POEM: "ORCHIDS"
POET: HAZEL SIMMONS-McDONALD (St.
Lucian-born)
A bouquet
of orchids from Ernst Haeckel's Art Forms
of Nature.
- Prima facie Interpretation (first impression) / Surface Reading / Literal Interpretation:
The persona is leaving after staying for five weeks in a
house with their accumulated possessions packed away in boxes which are to be
transported to another location or address. In the empty space of this
soon-to-be-vacated house is a spray of orchids given to the persona by someone
who is fond of giving flowers. The orchids have no fragrance, however,
their attractive and alluring purple petals causes the persona to look within
the bouquet’s centre for a closer inspection of their (hidden) beauty. During
their stay at the house, the persona remembers watering the orchids once when
they were blossoming, which reminded her of well-written poems. With such
insufficient water and neglect, the persona expected the orchids to wither and
die leaving her to dispose of the orchids along with the remainder of the
five-week accumulated trash. In spite of the persona’s willful neglect of the
orchids they continued to survive against the odds. On the
morning of the persona’s departure the bud at the stalk’s tip opened. However,
she considers picking the fully grown flowers and pressing them between pages
in a book. Optimistic, that in the orchids’ withered state she will come to a
realization or appreciation, at a future time, of the orchids’ beauty.
- One Possible Sub-Textual (below-the-Surface) Interpretation:
The persona,
possibly a woman, is leaving a house which she probably shared with her lover
after five weeks of cohabitation. She considers her time spent in the house as "Box
pieces of … life … gathered". Suggestive of a broken
relationship with fragments of happiness and unpleasant memories; these, she
will carry with her in the empty and uncertain "spaces"
of a future life. The one object
left behind in the house is "a spray of orchids"
possibly given to her by her former lover who was fond of giving her
flowers, perhaps his way of making amends whenever he needed to court her
favour. The lover’s "ritual
of flower-giving" suggests his regular and
routine habit of offering flowers as a kind of peace offering. Moreover, the
ritualism displayed by the "one" who predictably gives
flowers implies a lack of genuine concern and affection for the feelings of the
persona.
In the absence of "fragrance" the relationship looses its appeal to sweetened or give pleasurable comfort to the persona, who on leaving, takes one final look at the purple orchids and is suddenly drawn to its regal (royal) beauty. The colour symbolism of the orchids’ "purple heart" is analogous to a former time of romantic splendor and happiness called to mind by the purple colour. Alternatively, the "purple heart" might be akin to the heart-felt sorrow experienced by the persona, who, after having suffered a broken heart is reminded of her personal sorrow by the odourless and mournful appearance of the orchids. By their own admission, the persona’s singular attempt ("I watered them once") to maintain the vibrancy and longevity of the relationship ("when the blossoms were full blown / like polished poems") was ultimately too little an effort on the persona’s part to sustain the life-span of the relationship.
Whatever love poetry—romantic expressions of happier times—illustrated by the simile ("like polished poems") was shared between the persona and her estranged lover in the past was soon doomed to wane; a fact appreciated by the persona who admits ("I was sure they’d wilt"). Thereby acknowledging the hopeless fate of the relationship for lack of care and dedication. However, the persona wrongly assumed that overcoming or being rid of past hurts or moments of disappointments were remedied just as easily as ridding one’s self or surroundings of garbage ("and I would toss them out with the five-week litter"). While it is easy to rid one’s self of wilted flowers the same may not be true of memories and experiences which live on as "stubborn" recollections. Despite the persona’s attempt to suppress her thoughts (forget the past) she is forced to lament "They would not die" or go away.
The persona is at the crossroads of an important life-changing decision and must make a choice. On the morning of their departure "the bud at the stalk’s tip unfurled", a reminder to the persona that though she is leaving the house of a dying or dead relationship there is reason to hope, since life must still go on. She has to get on with the task of living her life. Her decision is resolute:
"I think I’ll pluck the full-blown blooms
press them
between pages of memory. "
Instead of
continuing her lament over her disappointments she decides to take with her
what was most rewarding, good and pleasurable ("full-blown blooms")
from the relationship. These are the memories of a more blossoming and fruitful
relationship or happier times spent/shared in the soon-to-be-vacated house. It
is during this period of loss and recovery, despair and hope, dislocation and
relocation that she hopes to discover new insight into life’s many challenges,
losses, sorrows but also possibilities of a better, brighter future; by transitioning
from an old decaying pattern or way of life to one of new beginnings.
- Another Possible Sub-Textual Reading:
The orchids are metaphors for poetry
(poems) which are on display in the house as poetic symbols of inspiration for
a potentially lonely, socially disconnected, and emotionally weathered / wilted
/ withered /weary traveler—the persona. Whatever was "gathered" or accumulated by the persona during their
"five-week" stay in the
house cannot be taken by them as an unbroken, unified whole, i.e. a singular
experience. Thus, an existence lacking in stability/strength. These broken "pieces" of experiences stored away in boxes
(fragmented memories) appear to be all that the persona acquired during this
period. It is not certain where the persona is
travelling to (their new house/home?) but they anticipate that what was
gathered in the past five weeks will be of use in their "future life." The hope here is that the poetic impulse acquired at this time in their life
will satisfy any longings, voids or emptiness ("spaces") they
may encounter in their future life.
The one thing which the persona has as a reminder of this lasting hope is poetry ("a spray of orchids") given to them from possibly an anthology / collection of poems ("a bouquet") by a budding poet ("one") who is known to the persona and obviously and understandably writes often ("makes a ritual") of giving orchids (poems) to the persona. Perhaps a case of unrequited (unanswered/unreturned/one-sided) love at work. That is, a potential suitor making a ritual of writing and sending love poetry to an unrequited lover. However, these poems or orchids "have no fragrance" or sense of aromatic appeal—a pleasant and distinctive quality and attractiveness. The persona does not seem impressed by the writer’s craftsmanship. Yet, there is something which they find redeemable about the poems (orchids). They cause the persona to reflect more deeply ("to look at the purple heart") into the hidden meaning or message of the poems.
During a single moment of careful analysis ("I watered them once") when the poetic impulse of the writer was at its zenith—most brilliant form of expression and creativity—("when the blossoms were full blown") the persona likened the writer’s craft to that of poetry par excellence—of the highest standard of poetic ability or great works of poetry ("like polished poems"). However, the persona was unconvinced about the ability of the poet to sustain or maintain this high standard of craftsmanship ("I was sure they’d wilt") and had planned to discard of the poetry in the trash ("I would toss them out with the five-week litter") but the poet surpassed the persona’s expectations.
Not only did the poems leave a lasting impression on the mind of the persona they were also unable to free their thoughts from the seemingly attention-grabbing influence of the poet’s work, even in their desperate attempt to discontinue their meditations upon the poems, i.e. to unsuccessfully force from their memory all thoughts of these poems—perhaps poetry itself—("I starved them/They would not die"). Newfound meaning, insight, and interpretation of the poems have been discovered by the persona on the morning of their departure from the house ("This morning the bud at the stalk’s tip unfurled"). Symbolic of the persona’s own gradually unfolding / budding / developing appreciation for the poems and the poetic craft. Owing to their departure however, the persona has decided to take with them the best developed poems ("full-blown blooms") and commit them to memory ("press them between pages of memory") or give more devoted care to the study of the poems and poetry.
In the final analysis, it is the persona’s hope that as the poems age or mature during the passage of time more insight into their true meaning, form, and beauty will be revealed or discerned ("in their thin dried transparency"); culminating in the persona’s ("discovery of their peculiar poetry"), i.e. an undeniable appreciation for the poems and the poetic craft/impulse which distinguishes poetry as a unique literary and ever-blossoming (spray of orchids) or genre. It is perhaps the hope and intention of the poet, Simmons-McDonald, that the reader/critic, like her persona, will stop running from poetry—trying to escape its allure and life-changing power—but rather stop and take the time to experience the enriching and hope-inspiring beauty of poetry. For it is within the sometimes "Box pieces" of one’s housed and empty/meaningless personal, relational, social and emotional "spaces" of accumulated experiences that poetry provides a soothing and heart-felt remedy. Thereby, offering renewed hope in the capacity of the human will to survive against seemingly insurmountable odds.
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