Versedays: The Flower by Alfred Lord Tennyson

Image Credit: Birdy

Alfred Lord Tennyson is a Victorian poet who is commonly present in school and college syllabi. And most often than not we read his “Charge of the Light Brigade” or “The Lotus Eaters.” But how many of us have heard of his poem “The Flower”? I chanced upon this sweet poem while searching for Versedays and I thought this is perfect. Tennyson shows how society is generally averse to anything new but then it is also contemptuous of commonality. Both these points are shown beautifully through The Flower. Read on…

The Flower

by

Alfred Lord Tennyson


Once in a golden hour
I cast to earth a seed.
Up there came a flower,
The people said, a weed.

To and fro they went
Thro' my garden bower,
And muttering discontent
Cursed me and my flower.

Then it grew so tall
It wore a crown of light,
But thieves from o'er the wall
Stole the seed by night.

Sow'd it far and wide
By every town and tower,
Till all the people cried,
"Splendid is the flower!"

Read my little fable:
He that runs may read.
Most can raise the flowers now,
For all have got the seed.

And some are pretty enough,
And some are poor indeed;
And now again the people
Call it but a weed.