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Poem
December 15, 1836
Herald Of The Times
Newport, Newport County, Rhode Island
What is this article about?
Mary Howitt's poem reflects on God's creation of flowers, questioning their necessity for practical purposes but concluding they exist to provide delight, beauty, comfort, and hope to humanity, strengthening faith.
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THE USE OF FLOWERS.
BY MARY HOWITT.
God might have made the earth bring forth
Enough for great and small,
The oak tree and the cedar tree,
Without a flower at all.
He might have made enough, enough
For every want of ours,
For luxury, medicine and toil,
And yet have made no flowers.
The ore within the mountain-mine
Requireth none to grow,
Nor doth it need the lotus-flower
To make the river flow.
The clouds might give abundant rain,
The nightly dew might fall,
And the herb that keepeth life in man
Might yet have drunk them all.
Then wherefore, wherefore were they made
All dyed with rainbow light?
All fashioned with the supremest grace,
Up-springing day and night.
Springing in valleys green and low,
And on the mountains high,
And in the silent wilderness,
Where no man passes by.
Our outward life requires them not,
Then, wherefore had they birth?
To minister delight to man,
To beautify the earth;
To comfort man—to whisper hope,
Whene'er his faith is dim,
For who that gazes on the flowers
Will care much more for Him.
BY MARY HOWITT.
God might have made the earth bring forth
Enough for great and small,
The oak tree and the cedar tree,
Without a flower at all.
He might have made enough, enough
For every want of ours,
For luxury, medicine and toil,
And yet have made no flowers.
The ore within the mountain-mine
Requireth none to grow,
Nor doth it need the lotus-flower
To make the river flow.
The clouds might give abundant rain,
The nightly dew might fall,
And the herb that keepeth life in man
Might yet have drunk them all.
Then wherefore, wherefore were they made
All dyed with rainbow light?
All fashioned with the supremest grace,
Up-springing day and night.
Springing in valleys green and low,
And on the mountains high,
And in the silent wilderness,
Where no man passes by.
Our outward life requires them not,
Then, wherefore had they birth?
To minister delight to man,
To beautify the earth;
To comfort man—to whisper hope,
Whene'er his faith is dim,
For who that gazes on the flowers
Will care much more for Him.
What sub-type of article is it?
Hymn
Ode
What themes does it cover?
Religious Faith
Nature Seasons
What keywords are associated?
Gods Creation
Flowers Beauty
Nature Delight
Faith Hope
Divine Purpose
What entities or persons were involved?
By Mary Howitt.
Poem Details
Title
The Use Of Flowers.
Author
By Mary Howitt.
Form / Style
Rhymed Couplets
Key Lines
God Might Have Made The Earth Bring Forth
Enough For Great And Small,
The Oak Tree And The Cedar Tree,
Without A Flower At All.
To Minister Delight To Man,
To Beautify The Earth;
To Comfort Man—To Whisper Hope,
Whene'er His Faith Is Dim,
For Who That Gazes On The Flowers
Will Care Much More For Him.