The Flower by Alfred Tennyson
The Flower by Alfred Tennyson is a six-stanza poem with four lines in each stanza. The poem is written in iambic and trochaic trimeter with some irregularities. For example, the line “I cast to earth a seed” has iambic feet, while the following line, “Up there came a flower” has trochaic feet. This variation in meter mimics the different and unique growth of plants. The rhyme scheme for the first four stanzas is ABAB and the final two stanzas have a rhyme scheme of ABCB.
The poem lifts a façade to reveal a ‘dark side’ to the world we live in. This is evident when the poet makes a subconscious comparison of the beauty standards of society, and the physical traits of a flower. This is demonstrated through the verbal ‘torment’ that the poet and his flower endure throughout the flower’s development.
Tennyson implies the power of ‘society’s standards’ of ‘beauty’ through the opinions of the people in his community which can be viewed as a mimesis of the beauty standards in today’s culture. Tennyson states that after examining the plant in his garden, the people began “…muttering discontent/ Cursed me and my flower”. The negative connotations of ‘discontent’ and ‘cursed’ suggest an ‘ugly truth’ where society criticises people, and organisms based on appearances, and what they have to offer. This idea is reinforced when the flower “…grew so tall/ it wore a crown of light…all the people cried, / ‘splendid is this flower’”. Personification simulates the treatment of women based on the culture of beauty and aesthetics – if a woman is ‘pretty’, they have priority and power and if she is not, she is silenced by the preferences of others. This exemplifies the notion of alterity and generates a sense of marginalisation in society. A metaphor emphasises the capricious shift in attitude when the flower begins to meet the beauty standards of the people. This shows a superficial understanding of beings and their relationships with others, as the flower is solely being judged based on retinal aesthetics, over any other attribute. The poet also indicates that language annihilates the relationships between people and organisms. As stated earlier, the categorisation of the flower’s beauty conveys its value and the power of society’s preferences.
However, Tennyson’s poem also suggests the notion of human superiority over nature, and in the world. He writes, “Once in a golden hour/ I cast to earth a seed”. The idea of the poet having pretentious characteristics is generated through the diction of ‘golden hour’ and ‘cast’ as it implies that the poet knows that he is in a position of power. Yet a sense of ethereality is also produced through the fable-like mood as it indicates that Tennyson is the only person in the community that has the resources, and the ability to grow a flower. Tennyson also seems to comment on the brilliance of the human mind and skill when he adds, “…most can raise the flowers now,/ For all have got the seed”. A sense of ambiguity is produced through the diction of ‘raise’ as it suggests both the growth of a flower, and the growth of a child. The poet seems to be implying that human beings are powerful and capable once given the correct information and resources.
‘Plant Blindness’ is the idea that humans are disregarding plants in favour of other things. Tennyson conveys this idea when he expresses the community’s disregard for his plant during its initial stages of growth as a weed. Eventually, the same people come to appreciate the same plant once it has grown. This suggests that unless plants possess natural beauty, people disregard them, or see plants as something in the background. This is not an occurrence that is specific to the 19th century. It often still occurs in the present time as Elkin writes in her 2018 article ‘Plant Blindness’.
On the surface, Tennyson’s ‘The Flower’ appears to be an innocent poem about the natural world yet upon close analysis, it holds an underlying message about beauty standards. The poet also expresses growing concern for the disregard of plants by people. This leads to a disconnection between the community and the natural world, as the poet implies the notion of the anthropocene.
By Stephanie Lim (z5113551) and Cale Leishman (z5075676)