"The Sick Rose"

This is a very depressing poem. I am not sure exactly what it is about. But it is obviously about death. The poem starts with saying the rose is sick. Also the line "crimson joy" which has been interpreted as a link to human death. or literally it means a rich deep color inclining to purple. Which may be expressing something dieing. This is because as a rose dies its rich read color disappears and becomes a purple color. This poem could also be referring to something sexual. As a rose is often used to express something that is beautiful and is often associated with love. But even though there is the reference to the rose words like dark, howling storm, sick and destroy tell us that it is not a happy poem.