Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Assent to Wildflowers" by William Meredith explores themes of perception, beauty, and the complex interplay between love and suffering. The poem is rich with literary allusions, particularly to Shakespeare's *King Lear*, and uses the imagery of black-eyed Susans to delve into deeper philosophical reflections on human experience.

The poem begins with a quotation from *King Lear*, "Ay" and "no" too was no good divinity," setting a tone of ambiguity and the limitations of simple binaries. This reference immediately establishes a connection to the play's exploration of sight, insight, and the consequences of human actions.

Meredith describes the wildflowers, "Plucked from their sockets like eyes that gave offense," drawing a vivid and somewhat unsettling comparison to the blinding of Gloucester in *King Lear*. The flowers, "black-eyed Susans," are personified with a gaze, likened to a "composite lens / Like a fly's," suggesting a multiplicity of perspectives or a fragmented view of the world. Placed in a bronze vase, the flowers become a focal point, their presence in the room evoking a sense of quiet scrutiny.

The speaker reflects on the act of picking these flowers, "Gloucestered out of the meadow by the hands / I love," indicating a removal from their natural habitat by someone dear to them. This act brings into the room not just the flowers but a symbolic presence that prompts introspection. The flowers seem to question the speaker, asking "do I know / What they mean by this bold flower-glance?" This question becomes a central theme, probing the nature of the gaze, the intentions behind actions, and the meanings we assign to them.

The answer, as the speaker initially concludes, "is love," suggesting that the act of bringing the flowers inside was done out of affection. However, before the speaker can settle on this comforting interpretation, another, more unsettling question arises, "Like anything blind that gapes at you that way." This line deepens the complexity of the situation, hinting at an inherent blindness or ignorance in human actions and perceptions, much like Gloucester's tragic blindness in the play.

The poem's meditation on sight and insight continues with the line, "A man may see how this world goes with no eyes." This suggests that true understanding often transcends literal vision, aligning with Gloucester's realization in *King Lear* that one can perceive the world's truths even without physical sight. The "luster of the room" going "blear for a minute" symbolizes a moment of doubt or confusion, followed by a deeper realization, akin to Gloucester's journey from blindness to enlightenment.

In the concluding lines, the speaker imagines "the world and you in it," acknowledging both the beauty and the darker, more complex realities of existence. The poem juxtaposes "flowering"—a symbol of beauty and life—with "a dark question answered yes," acknowledging the presence of suffering, uncertainty, or moral ambiguity. This duality encapsulates the essence of human experience, where moments of beauty are often intertwined with profound and difficult questions.

"Assent to Wildflowers" thus explores the nuances of perception, the interplay of love and suffering, and the limitations of simple answers to complex questions. Through the metaphor of flowers and the allusion to *King Lear*, Meredith invites readers to contemplate the deeper meanings behind actions and appearances, suggesting that understanding often requires looking beyond the obvious and embracing the complexity of the human condition. The poem leaves us with a recognition of the coexistence of beauty and darkness, and the necessity of accepting both in the pursuit of true insight.

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