Cool arrangement - I think there's a play going on here with blue eyes (Irises or Eye-rises) and Tulips (Two Lips - these are significantly red) or a contest between looking and speaking (or personal expression), which is resolved at the apex of the arrangement by one flower 'hugging' the other (red as feminine, blue as male). I actually looked up the plant meanings: Red Tulips means - Believe Me or is a Declaration of Love. Iris can mean your friendship means so much to me or hope - it also has various cultural meanings. An ancient belief is that the iris serves as a warning to be heeded, as it was named for the messenger of Olympus. It also conveys images of lost love and silent grief, for young girls were led into the afterlife by Iris. There's definitely a dark and brooding background against which love is taking place... (I think the last two meanings combined are in play here...)
My personal response is that the Irises immediately remind me of the famous Van Gogh paintings. It also reminds me of one of my favourite poems by Ben Johnson (because of the eye/mouth thing and the flowers):
To Celia Drink to me, only, with thine eyes, And I will pledge with mine ; Or leave a kiss but in the cup, And I'll not look for wine. The thirst that from the soul doth rise, Doth ask a drink divine : But might I of Jove's nectar sup, I would not change for thine.
I sent thee, late, a rosy wreath, Not so much honoring thee, As giving it a hope, that there It could not wither'd be. But thou thereon didst only breathe, And sent'st it back to me : Since when it grows, and smells, I swear, Not of itself, but thee.
Cool arrangement - I think there's a play going on here with blue eyes (Irises or Eye-rises) and Tulips (Two Lips - these are significantly red) or a contest between looking and speaking (or personal expression), which is resolved at the apex of the arrangement by one flower 'hugging' the other (red as feminine, blue as male). I actually looked up the plant meanings: Red Tulips means - Believe Me or is a Declaration of Love. Iris can mean your friendship means so much to me or hope - it also has various cultural meanings. An ancient belief is that the iris serves as a warning to be heeded, as it was named for the messenger of Olympus. It also conveys images of lost love and silent grief, for young girls were led into the afterlife by Iris. There's definitely a dark and brooding background against which love is taking place... (I think the last two meanings combined are in play here...)
ReplyDeleteMy personal response is that the Irises immediately remind me of the famous Van Gogh paintings. It also reminds me of one of my favourite poems by Ben Johnson (because of the eye/mouth thing and the flowers):
To Celia
Drink to me, only, with thine eyes,
And I will pledge with mine ;
Or leave a kiss but in the cup,
And I'll not look for wine.
The thirst that from the soul doth rise,
Doth ask a drink divine :
But might I of Jove's nectar sup,
I would not change for thine.
I sent thee, late, a rosy wreath,
Not so much honoring thee,
As giving it a hope, that there
It could not wither'd be.
But thou thereon didst only breathe,
And sent'st it back to me :
Since when it grows, and smells, I swear,
Not of itself, but thee.