The Lotus Poem Questions Answers
Very Short Answer Questions
Who is the goddess that Love approaches in the poem?
Flora.
Who is the speaker of the poem?
Love
What did Love request from Flora?
A flower that would be the undisputed queen of all flowers.
Which two flowers had been rivals for the title of the most beautiful flower?
The lily and the rose.
Why were the lily and the rose considered rivals?
They both vied for the title of the most beautiful flower, and poets had sung their claims.
What quality of the lily did poets admire?
The lily’s pale beauty and regal appearance were admired.
What color did Love initially choose for the flower?
Rose-red.
What color did Love finally ask for the flower to be?
Lily-white or both red and white.
Which flower did Flora give to Love?
A lotus, dyed “rose-red” and “lily-white.”
What did Love want the flower to be both delicious as and stately as?
As delicious as the rose and as stately as the lily.
What was the flower’s color after Flora’s intervention?
The lotus was “rose-red” and “lily-white.”
What is the meaning of “Psyche’s bower” in the poem?
It represents the world of flowers and their conflicts and debates.
Which flower was considered the queenliest in the end?
The lotus.
Who were the bards of power mentioned in the poem?
These were influential poets who expressed their opinions about the lily and the rose.
What two qualities were Love looking for in the ideal flower?
Deliciousness and stately appearance.
How did Flora resolve the debate between the lily and the rose?
She provided a lotus flower with both red and white colors, making it the queenliest flower.
Short Answer Questions
Why does Love come to Flora?
Love comes to Flora because he wants to find the perfect flower. He wants a flower that is as delicious as the rose and as stately as the lily, and that is both rose-red and lily-white.
What do the lily and the rose symbolize?
The lily and the rose symbolize different qualities of beauty. The lily is pale and delicate, while the rose is red and passionate. The two flowers are often rivals for the title of the most beautiful flower.
What does the lotus flower symbolize?
The lotus flower symbolizes purity, rebirth, and enlightenment. It is a unique flower that grows in muddy water yet remains clean and unsullied.
What is the theme of the poem?
The theme of the poem is that true beauty and perfection come from within. The lotus flower is the queenliest flower that blows because it is both beautiful and pure.
What is the poet’s message?
The poet’s message is that we should strive to cultivate inner qualities such as purity, compassion, and wisdom, rather than focusing on our external appearance or material possessions.
How does the poet use color imagery to describe the lily and the rose?
The poet uses color imagery to contrast the lily and the rose. The lily is described as “pale,” while the rose is described as “red.” This contrast in color suggests that the lily and the rose represent different qualities of beauty.
What does the lotus flower’s ability to grow in muddy water yet remain clean and unsullied symbolize?
The lotus flower’s ability to grow in muddy water yet remain clean and unsullied symbolizes the human soul’s ability to overcome adversity and remain pure.
How does the poet use the lotus flower as a metaphor for the human soul?
The poet uses the lotus flower as a metaphor for the human soul by describing it as “the queenliest flower that blows.” This suggests that the human soul is the most beautiful and precious thing in the world.
What is the significance of the poem’s title?
The title of the poem is significant because it suggests that the lotus flower is the most important and beautiful flower of all. The lotus flower is a symbol of purity, rebirth, and enlightenment, and it is a reminder that true beauty and perfection come from within.
How does the poet use figurative language to enhance the poem?
The poet uses a variety of figurative language devices, such as personification, simile, and metaphor, to create a vivid and evocative image of the lotus flower. For example, she personifies the lily and the rose as rivals, and she compares the lotus flower to the pale lily with her Juno mien.
What is the conflict in the poem?
Love wants a perfect flower, but the lily and the rose are both flawed in their own way.
How does Love resolve the conflict?
Love asks Flora for a flower that is as delicious as the rose and as stately as the lily, and that is both rose-red and lily-white. Flora gives him the lotus flower, which meets all of his requirements.
