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The Loveliest Rose in the World

From Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen, by Hans Christian Andersen

Hans Christian Andersen (1805–1875) was a Danish author whose fairy tales became foundational texts of European children's literature, though many, including this one, were written with adult readers in mind. "The Loveliest Rose in the World" was first published in the mid-nineteenth century as part of his collected tales. It is a Christian allegory in the tradition of medieval and Romantic devotional literature, using the quest for a symbolic rose to explore a hierarchy of loves and to assert the supremacy of sacrificial love as embodied in Christ's crucifixion. The tale reflects its era's devotional culture and is presented here as a work of literary and philosophical interest, not as devotional instruction. Readers from other traditions or none may engage it as they would any allegory that argues for a particular moral or metaphysical order.

Band

Silver · First-year university levelTypical starting range: adult

Length

long · about 1605 words in 4 sections · 1 picture

Source

Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen, H. C. Andersen

First published

see the About page in the reader

Regions

Canada · United States

Included formats

• · Web reader and PDF
• · EPUB for e-readers
• · Home-print sheet
• · Folded booklet
• · Binder edition (8.5 × 11)
• · Worksheet
• · Quick Check (10 questions) with answer key
• · Read-aloud script
• · Teacher’s Edition (members)

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