A Favorite Poem



The Rhodora

On Being Asked Whence Is the Flower

By Ralph Waldo Emerson


IN May, when sea-winds pierced our solitudes,

I found the fresh Rhodora in the woods,

Spreading its leafless blooms in a damp nook,

To please the desert and the sluggish brook.

The purple petals, fallen in the pool,

Made the black water with their beauty gay;

Here might the red-bird come his plumes to cool,

And court the flower that cheapens his array.

Rhodora! if the sages ask thee why

This charm is wasted on the earth and sky,

Tell them, dear, that if eyes were made for seeing,

Then Beauty is its own excuse for being:

Why thou wert there, O rival of the rose!

I never thought to ask, I never knew:

But, in my simple ignorance, suppose

The self-same Power that brought me there brought you.
_____________________
This is one of my favorite poems. I’m insanely busy today, but I wanted to give you all something to read. 🙂 Hope you have a great day.

2 Responses “A Favorite Poem”

  1. T.A.Chase says:

    SW..

    I have several favorite poems. I love this one because of the lines:

    Tell them, dear, that if eyes were made for seeing,
    Then Beauty is its own excuse for being.

    🙂

  2. S. W. Vaughn says:

    Thank you, T.A.! I’ve been trying to learn to appreciate poetry. Knowing where to find the good stuff helps. 🙂

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