Sompsin's "Rose" pictures a white rose in a field and a speaker who seems deeply attached to her. The rose is described as innocent and gentle, its thorns "temperate" rather than sharp, so she feels more soothing than dangerous. Against the "grey greenery" around her, she stands out as something bright and pure.
The speaker's focus shifts from seeing to hearing. The short line "I hear her" suggests the rose may be more than a flower: perhaps a person, a memory, or a presence the speaker imagines. Her voice visits their dreams and comforts them in waking life, and she appears only in the field and by the lake, which makes her feel almost tied to those places. Her "sweet soliloquies" are a kind of quiet singing, and the closing image of spring flowers suggests healing. The mood is calm, tender and slightly dreamlike, with a sense of longing and gratitude for something that offers peace.