The narrative centers on a young man's quest to possess a rose located within a walled garden, serving as a complex allegory for the pursuit of courtly love. The protagonist encounters various personified abstractions that represent the psychological and social obstacles inherent in medieval romantic courtship. As the work transitions from the initial vision of Guillaume de Lorris to the expansive continuation by Jean de Meun, the narrative shifts from a focused pursuit of love to a wide-ranging philosophical and satirical examination of human nature. The poem utilizes a dream-vision framework to explore the tension between desire, reason, and social convention.

Readers and scholars frequently highlight the work as a foundational text for understanding the medieval mindset and the evolution of European literature. Discussion often centers on the stark contrast between the lyrical, courtly tone of the first section and the encyclopedic, often cynical, intellectualism introduced by the second author. Critics emphasize the poem's role as a mirror of its time, noting how it manages to blend romantic narrative with rigorous scholastic debate. The text remains a subject of intense study due to its influence on later writers like Chaucer and its unique position as a bridge between medieval romance and early humanism.