The Lotus by Toru Dutt

Sonnet-The Lotus

Love came to Flora asking for a flower

That would of flowers be undisputed queen,

The lily and the rose, long, long had been

Rivals for that high honour. Bards of power

Had sung their claims. “The rose can never tower

Like the pale lily with her Juno mien”-

“But is the lily lovelier?” Thus between

Flower-factions rang the strife in Psyche’s bower.

“Give me a flower delicious as the rose

And stately as the lily in her pride”-

“But of what colour?”- “Rose-red,” Love first chose,

Then prayed, -“No, lily-white,-or, both provide”;

And Flora gave the lotus, “rose-red” dyed,

And “lily-white,”- the queenliest flower that blows.

~Toru Dutt

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Explication of “The Lotus”

Toru Dutt was an educated young woman who had traveled to Britain and France during her childhood. British literature and culture influenced her and is demonstrated in various work by Toru, including “The Lotus”. In the poem, Toru presents the idea that the lotus is the most beautiful of all flowers in order to establish superiority of the Hindu religion over other world religions.

“The Lotus”, begins with a conflict between the rose and the lily flower. The goddess of love, Aphrodite, approached the flower goddess, Flora to create a flower who would undisputedly be the queenliest of all flowers. Both the lily and the rose, used their “bards of power” in their fight over the queenliest flower title. Bards is associated with Gaelic spiritual power traditions of England, Scotland and Ireland. Toru uses Greek and Roman mythology as support for her Hindu beliefs and to establish her stand. The rose is described as never reaching the level of the lily flower, because the lily has a strong willed demeanor.

In line 8 of the poem, we reach the climax where all the flower groups form cliques in a bitter conflict within the soul’s essence. The goddess Flora is