LANGUAGE OF FLOWERS. 27 



This, though not strictly floral, is the most 

 manageable as regards the translation that could 

 be hit upon, and we have therefore chosen it. 

 Sometimes a word has various meanings, as 

 various sentences rhyme with it ; for instance : 



" Rose You smile, but still my anguish grows. 

 Rose For tliee my heart with love still glows." 



Sometimes a double rhyme belongs to a single 

 word, as : 



" Tea You are both sun and moon to me, 

 Your's is the light by which I sec." 



And often times two flowers combined may form 

 a stanza, as : 



" The opening rose-bud shows how pure 



My love for thee, thou charming maid; 

 The j> it, alas ! thy proud disdain, 



With which my ardent passion's paid." 



By the above examples, it will be seen that 

 there is nothing on earth, in air, or water, to 

 which a meaning may not be attached, but 

 these meanings are very arbitrary, depending 

 more upon the sound of words, which will 

 rhyme with the object named, than on any real 

 or fancied similarity of significance in their 



