The Woodspurge, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Analysis, Summary, Themes

The Woodspurge, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Analysis, Summary, Themes

"The Woodspurge" by Dante Gabriel Rossetti is a poignant and introspective poem that captures a moment of stillness and reflection in nature. The speaker describes a scene where the wind has calmed, and they find themselves sitting amidst the quietude. With their forehead between their knees, the speaker remains silent and contemplative. As their eyes wander, they fixate on a woodspurge flower, a delicate blossom with three cups. The poem suggests that from a state of profound grief, there can emerge a simple and enduring truth—the woodspurge's three-cupped flower serves as a symbol of this lasting realization. The Woodspurge Poem Text The wind flapp'd loose, the wind was still, Shaken out dead from tree and hill: I had walk'd on at the wind's will,— I sat now, for the wind was still. Between my knees my forehead was,— My lips, drawn in, said not Alas! My hair was over in the grass, My naked ears heard the day pass. My eyes, wide open, had the run Of some …