Language: English
Keywords: Public Domain
Source: Public Domain Collection
Rights/Permissions: Public Domain
Analysis & Notes:
This poem is a symbolic exploration of transience and permanence, the heart versus the mind, and the inevitable passage of time. It is structured as a dialogue, which brings a theatrical element to the work. Each speaker - the Bouquet, the Bracelet, and Beauty - not only represents different entities, but different perspectives and values as well.
The Bouquet, with its "floral ring" and "blushing roses," symbolizes emotions, passion, and the fleeting nature of beauty and life. Its language is rich with romantic imagery, which stands in stark contrast to the Bracelet's more pragmatic message. Represented by "rubies red," the Bracelet speaks to durability, material wealth, and the value of things that endure. The literary devices of personification and contrast are effectively used here to emphasize this tension between ephemeral beauty and lasting value.
The final speaker, Beauty, deliberates between the two offerings and ultimately chooses the Bracelet, showing a preference for practicality, a decision borne out of an understanding of the unyielding passage of time. The conclusion offers a poignant commentary on the transitory nature of beauty and the pragmatism that often comes with wisdom. The tone of the poem is bittersweet, acknowledging the allure of both transient beauty and enduring value, but also the necessity of choice.