Summary Of Flowers In Shakespeare's 'Bridal Song'

Rosy Matrimony "What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet" (Romeo and Juliet, Act II, Scene II, lines 43-44). The famous quote from William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is only one of possibly many instances through which Shakespeare utilizes the distinctive characteristics of flowers, particularly roses, to eradicate the rift between two contrasting subjects. A similar instance is within the poem, "Bridal Song," another work by Shakespeare that calls upon the beauty of several different flowers which, despite their different qualities, are all used along with several pleasant avian creatures to bless the holy union of the speaker and his spouse; Shakespeare portrays the amalgamation of these
Each one of the flowers mentioned–primrose, oxlips, marigolds, lark's heel– all correspond with a season of the year respectively, beginning from spring with primrose. The aforementioned plant is typically the first perennial associated with the coming of spring, thus being the "harbinger" of spring. Oxlips blossom during late spring or early summer. Marigolds flourish in the heat of the hot sun, taking root from late summer to early autumn; saying they "blow on death-beds" insinuates that the speaker believes they have a sort of mystical sense to them, untouchable yet used to honor and show respect to the deceased. Larkspur, or as Shakespeare called it, lark's heel, is a prominent cool-season flower, and does well in the winter but dies under the heat of the summer sun. The splendor of flowers is not limited to any one time of year. Instead, several different types of flowering plants bloom all year-round, thus allowing their elegance to be enjoyed at any
“Children of Nature” refers to the flowers, in all their natural wonder. Following tradition, flower petals are thrown so that they rain over the bride as she walks down the aisle. By the time the bride reaches the altar to join the groom, the flower petals have already settled on the floor before them. Customarily, these are used to bid the bride and groom an auspicious marriage, that they experience happiness and harmony in their life together. The speaker continues on wishing the couple well with, “Not an angel of the air,/Bird melodious or bird fair” (lines 16-17). In addition to flowers, such as roses, many birds illustrate love as well. People often think of a proper love scene with white doves flying in the background. The speaker utilizes the birds, especially those “melodious” and “fair” to help consecrate the wedding. These elegant creatures are also dubbed “angels of the air,” conveying that they are heavenly, in a sense, and delightful and magnificent little creatures. The speaker seems certain that all of these avian animals are guaranteed to be present, saying none of them will, “Be absent hence!” (line 18). This signifies the importance of the unity of the two individuals so much that all the woodland creatures feel the