Happy Monday dear readers, only 17 days left till Autumn! So today we meeting yet again to discuss a beautiful poem.
Today we are reading:
THE CAMELLIA by HONORE de BALZAC
Honore de Balzac (20 May 1799 – 18 August 1850) - was a French poet, novelist and screenwriter. Balzac came from a good family and as a child had trouble adapting to the common way of writing literature, he felt more closer to describing things as they were. So he is thought to have been one of the founders of the realism movement in literature. A beautiful fact about him: he dedicated his last novel Eugenie Grander to his only living, illegitimate daughter. Also he was best friend with Victor Hugo, who later told a eulogy at his funeral.
The Camellia
In Nature's poem flowers have each their word
The rose of love and beauty sings alone;
The violet's soul exhales in tenderest tone;
The lily's one pure simple note heard.
The cold Camellia only, stiff and white,
Rose without perfume, lily without grace,
When chilling winter shows his icy face,
Blooms for a world that vainly seeks delight.
Yet, in a theatre, or ball-room light,
I gladly see Camellias shining bright
Above some stately woman's raven hair,
Whose noble form fulfills the heart's desire,
Like Grecian marbles warmed by Phidian fire.
The rose of love and beauty sings alone;
The violet's soul exhales in tenderest tone;
The lily's one pure simple note heard.
The cold Camellia only, stiff and white,
Rose without perfume, lily without grace,
When chilling winter shows his icy face,
Blooms for a world that vainly seeks delight.
Yet, in a theatre, or ball-room light,
I gladly see Camellias shining bright
Above some stately woman's raven hair,
Whose noble form fulfills the heart's desire,
Like Grecian marbles warmed by Phidian fire.
I consider myself being more of a romanticism poetry lover, writers such as Keats (who we met last week, or Wordsworth, whom we are yet to met), however there is something about the way Balzac writes that suits me. As a realist he doesn't use reality in a shocking or discussing way. He simply writes as it is. To be honest, I only know of his poems but I am very curious to read at least couple of his novels, because he seems like a good writer. Regarding this poem, you know, I do understand that it's simply about how we see flowers, how we think some flowers are more beautiful, how we can relate a thing instantly when we see a flower, but I think it's more than that. I actually agree with Balzac, when you say roses or lilies I instantly go to this beautiful garden or fountain and see sunny days, light and just soft, cute dreams, and with camellia's for me - funerals. But does that mean it's a lesser flower? Does it mean it's not beautiful? What about humans? Just because a person is beautiful, in all understanding of the meaning - perfect to everyone, does that mean that person is better? If a girl or boy is unconventional looking, thinking, not fitting to the standards of society does that mean he or she should be left out? NO! Because just as Balzac's Camellia can shine in the right surrounding and become the center of the attention, so can the other outcasts who never fit in! I truly like this poem, it makes me happy that even in the 19th century people understood the beauty in the unordinary :)
What did you think of THE CAMELLIA?
