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Alexandra Kaziyeva

Forgiveness and Flowers




In the 19th century, poet Ella Giles wrote the poem below:











The main take away is that forgiveness is the fragrance that the flower sheds on the heel that has crushed it. Memory is linked to specific smells. In moments of pain and suffering, there must be some kind of smell around that will be linked to that pain. Forgiveness is letting go your “fragrance” (i.e. letting go of the painful memories) onto the thing that crushed you. When the trampler continues on their journey, they are reminded of your “fragrance” (i.e. a memory of you). The crusher is stuck in the past, while you regrow and live in the present. Forgiveness is the first step to healing.


To visually represent this poem, I consulted the lost language of flowers (i.e. Victorian Floriography). According to Floriography: An Illustrated Guide to the Victorian Language of Flowers, written by Jessica Roux, Hyacinth paired with Pansy symbolizes not only forgiveness but also the fact that the crusher is hunted by their actions. Thus, I drew a field of hyacinths with pansies about to be crushed and their fragrance will be forgiving.


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