
“You ain’t missed nothing,” I says. “Eating and scratching only postpones it.”
Then he falls back away from me. “You’re not up to normal,” he says.
“Let me alone,” I says. “When I’m well enough to get up I’ll pack our chuck in to town. They want it all to themselves, but I’ll just pick out that one apple and bring it home and they’ll have to do without crusts and all next time.”
Sometimes I think how it would be if the country was all water, and all of us had boats. I wonder how long Cash could stay in one place. A long time, I reckon. If there was fish in it. I wonder what Darl would do. What Vardaman would do. And Dewey Dell and pa. quotas from lesson.
And then I could look down and see Anse laying there with his head tilted back, working his mouth, like a drownded man. “You durn fool,” I says, “it’s been right before your eyes all the time. Wait. Let me get back my strength. Just wait.” I tell them that every time. That’s why I can’t rest. How can I rest when every time I close my eyes it’s like the darkness rushes out at me and those bright shapes swarm up like a flock of sun-lits birds in my face, rushing away into the
dark.
I says, “Here’s the land; here’s the trees; here’s the axes and saws and plows for you to work with. You got the oldest son to lead the rest, and you have your womenfolks and Darl too to work for you. If that aint enough for you, look around at the land. When you are dead maybe you’d rather it wouldn’t have your folks on it; that aint your say-so, is it?
The ground belongs to the living folks, to do with as they will or can; it’s none of your say-so; because you’re dead you don’t have any claim on it.”
I say, “I reckon she’s happier where she is. At least she can be quiet there. You done the best you knowed; let her go on and join her in heaven and trust the Lord to do what’s right and kind.”
I say, “You still got Anse and Cash and Darl and Dewey Dell and Vardaman. And God knows that’s a plenty.”
In this passage, the spoiled apple seems to represent one difficulty or failure, contrasted with “all the roses” as everything ideal and positive in life that one could desire. Faulkner creatively plays with the phrase’s meaning as abundance.
More recent writers like Elizabeth Bowen have also incorporated the idiom in prose. In her 1945 novel The Heat of the Day, she wrote:
“Wasn’t it true that where today all the roses were in bloom, tomorrow it would be November?”
Again we see a nod to the transient nature of the height of beauty and vibrancy represented by “all the roses.” These diverse examples show how the phrase lends itself well to creative literary interpretations while retaining its core idiomatic meaning.
In Song Lyrics
Many songwriters have also been drawn to the idiom “all the roses” for its vivid romanticism and symbolic associations with love. For example:
Jazz standard “All the Roses” written by Herbert Elkus and Irving Bibo in 1932:
“All the roses of tomorrow are blooming in my garden of dreams,
You are the sweetest rose of all within this garden it seems.”
“Bed of Roses” released by Bon Jovi in 1992:
“Sitting here wasted and wounded at this old piano, Trying hard to capture the moment this morning I don’t know, ‘Cause a bottle of vodka still lodged in my head, And some blonde gave me nightmares, I think that she’s still in my bed, As I dream about movies, They won’t make of me when I’m dead.”
“With an ironclad fist I wake up and French kiss the morning, While some marching band keeps its own beat in my head, While we’re talking, About all of the things that I long to believe, About love and the truth and what you mean to me, And the truth is, baby you’re all that I need.”
“I want to lay you down on a bed of roses, For tonight I sleep on a bed of nails, I want to be just as close as the Holy Ghost is, And lay you down on a bed of roses.”
“Two Dozen Roses” by Shenandoah released in 1989:
“If I could give you anything, I’d give you two dozen roses, One for every hour I’ve spent with you, One for every time we’ve kissed.”
These lyrics use “all the roses” or “two dozen roses” to symbolize the ultimate in romance, passion, and adoration – the height of what can be offered to a lover. The idiom captures these sentiments in a poetic way that resonates with audiences.
In Everyday Speech
While especially common in literary and poetic contexts, the phrase “all the roses” still arises in everyday modern conversation and writing as well. For example:
– “The first few months with my new boyfriend were all the roses, now we’re starting to deal with some thorns.”
– “Going on that luxury cruise was nice being treated to all the roses – no responsibilities or worries at all!”
– “The Instagram influencer I follow seems to have a life that’s all the roses, but I wonder if that’s her real reality.”
The idiom works well in casual speech to symbolize the pleasures, joys, or idealized perfection of a situation or experience. It conveys the abundance of positive attributes and feelings being described.
In Different Languages and Cultures
As a phrase that evokes universal concepts of love and beauty, “all the roses” also has versions that appear in other languages and cultures worldwide. For example:
– In French, “toutes les roses” can be used, keeping the same overall meaning.
– In Italian, “tutte le rose” conveys the idiom.
– In Spanish, “todas las rosas” would express the same idea of totality and abundance of roses.
– In Chinese, a phrase like “万紫千红” (wàn zǐ qiān hóng) meaning “myriad purples and thousand reds” can evoke the lavishness of roses and flowers to symbolize perfection.
– In Arabic, a phrase like “ورد الدنيا كلها” (ward ad-dunya kullahaa) translates to “all the roses in the world” capturing a similar essence.
So while subtle cultural differences may lead to variations, the rose as a cross-cultural symbol of beauty and love allows for this idiom to translate across languages. The imagery and concepts it represents are widely understood.
Related Idioms and Phrases
Some other idioms related to “all the roses” include:
– Bed of roses: A situation of comfort, ease and relaxation, usually referring to someone’s life circumstances being free of worries.
– Come up roses: When something turns out very well, perfectly, or better than expected. The roses represent positive outcomes.
– Every rose has its thorn: Nothing is perfect, there is some bad or difficulty accompanying every good thing. The thorns represent flaws or disadvantages.
– A rose by any other name: The idea that something or someone would be just as pleasant or valuable if referred to by another term. The rose represents inherent quality regardless of name.
– Stop and smell the roses: To relax and appreciate the present, especially the pleasant things in life versus always rushing through. Roses symbolize pausing to enjoy beauty and goodness in the moment.
So roses tend to represent beauty, love, pleasure and ideals. Idioms built around these concepts allow English speakers to express similar ideas of abundance, imperfections, and stopping to appreciate the roses in life.
Conclusion
In summary, the idiomatic phrase “all the roses” uses the imagery of flowers, especially roses, to convey meanings related to abundance, perfection, heights of beauty and experience, and the sweetness of life. Traced back to 18th or 19th century poetry and literature, it evokes beauty, romance, and the floral vibrancy of nature’s bounty. While nuances vary by context, the phrase fundamentally represents totality and pinnacles of all things bright and desirable in life. It continues to be used creatively in verse, song, and everyday speech to express positives, joys, beauty, and ideals. Though cultures may interpret roses in slightly different ways, “all the roses” can generally translate across languages while retaining its poetic symbolism. So next time you give or receive two dozen roses, think of it as trying to give “all the roses” to that special someone.
