Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Linda Pastan's poem "Flowers" captures the striking contrast between the vividness of flowers and the bleakness of winter, exploring the unsettling juxtaposition of life and vibrancy against a backdrop of cold and desolation. Pastan, known for her ability to find depth and meaning in the everyday, uses the presence of flowers in winter as a metaphor for the unexpected, the unnatural, and the resilient beauty that persists even in the harshest conditions.

The poem opens with the "deep strangeness / of flowers in winter," immediately setting up a sense of dissonance. Flowers, typically associated with spring and summer, appear out of place in the cold, barren landscape of winter. The mention of "the orange of clivia" and "this creamy white rose" emphasizes the vividness and delicacy of the flowers, which stand out sharply against the stark winter environment. The flowers, described in terms of their color and texture, are presented as anomalies—beautiful, yet strange in their persistence.

Pastan deepens this contrast by positioning the flowers indoors, in a "stoneware / vase," while outside, a different kind of white—the cold whiteness of snow—"like petals drifting down," creates a parallel between the natural world and the artificial one within the home. The snow, which mimics the appearance of petals, blurs the line between the natural and the unnatural, highlighting the surreal quality of the flowers' presence. This duality invites readers to question the reality of what they see, a theme that is underscored when a visitor asks, "Is it real?" in reference to the "odd magenta / orchid on our sill." The orchid, described as "unnatural / as makeup on a child," further emphasizes the theme of artifice, suggesting that the flowers, though real, seem out of place or even contrived in their winter setting.

As the poem progresses, Pastan expands the scene to encompass the larger winter environment: "It's freezing all around us— / salt cold on the lips, / the flinty blacks and grays / of January in any northern city." These lines evoke the harshness of winter, where the cold permeates everything, and the landscape is reduced to "flinty" shades of black and gray. The sensory detail of "salt cold on the lips" evokes the bitter, stinging quality of winter air, further emphasizing the inhospitable nature of the season. In this context, the flowers appear even more anomalous, their vibrant colors and scents incongruous with the cold, monochromatic world outside.

Despite the harsh conditions, the poem notes that there are "flowers / everywhere": in supermarkets, "by cans of juice," and in "heated stalls / near the river." These flowers, though situated in ordinary, even mundane settings, are described in almost sensual terms—"secular lilies engorged / with scent," and "notched tulips, crimson / and pink, ablaze." The word "secular" suggests a departure from the sacred or the natural, further reinforcing the idea that these flowers, though alive, are somehow unnatural in their abundance and vibrancy during the coldest time of year. The imagery of the tulips "ablaze" in the "icy / corridors of winter" creates a powerful visual contrast, evoking the idea of life burning brightly even in the midst of death or dormancy.

"Flowers" can be interpreted as a meditation on resilience and beauty in the face of adversity. The flowers, though out of place in winter, symbolize the persistence of life and color in a world that otherwise seems barren and cold. They also raise questions about the nature of beauty and reality—what it means for something to be "real" or "unnatural," and how these concepts shift depending on context. The flowers' presence in supermarkets and heated stalls further suggests the commodification of beauty, where even in the most unlikeliest of seasons, beauty is cultivated, sold, and consumed, perhaps at the cost of its natural authenticity.

In the end, "Flowers" leaves readers with a sense of wonder and unease. The flowers in winter are beautiful, but their presence is also a reminder of the fragility and strangeness of life in an unforgiving world. Pastan's poem invites us to consider the ways in which we encounter and interpret beauty, especially when it appears in unexpected or unnatural contexts, and to reflect on the resilience that allows such beauty to persist even in the coldest, darkest times.

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