Throughout history, flowers have
been an important part of many cultures and societies. Flowers evoke emotions,
raise our spirits, and remind us of the life teeming all around us. We, as
humans, have attached meaning to different varieties, imparting a bit of our
own cultural imprint upon each one.
Flowers are so essential to us, we
use them in our celebrations, our weddings, our important life events. We turn
them upside down to dry them, press them into books, and place them under glass
to preserve the memories. We use flowers to pay homage to our lost loved ones,
placing them on gravestones and planting them in honor of their memory.
Some flowers have significance in
the world of romance.The red rose, in particular, is known for love. The delicate petals, sweet scent, and yes, thorns all play a part in its symbolism. Other flowers, such as lavender and chamomile have aphrodisiac qualities that lead to a sense of euphoria, arousal, and excitement.
What is the appeal of flowers? Is it the color? The scent? The texture? All of the above?
As a writer, I’m drawn to books with symbolism, whether flowers or other objects. One of the most popular young adult books ever written, Twilight by Stephanie Meyers, had an apple on the book cover. The apple represented ‘forbidden fruit’. Isn’t fruit a by-product of a flower? Using flowers as symbolism in writing is powerful.
In my novel, Untouchable Lover, I use a rose as symbolism for lost innocence. The untouched beauty of the rose floating down amid a tense, physical scene represents the falling away of innocence. The contrast of the rose amid the chaos is a nice contradiction.
Symbolism is everywhere if you look. Art, architecture, photos are just a few places. Gee, maybe there’s even symbolism in names? What do you think?
Have you seen flowers used as
symbolism in everyday life? If so, how?
Note: I’ll be off the internet for a few days, but I appreciate your
comments and will get back to you soon!
After finishing a rewarding career
in finance and accounting, it was time for Rosalie Redd to put away the
spreadsheets and take out the word processor. She writes Paranormal/Science
Fiction Romance inspired by classics from the science fiction, fantasy, and
horror genres layered with a good, hot dose of romance.
She currently lives in Oregon,
where rain is just another excuse to keep writing. When not at her computer,
you can find her at Jazzercise, waterfall collecting in the Pacific Northwest,
or relaxing with her husband and their pesky cat, Snookums.
Rosalie Redd
Discover Otherworldly love…
3 comments:
I have plants in front of my house that symbolize protection, love, loyalty.
I love the symbolism of flowers, too. Your description of how you used a rose in your scene was a beautiful example.
The colors of the flowers that bloom at each time of year are used to symbolize the seasons - pastel yellows, blues, pinks and purples for spring, brighter colors including reds for summer, deep yellows, oranges, even browns for fall.
I enjoyed your post, Rosalie.
Thanks, Sarah and Judith! I love the flowers too!
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