Rose is a rose is a rose is a rose.
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The sentence "Rose is a rose is a rose is a rose." was written by Gertrude Stein as part of the 1913 poem Sacred Emily, which appeared in the 1922 book Geography and Plays. In that poem, the first "Rose" is the name of a woman. Stein later used variations on the phrase in other writings, and "A rose is a rose is a rose" is probably her most famous quote, often interpreted as "things are what they are". In Stein's view, the sentence expresses the fact that simply using the name of a thing already invokes the imagery and emotions associated with it.
The phrase was heavily promoted by Stein's life partner Alice B. Toklas; for example she sold plates with the sentence going all the way around.
James Tenney made a skillful if short setting of "Rose is a rose is a rose is a rose" as a canon dedicated to Philip Corner, beginning with an "a" on an upbeat pickup and continuing so that each repition shuffles the words, eg. "a/rose is a rose/is a rose is/a rose is a/rose."
Versions by Gertrude Stein
"Rose is a rose is a rose is a rose." (Sacred Emily, Geography and Plays)
"Do we suppose that all she knows is that a rose is arose 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)
"When I said.
A rose is a rose is a rose is a rose.
And then later made that into a ring I made poetry and what did I do I caressed completely caressed and addressed a noun." (Lectures in America)
"Civilization begins with a rose. A rose is a rose is a rose is a rose. It continues with blooming and it fastens clearly upon excellent examples." (As Fine as Melanctha)
"Lifting belly can please me because it is an occupation I enjoy.
Rose is a rose is a rose is a rose.
In print on top." (Bee Time Vine)
"Now listen! I’m no fool. I know that in daily life we don’t go around saying “is a … is a … is a …” Yes, I’m no fool; but I think that in that line the rose is red for the first time in English poetry for a hundred years." (Four in America)
"Una rosa es una rosa es una rosa", the spanish tranlation of STEIN's verse, is the chorus of a famous song by Spanish pop music group MECANO in 1988 (Descanso Dominical,<u> album). The song is a pop-flamenco song telling the story of a man in love with a woman who hurts and soothes him by turns.
Variations by others
The sentence was parodied by Ernest Hemingway after a brief time in Paris seeking editorial suggestions for his writing: "a stone is a stein is a rock is a boulder is a pebble."
Margaret Thatcher said in 1981 "A crime is a crime is a crime", referring to the actions of members of the IRA. The phrase has been used by other speakers as well, with the intended meaning of "no matter what you call it, criminal violence is criminal, and illegal."
Gertrude Stein's repetitive language refers to the changing quality of language in time and history. She herself said to an audience at Oxford university that the statement referred to the fact that when the Romantics used the word "rose" it had a direct relationship to an actual rose. For later periods in literature this would no longer be true. The eras following romanticism, notably the modern era, use the word rose to refer to the actual rose, yet they also imply, through the use of the word, the archetypical elements of the romantic era. It also follows the rhetoric law of thricefold repitition to emphasize a point, as can be seen in speeches dating back to the sophists.