ORCHIDS – HAZEL SIMMONDS – MC DONALD (St Lucia)
I leave this house
box pieces of the five week life I've gathered.
I'll send them on
to fill spaces in my future life.
One thing is left
a spray of orchid someone gave
from a bouquet one who
makes a ritual of flower-giving sent.
The orchids have no fragrance
but purple petals draw you
to look at the purple heart.
I watered them once
when the blossoms were full blown
like polished poems.
I was sure they'd wilt
and I would toss them out with the five week litter.
They were stubborn.
I starved them.
They would not die.
This morning the bud at the stalk's tip unfurled.
I think I'll pluck the full-blown blooms
press them between pages of memory.
Perhaps in their thin dried transparency
I'll discover their peculiar poetry
The event described in the Poem:
The speaker is moving house, as she packs, she comes across a spray
of orchids someone had taken from a bouquet to give her, and
wonders whether or not to throw it away. She does not appreciate
the flowers, but later becomes fascinated by it. She draws
analogy/comparison between orchids and poems.
The Figurative Meaning of the poem:
This is the significance of the Orchids and what the blooms mean to
her as an individual -
The orchid is an exotic and unusual flower that is
admired for its universal message of love, beauty,
wisdom and thoughtfulness but more so for its perceived
resilience to survive even the harshest conditions and
bring forth and new growth.
This orchid is Purple, the colour of deep emotions. This
features is Illustrated by the poet’ use of emotive
language to describe how aesthetically pleasing the
orchids in her possession are: “purple petals/blossoms …
full blown/like polished poems”
The Literal situation of presented:
This response of the persona to the blooms is at first
dismissive as she neglected them by not watering and
hoping they would starve and then dumped with the 5
weeks trash–“I watered them once/ I would toss them
out/I starved them/I’ll pluck the full-blown blooms/press
them” However, the persona’s destructive intentions are
juxtaposed when she soon becomes fascinated by them.
The Figurative situation presented:
The orchids represents the relationships in people lives,
sometimes we are negligent and dismissive about people
until eventually we are unable to ignore the fact that
they do have a profound impact on our lives, Hence the
reason why the persona decides to keep the blooms.
Significant Techniques
Symbolism – The orchids to human relationships people
have, relationships that remain with them over time and
which stands the test of neglect yet persists. ( see points
on the Figurative meaning of poem to elaborate)
Metaphor - “polished poems’, “press them between pages
of memory”, “I'll discover their peculiar poetry”. This
Metaphor is Significant as the persona represents the
voice of the poet so this is in keeping with the ongoing
idea of writing. The idea of every human relationship has a
deep meaning in our lives is conveyed through the
comparison between the orchids and poetry.
Tone of the Speaker
Nonchalant about the kind gesture of the person who
gives her the orchids.
She is insensitive and callous when she describes her
efforts to kill the orchids by “starving” them
She becomes reflective and thoughtful when she
reassesses the blooms and then;
She is appreciative when she decides to keep them
so as to appreciate their hidden beauty / “peculiar
Poetry”
On a word page document:
Refer to this poem and ONE other and discuss in 2 to 3
paragraphs how the poet uses personal experience to
explore the theme of human relationship.
Remember to use transitions to show comparison/contrast and to make
references to the poems to support your views.
