A Contemplation upon Flowers

A Contemplation upon Flowers – Facts

Connotation: The poet envies the flowers' ability to face death and wishes that he, who is afraid of dying, could learn to be as brave.

Type: Lyric

Themes: Death, Nature, Bravery

Contrast: The main contrast in the poem is the difference between the ways in which flowers view death and handle life, and the way in which humans do.

Mood: The mood of the poem is one of admiration.

Shifts: The poet shifts from the characteristics of flowers in the first stanza to himself in the 2nd and his wish to live eternally. The narrator focuses both on himself and the flowers in the 3rd stanza, asking the plants to teach him not to fear death.

Devices: The dominant device used in the poem is personification. In stanza one the poet immediately personifies the flowers by using the word "brave". The poet does this further by stating that the flowers "make a harmless show", they "come abroad", that they are "not proud" and "know their birth." The writer continues to personify the flowers, saying they "obey" their months and times, "take truce" with death, by asking them to "teach" him and by saying indirectly that they have "breath".

In the 2nd stanza the poet uses an extended metaphor comparing his life to the seasons, Spring and Winter which symbolize youth & liveliness and senescence and death respectively.

A normal metaphor is also used in the line, "your embroidered garments are from earth," comparing the petals of the flowers to colourful clothing.

Diction: The language is lofty, poetic, dignified, deferential and intelligent.

The diction of the poem is formal. The