The Romance of the Rose

The Romance of the Rose, or Roman de la Rose in the original French, is an allegorical poem written between the years 1225 and 1278 by two authors, Guillaume de Lorris and Jean de Meun. De Lorris wrote the first three chapters of the work from 1225-1230, and de Meun added nine additional chapters from approximately 1269-1278. Not much is known about either author, but the poem became a foundational piece of medieval literature, particularly within the genre of courtly love, which focuses on men pursuing the love of beautiful noblewomen, usually outside of marriage. The Romance of the Rose describes a young lover’s dream in which allegorical figures like Fair Welcome and Reason help or hinder him in his quest to find the object of his desire—a rose, a symbol for femininity and female sexuality.

Although incredibly popular, some contemporaries criticized the poem’s misogyny and overt sensuality. Nevertheless, it proved to be highly influential in medieval literature, inspiring later European authors like Geoffrey Chaucer.

This guide refers to the 2008 Oxford World’s Classics paperback, annotated and translated by Frances Horgan.

Content Warning: The poem reflects medieval European attitudes toward gender, sexuality, and social hierarchy, which may seem outdated or problematic by modern standards.

Plot Summary

The first part of the poem is written by Guillaume de Lorris. It opens as the narrator—presented as de Lorris himself—describes a dream he had when he was 20. In the dream, he wakes and goes for a walk, eventually finding a beautiful garden surrounded by a wall. The wall is carved with images of women representing vices, like Cruelty, Covetousness, and Avarice. Desperate to enter, the narrator searches for a door. Idleness, a beautiful woman, welcomes him inside. She brings the narrator to Pleasure, a young man surrounded by angelic figures like Love, Joy, Courtesy, and Pleasant Looks. The narrator dances with them for a time and then goes for a walk, unaware that Love is stalking him.

The narrator finds the pool of Narcissus. He finds two crystals inside it, and he glimpses a beautiful rose in the reflection. Love sneaks up behind him and shoots him with five arrows: Beauty, Simplicity, Courtesy, Company, and Fair Seeming. Love then demands that he surrender to him and live in servitude, which the narrator agrees to. Love locks up the narrator’s heart in his chest and gives him commandments to follow. He gives him three gifts: Pleasant Thought, Pleasant Conversation, and Pleasant Looks.

The narrator pursues the rose and meets Fair Welcome, a young man who invites him into the garden and allows him to touch the rose. Rebuff and his company of evildoers, guardians of the rose, soon chase him out and convince Fair Welcome to abandon him. Reason descends from her tower and scolds the narrator, who grows angry with her demands to abandon Love. A man named Friend comforts the narrator, who follows his advice to pacify Rebuff and find Fair Welcome. The narrator kisses the rose, but Jealousy wakes up and builds a castle around the rose and Fair Welcome to keep the narrator out.

In Jean de Meun’s continuation, Reason descends to chide the narrator again. She teaches him about love, greed, and other topics and tries to persuade him to abandon love for rational, moral behavior. The narrator refuses to listen, appalled by her unashamed language on sexual topics. Frustrated, Reason leaves him to his grief.

Friend then visits the narrator again, giving him advice on how to pursue Love secretly. He advises him to flatter and lie to get access to the rose and even to take it by force if necessary. All these things are essential to avoid Evil Tongue, who spreads slander about the narrator. Friend tells an extended story about a cruel husband and his wife to prove the corrupt nature of women and the dangers of marriage. He says that the narrator can take the road of Unrestrained Generosity, but he will lose all he has.

The narrator searches for this road, but Wealth, who guards it, rejects him. He tries to speak kindly to Evil Tongue, to negligible effect. Love eventually visits him again, compliments his loyalty, and agrees to summon his armies to free Fair Welcome and the rose. Love is surprised to notice False Seeming and Constrained Abstinence, two liars, among his ranks. The barons beg him to forgive them; Love interrogates False Seeming, who gives a speech on religious hypocrisy and other lies, eventually earning forgiveness.

Love gathers the troops and attacks the castle. False Seeming and Constrained Abstinence use disguises as religious figures to kill Evil Tongue, and several other soldiers confront the Old Woman guarding Fair Welcome. The Old Woman agrees to go to Fair Welcome and gives him a speech on how women should mistrust and manipulate men into doing what they want. She reluctantly lets Fair Welcome see the narrator, but Rebuff, Fear, and Shame kidnap him again.

Love’s troops continue their assault on the castle but begin to falter. Love sends word to his mother, Venus, during a truce; she calls off her hunt and prepares for war. Meanwhile, Nature listens to the army from her forge and confesses her sins to her priest, Genius. This confession involves an extensive description of the power and beauty of the natural world and God, as well as the value of reproduction. She eventually confesses that she still loves humanity despite their sins, and Genius forgives her before departing for the battle.

Genius says that all lovers should use “tools”—sex—as intended, to have children, so that humanity does not die out and they do not sin. He lists 26 vices for people to avoid and encourages people to be loyal to their lovers. He describes the fall of the world into sin and the future in heaven. The army enjoys the speech and finishes the fight triumphantly, with Venus and Love’s help. The narrator approaches Fair Welcome and the rose and plucks it in an erotic and sensual passage, with Fair Welcome’s consent. He thanks Venus and Love and wakes up.