From gifting flowers on dates to leaving them at altars in global cultural traditions, the language of flowers, or floriography, has significantly changed with developing society. Hidden messages can be found across history in works of literature and art that would otherwise go unnoticed without this language form.
The symbolism of flowers rose in popularity around the 1800s when nearly all Victorian homes had guidebooks for deciphering the language. Plant symbolisms were used in mythology, folklore, sonnets and plays of the Greeks, Romans, Egyptians and Chinese. Depending on the source and the historical situation, hidden feelings could be outwardly expressed in public settings or in private drawing rooms.
Rich history of the craft shines through in modern English classrooms. When analyzing Shakespeare’s “Hamlet,” Ophelia’s flowers symbolize themes of flattery, faithlessness, sorrow, innocence and remembrance with mentions of daisies, fennels, columbines, rue and rosemary, respectively.
“Flowers are often motifs in literature and they can alter the entire meaning of a piece of art. A poem about nightshade would be a lot different than one with roses, so it’d be helpful to know what they mean,” sophomore Emma Chetan said. “One time, I had to analyze a piece of art for an assignment, and I chose Van Gogh’s ‘Three Sunflowers’ painting. I needed to learn what sunflowers represented in order to understand the meaning of the work.” By learning the language of flowers, students are able to decipher hidden meanings and interpret art in a different way.
The language of flowers spans across cultures and languages as well. Marigolds in Hispanic tradition are believed to guide spirits of the dead back to their families with their vibrant hues of orange and gold on the Day of the Dead. The tradition originated from Aztec rituals where it represented the circle of life. Another flower’s meaning that originated from rich ancient roots is the lotus, which represented He Xian-gu, one of the Eight Immortals in Chinese mythology.
In modern times, the average person may not know the hidden messages of flowers. Though, when picking flowers out for an occasion, it’s good to keep in mind their meanings. After all, there is meaning behind a red rose on Valentines’ Day and red poinsettias on Christmas.
Roses’ meanings often vary depending on the shade of pink. In the Victorian era, roses of a darker pink signified deep gratitude and recognition, while light pink roses may have signified innocence and gentleness. “I think that flower meanings are really beautiful and inspiring, so promoting the widespread knowledge of them would be meaningful to others,” sophomore Mandy Wu said. (Photo/Alina Sukhovskaya)
