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| Shakespeare's Garden Central Park ~ 2012 ~ |
In Shakespeare's play Hamlet, Ophelia mentions several kinds of flowers and herbs and their meanings:
• Pansies represent "thoughts." The English name "pansy" comes from the French word, "pensées," meanings "thoughts."
• Rosemary is for "remembrance."
• Rue, a bitter-tasting herb, may symbolize disdain; Ophelia pretends to give rue to herself and her imaginary guests. Rue was also thought to protect against spells and was used to sprinkle holy water during church services. For this reason, it is also called "herb-of-grace."
Shakespeare's plays and poetry are filled with references to flowers. In The Winter's Tale, the princess Perdita wishes that she had violets, daffodils, and primroses to make garlands for her friends. The fairy queen Titania, who has fallen in love with Bottom, gives him a wreath of flowers to wear in A Midsummer Night's Dream. In fact, Shakespeare uses the word "flower" over 100 times!
• Pansies represent "thoughts." The English name "pansy" comes from the French word, "pensées," meanings "thoughts."
• Rosemary is for "remembrance."
• Rue, a bitter-tasting herb, may symbolize disdain; Ophelia pretends to give rue to herself and her imaginary guests. Rue was also thought to protect against spells and was used to sprinkle holy water during church services. For this reason, it is also called "herb-of-grace."
Shakespeare's plays and poetry are filled with references to flowers. In The Winter's Tale, the princess Perdita wishes that she had violets, daffodils, and primroses to make garlands for her friends. The fairy queen Titania, who has fallen in love with Bottom, gives him a wreath of flowers to wear in A Midsummer Night's Dream. In fact, Shakespeare uses the word "flower" over 100 times!
LAST BIT OF ODDS AND ENDS ~ William Shakespeare said in The Winter's Tale, "Here's flowers for you, hot lavender, mints, savory, marjoram, the marigold, that goes to bed with the sun, and with him rises weeping. So Shakespeare Tea is a wondrous blend of lavender, peppermint, summer savory, sweet marjoram, and calendula petals
A Shakespeare garden was added in the anniversary year 1916 to Central Park, New York City. It included a graft from a mulberry tree said to have been grafted from one planted by Shakespeare in 1602; that tree was cut down by Rev. Francis Gastrell, owner of New Place, sadly, the tree blew down in a summer storm in 2006 and was removed.
O' happy day of YOUR, dear Mr. Shakespeare! I am so glad you were born.
Shakespeare never fails to make me smile. I loved his work from an early age. There's always something new to discover in his plays, so many different ways to perform and interpret them. It's amazing.
ReplyDeleteI still have yet to see the garden in CP, but it's on my list. Great post, Ana!
O my goodness, Ali, I did not see this response of yours. Shakespeare if sheer bliss and much much more for tickling the tongue and mind! I wholehearted agree. I hope you get to see CP very soonishly and many many thanks, dear one.
ReplyDeleteoxoxo!