Literary Techniques Used In Poison's Song 'Every Rose Has Its Thorn'

The song “Every Rose has its Thorn” by Poison talks about a man who managed to let the one he loved get away and while trying to figure out what he did wrong, he finds out that “[he] never meant that much to [her]” (Poison), which completely destroys him. According to Poisons lead singer, Bret Michaels, this song was written in response to a failed love affair with his girlfriend, Tracy Lewis. The mid-1980s rock band, Poison, uses literary tools, such as natural imagery, metaphor, simile, and juxtaposition in their song, “Every Rose has its Thorn,” to show that in love, there is always going to be conflict, because naturally beautiful moments contain flaws. In this song, the speaker is portrayed as a man who is hurting from his past relationship …show more content…
Metaphors are used to represent something and to compare two things without using the words “like” or “as.” One example of this would be at the beginning of the song, it states, “Although we both lie close together we feel miles apart inside” (Poison). This line is important, because it informs the listener that even while they were still together, they knew that something was wrong and they just didn't feel as close of a couple as they used to. The speaker is comparing how close they are, literally, to how far apart they feel, figuratively. Another example would be, “I listen to our favorite song playing on the radio. Hear the DJ say loves a game of easy come and easy go” (Poison). This quote is comparing love to a game; without games, you almost never know what to expect, they can be difficult, predominantly if one player isn't playing fair or if one player isn't really trying, just like in a …show more content…
One example of imagery from the song is when the speaker says, “Though it's been a while now, I can still feel so much pain like a knife that cuts you the wound heals, but the scar, that scar remains” (Poison). Here, the speaker uses a simile as a literary tool to help emphasize the way the speaker is feeling at that moment. He is trying to help those listening understand just how much he is hurting from his last relationship, he is painting a picture for them with his words. Another time the speaker uses imagery is when he states, “Though I tried not to hurt you, though I tried. But I guess that's why they say every rose has its thorn” (Poison). In this quote, the speaker utilizes natural imagery to compare love to the beautiful and natural aspects of a rose. Though roses are pulchritudinous, they are covered in thorns and sometimes we don't see these thorns, so when we go to pick up the mesmerizing roses, we unexpectedly get hurt: this is how the speaker is feeling about his past relationship and love in