The Nightingale and the Rose
Complete textA student believes that finding a red rose will win him the dance he desires, but none grows in his garden. Hearing his distress, a nightingale interprets it as proof of profound love and begins searching for a way to obtain the flower.
Continue readingAbout The Nightingale and the Rose
The bird and the student understand love through different kinds of language. Song, scholarly ideas and the value assigned to an object do not translate easily into one another. The story asks readers to notice who can recognize an act of devotion and what happens when its meaning depends on another person's judgment.
Reading focus
Compare the nightingale's understanding of love with the student's words and the expectations surrounding the rose.
This reading edition contains 2,326 words in 1 original section. Read the text online with adjustable type and three colour themes, or keep a printable PDF.
Author: Oscar Wilde. Language: English. Reading edition: 28 October 2026.
Opening excerpt
“She said that she would dance with me if I brought her red roses,” cried the young Student; “but in all my garden there is no red rose.”
Contents
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Is this the complete The Nightingale and the Rose?
This edition contains the complete English literary text, with 1 section and 2,326 words. This reading edition preserves the checked English text and its section order. No study notes have been added.
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