Margaret Fuller inherited a passion for flowers from her mother, who loved her garden, and divided her life “between her children and her flowers”.
That is why she wrote quite a number of poems about flowers. which she held in high esteem.
Here is one of them:
The Passion Flower
My love gave me a passion-flower.
I nursed it well – so brief its hour!
My eyelids ache, my throat is dry:
He told me that it would not die.
My love and I are one, and yet
Full oft my cheeks with tears are wet –
So sweet the night is and the bower!
My love gave me a passion-flower.
So sweet! Hold fast my hands. Can God
Make all this joy revert to sod,
And leave to me but this for dower –
My love gave me a passion-flower.
“The Passion-Flower”, or Passiflora, is a woody vine that has unusual blossoms. The Catholic missionaries who found it growing in south America in the late 1500s named it that way from the Passion (suffering and death) of Jesus Christ, since its various floral parts (including the petals, rays, and sepals,) can be seen as symbols of the last days of Jesus and especially his crucifixion.
In this poem the symbol of religious fervour is transformed into the emblem of deceitful love, doomed to fade, owing to its delicate, ephemeral nature, despite the efforts and tears of the woman.
Margaret Fuller ereditò la passione per i fiori dalla madre, che amava il suo giardino, e divideva la sua vita “tra i suoi figli e i suoi fiori”.
Ecco perché compose numerose di poesie sui fiori, che le erano particolarmente care-
Eccone una:
La passiflora
Il mio amore mi ha donato una passiflora.
L’ho curata bene – così breve è la sua ora!
Mi dolgon le palpebre, la gola ho contorta:
mi aveva detto che non sarebbe morta.
Il mio amore ed io siamo una sola cosa,
ma spesso sulla mia gota una lacrima si posa –
Così dolce è la notte e sotto la pergola l’aurora!
Il mio amore mi ha donato una passiflora.
Così dolce! Stringimi le mani. Può il Signore
far ritornare zolla questo splendore
e lasciamela come controvalore?
Il mio amore mi ha dato della passione il fiore.
(trad: L.Z.)
“La Passiflora” (fiore della passione) è una pianta rampicante perenne, dai fiori molto belli. I missionari cattolici che la trovarono nell’ America del Sud alla fine del 1500 la chiamarono così dalla Passione di Gesù Cristo, poiché le sue varie parti floreali (compresi i petali, i raggi e i sepali) possono essere viste come simboli degli ultimi giorni di Gesù e soprattutto della sua crocifissione.
In questa poesia il simbolo di ardore religioso si trasforma nell’emblema di un amore ingannevole, destinato a causa della sua natura delicata ed effimera, a svanire, nonostante gli sforzi e le lacrime della donna.
What a gorgeous looking flower and the poem compliments so well to it, ah thanks for filling us up with a detailed back stories Luisa. ❤️
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Once again it is I who thank you because your lovely words fill me with joy💖
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I am glad it does 🤗❤️
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🙏🌸🙏
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A very beautiful poem, even i cannot remember to have seen this flower before. Best wishes, Michael
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I have them in my garden: you can also eat their fruit, called Passion Fruit ❣️
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Hey, thanks for the information. Here are only growing potatoes, and stones. Lol
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💖🤗🌼
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Luisa!
Senza nulla togliere a Margaret, la tua traduzione è stupenda, perfetta.
Chapeau!
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Grazie, Claudia carissima 🙏🙏🙏
Sei davvero gentile
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❤
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😍😍
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Wow! What a gorgeous poem and a lovely pic! I highly appreciate your delightful, very interesting, informative, enjoyable and fascinating blogs. You are a great treasure, dear. I am so lucky to get to know a highly knowledgeable person like you. 🥰🥰🥰😊😊😊. Excellent work! Have a fantastic day.
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Thank you very much, Aparna
I really appreciate you saying so and I am happy that you liked this post 🙏🌹🙏
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Margaret Fuller’s mother was not less great as she divided her time between her children and garden and , of course , flowers of the garden . And it inspired Margaret Fuller to write poetries on flowers . I Personally think that flowers are symbol of alive lives . They always attract alive people . And it is offered to dead simply considering his/her lively contributions in this world . Margaret’s poetry is live and beautiful and your blog inspiring . Thanks !
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Heartfelt thanks, as always, for your kind words. I found your remarks on flowers really compelling🌹🌹🌹
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Thanks !
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Thank you, Luisa, for another part of your interesting story of Margaret Fuller and her lovely poem. I have this plant in my garden.
Joanna
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Isn’t it beautiful?🌸🌸🌸
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Yes, it is, and I love flowers, “Flowers are the essence of the world”, said The Last Gardener of Aleppo.
Joanna
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I just read the post where you talked about him and I found it wonderful
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ho dedicato anch’io un post a questo stupendo fiore
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E’ vero: l’ho letto e l’ho trovato molto bello. Ecco il link per chi volesse leggerlo: https://mifo60.wordpress.com/2022/05/06/la-leggenda-della-passiflora/
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grazie Luisa 🙂
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Love the poem and the explanation. Another marvelous job, Luisa.🌹🌺🪷💐🌻
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Ah! I’m so happy you think so, Pat
Thank you so much!! 🙏❣️🙏❣️🙏
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Un altro articolo interessante accompagnato anche questa volta da versi meravigliosi. Un saluto.
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Beautiful! I enjoyed this poem with its brief flowering before the wilting of love began. Oh, the life of a poet with joy and sorrow in both hands! In life, I love these incredible flowers and can gaze at their beauty for hours. Love and light, Deborah.
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” Joy and sorrow in both hands”: I love this expression I read in your latest post!
Thank you, Deborah! You are always so kind in your support! I really appreciate that! 🙂
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I’ve never seen passion flowers before and they are so beautiful. I wonder how it gets its name. LOL.
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The name derives from the Passion (suffering and death) of Jesus Christ, since its various parts can be seen as symbols of the last days of Jesus and his crucifixion.
Today the word “passion” no longer conveys the idea of suffering of its origin
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Un salutino veloce Lu, sono un pò incasinata
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Buon pomeriggio veloce, Paola cara ❣️🌹❣️
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🥰🥰🥰
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Incantevole come la tua spiegazione 🥀🥀🥀 B79na serata cara Luisa 💕💕💕
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Grazie, Giusy cara 🙏🌸🙏
Buona serata a te ❣️
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Thank you, dear Louisa, for this wonderful post. The poem brings a tear to my eyes
as I sense both her joy and sadness.
Also, in my previous garden I did myself plant a Passion flower bush. It grew and grew and in the
end I created a high gate to be able to walk under it. Such a stunning flower and it came back – year after year.
Now you have given us the story behind its name. How precious. 💕💐.
Miriam
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Dearest Miriam, I am happy to know that the post made you discover the story behind the name of this beautiful flower, which I love too-
Thank you very much for your generous appreciation 🙏💞🙏
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Chissà se Margaret Fuller che, come scrivi, “divideva la sua vita “tra i suoi figli e i suoi fiori”, avesse mai scritto una poesia come la seguente, che fa parte di una commedia inedita in versi scritta qualche anno da insieme a Sergio Sestolla.
P E T A L I A C U O R E ( Lei )
Per te io voglio essere la vita.
Devi saperlo che sempre potrai
trovare in questa “mela proibita”
tutto quanto quello che vorrai.
Per te io voglio essere lo scopo
dell’esistenza tua . . . L’hai capito
che forse cominciò tutto per gioco
ma certo sta finendo con l’invito
a prendere di me ciò che tu vuoi? . . .
a far di me comunque una tua cosa?
a ben considerare che tu puoi
di me godere, come della rosa
che un giardiniere . . . tu . . . per un suo fine
creò — facendo dieci, cento innesti —
con petali a cuore e senza spine,
che or per te profuma affinché resti?
E pur quando su lei neve cadrà
per te risplenderà, fin che potrà.
Per quello che mi dai e che mi desti
sarò, se urgerà, la tua Alcesti.
(Cassandro)
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Bellissima!
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What a great love for flowers, oh just like I do. And that poem’s really warm. Amazing, my friend Luisa.
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So glad you liked Fuller’s poem!
Thanks a lot for your nice appreciation
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You’re most welcome, dear Luisa.
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Stupenda 🤩
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Grazie!!! 😘
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Passionflower tea will also help with anxiety and sleep problems, as well as for pain, heart rhythm problems, menopausal symptoms, and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (forgive the bold, it’s a paste!) ☕
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Oh, good ~ no bold! 😊👌👍
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👍 🌹💞🌹
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Really interesting,
I thank you wholeheartedly for adding this valuable information🙏🌸🙏🌸🙏🌸
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🤗
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💜💜💜
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Thanks for the name of that flower. I saw them on our last visit to Europe and thought them very beautiful. Now I know the name. Have a good week Luisa. Allan
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I thank you very much!🙏🙏🙏
I’m glad to have been of some help
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bella la poesia e splendido il fiore.
Serena serata
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