Flower symbolism in Millais’ Ophelia

Poor Ophelia’s tragic life and death is summed up by the flowers that float around her, as each bloom has a traditional meaning:

  • Violet - chastity and a young death
  • Rose - youth, love and beauty
  • Fritillary - sorrow
  • Nettle - pain
  • Crowflower - childishness
  • Pansy - love in vain
  • Daisy - innocence
  • Poppy - death and sleep

More on Shakespeare’s Ophelia in my post on Millais’ famous painting and another post on Ophelia’s floral-filled speech from Hamlet.

[source: tate.org]

Recent Comments

93 notes

  1. anachoretes reblogged this from thegreenwoodtree
  2. lirinchi reblogged this from thegreenwoodtree
  3. lossai reblogged this from thegreenwoodtree
  4. cactun reblogged this from thegreenwoodtree
  5. yaoibrainworms reblogged this from thegreenwoodtree and added:
    I’m making a flower crown today. So I’ll probably use a lot of symbolic flowers.
  6. ophelia1992 reblogged this from thegreenwoodtree
  7. becomingophelia reblogged this from thegreenwoodtree
  8. bread-and-chocolate reblogged this from thegreenwoodtree
  9. duchessblack reblogged this from thegreenwoodtree
  10. cat-i-the-adage reblogged this from thegreenwoodtree
  11. 21lokelani reblogged this from thegreenwoodtree
  12. loosewings reblogged this from serpentitious
  13. gnostix1 reblogged this from the-irrelevant-elements
  14. the-irrelevant-elements reblogged this from serpentitious
  15. flaviachic reblogged this from serpentitious
  16. theworldasimakeit reblogged this from serpentitious
  17. whitekaat reblogged this from serpentitious
  18. cigarrettesmokingman reblogged this from serpentitious
  19. irrevolgavelmenteparva reblogged this from serpentitious
  20. rise92 reblogged this from serpentitious
  21. thegreenwoodtree posted this