This silent war of lilies and of roses,
Which Tarquin view’d in her fair face’s field,
In their pure ranks his traitor eye encloses;
Where, lest between them both it should be kill’d,
The coward captive vanquished doth yield
To those two armies that would let him go,
Rather than triumph in so false a foe.
-Narrator
Lucrece line 73
We’re near the beginning of this poem, line 73 out of 1,855, and we’re talking about the first meeting of Tarquin (the rapist) and Lucrece (the victim). The previous three stanzas are about the beauty and virtue that can be seen in Lucrece’s face. The lilies and the roses in the first line above are representations of this beauty and virtue. So you can take it from there. It would appear that Lucrece wins the first round.
It occurred to me that I just happen to have a lily and a rose in the other room. What're the odds? I believe the rose in Will's lines is red, but oh well. At least it's a lily and a rose.
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