How we cite our quotes: line
Quote #1
can the spice rose
drip such acrid fragrance
hardened in a leaf? (lines 14-16)
Even though the rose has suffered some pretty serious bruising from Mother Nature, it still manages to give off a unique and (if we believe our speaker) potent fragrance. In other words, it actually thrives on the hard stuff it's had to endure.
Quote #2
you are flung on the sand,
you are lifted
in the crisp sand
that drives in the wind. (lines 10-13)
OK, so this quote doesn't seem to suggest that the rose is actively fighting against the elements. But maybe that's part of the poet's point: sometimes perseverance isn't about action. Sometimes it's just staying alive, despite all the odds.