O Rose, ....... the howling storm. | The Sick Rose By William Blake | Eureka Study Aids

O Rose, thou art sick!
The invisible worm
That flies in the night,
In the howling storm

O Rose, .......... the howling storm.

Reference
(i) Poem: The Sick Rose
(ii) Poet: William Blake
Context
(i) Occurrence: Start of the Poem (Lines 1-4/8)

(ii) Content: This poem is about lost of virtue due to secret crimes or corruption. The speaker, addressing a rose, informs it that it is sick. An "invisible worm" has stolen into its "bed of crimson joy" in a "howling storm" and under the cover of night. The "dark secret love" of this worm is destroying the rose's life. 

Explanation

     In these lines the poet describes the cause of the sickness of a rose. Literally, a rose is a beautiful flower. Here the rose symbolizes beauty, virginity, love, innocence and London. A canker worm has attacked this rose. This worm symbolizes lust, jealously, corruption, experience, decay and death. It also resonates with the Biblical serpent and suggests a phallus. The poet tells that this is an 'invisible worm'. The invisibility of the worm echoes that the devil lurks unseen and is master of disguise. This worm flies in the night. Traditionally, night is the time when demons, witches and wild beasts seek their prey and ghosts appear. It therefore suggests that this 'worm' is active at the time when people are most prey to their fears and fantasies. This worm attacks 'in the howling storm'. It suggests times of ungovernable, frightening turmoil and passion that are potentially destructive. In short, beauty, love and innocence is destroyed by lust, corruption and experience.