The Language of Flowers
The Victorian's secret Language of Flowers also known as floriography
The Victorians were famously reserved, with a strict set of codes that dictated social behaviour. Relationships between people were particularly subject to rules, with would-be couples unable to say what they wanted to say. That might even be negative messages. Orange lilies meant both “You are proud” and “I hate you” (Gray 2015: 7)
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Poppies
Common name for plants in the Papaveraceae family
Poppies presented “consolation”.
Galanthus nivalis
The snowdrop represents hope since it is the first plant to break free of the snow.
Patricia Telesco says the scents of the flowers alone could communicate a message. She gives the example of a young woman dropping a handkerchief scented with violet to tell a would-be lover that “her admiration would be unwavering” (1994: 32).
The Beardered Iris
Iris germanica
The colour of the flower also affected the content of your message. A purple iris meant “You are beautiful” (as well as conveying wisdom) but a yellow iris meant passion (Gray 2015: 80).
Yellow Iris
Iris pseudacorus
The yellow iris meant passion (Gray 2015: 80).
The Language of Flowers and Creativity
Floriography also became a way to add symbolism to artistic creations. Flowers mentioned in novels took on new significance, sometimes lost on modern readers. In Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë used a list of flowers to help establish Jane’s feelings. For example, as her time at the awful Lowood school draws to a close, Brontë describes how “flowers peeped out amongst the leaves; Snowdrops, Crocuses, purple Auriculas and golden-eyed Pansies.”
According to the Victorian's language of flowers, these represented hope (Burke 1856: 55)
The Pre-Raphaelites
The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, the group of artists who reached back to the apparent purity of art before Raphael, added extra messages to their paintings by including specific flowers. For example, in Frederick Sandys’ painting ‘Vivien’, he includes daphne, which represents coquetry and the desire to please. Yet its toxicity reflects the dangerous femininity of Vivien herself. Again, such meanings may be lost on the modern viewer, but they add a depth to the paintings that can be fun to
decipher.
'Vivien'
Frederick Sandys (1829-1904)
She holds a sprig of poisonous flowering daphne in her left hand
'Love's Shadow'
Frederick Sandys (1867)
Modeled by actress Mary Emma Jones, Sandys common-law wife. The figure is richly adorned and biting the blooms from some blue violets, which are a symbol of love and devotion in Victorian floriography.
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