Text of the Poem

On Being Asked, Whence is the Flower?

In May, when sea-winds pierced our solitudes,
I found the fresh Rhodora in the woods,
Spreading its leafless blooms in a damp nook,
To please the desert and the sluggish brook.
The purple petals fallen in the pool,                                    5
Made the black water with their beauty gay;
Here might the red-bird come his plumes to cool,
And court the flower that cheapens his array.
Rhodora! if the sages ask thee why
This charm is wasted on the earth and sky,                        10
Tell them, dear, that if eyes were made for seeing,
Then Beauty is its own excuse for being:
Why thou wert there, O rival of the rose!
I never thought to ask, I never knew;
But, in my simple ignorance, suppose                                15
The self-same Power that brought me there brought you.

Footnotes

  1. Imagery involves using vivid and descriptive language to create mental images. Emerson paints pictures of the Rhodora in its natural habitat, emphasizing its leafless blooms in a damp nook and the visual impact of its fallen petals in the pool.

    — Allegra Keys, Owl Eyes Editor
  2. The Rhodora is metaphorically referred to as a "rival of the rose," suggesting that it competes with and equals the beauty of more traditionally celebrated flowers like the rose. This elevates the status of the Rhodora.

    — Allegra Keys, Owl Eyes Editor
  3. Emerson introduces the idea that the red-bird (a bird with brightly colored plumage) might come to cool its plumes in the water, highlighting the attraction of the Rhodora even to birds.

    — Allegra Keys, Owl Eyes Editor
  4. An apostrophe is a figure of speech in which the poet addresses an absent person, an abstract concept, or an inanimate object. In this case, Emerson directly addresses the Rhodora, engaging in a conversation with it and attributing a level of understanding and response to the flower.

    — Allegra Keys, Owl Eyes Editor
  5. The poem is written in a single stanza, displaying a free-verse form. The absence of a strict rhyme scheme and the use of irregular line lengths contribute to the poem's organic and contemplative feel. The form reflects Emerson's transcendentalist philosophy, emphasizing the spontaneity and natural flow of expression.

    — Allegra Keys, Owl Eyes Editor