The Rhodora

The official name of the poem is "The Rhodora, On Being Asked, Whence Is the Flower", and was written by Ralph Waldo Emerson in 1834.

Emerson uniquely describes a wonderful and insightful spiritual connection with nature in a primitive, deified manner. The focus of the poem is to showcase to Emerson's audience that a person has the embedded ability to share and experience a kindred relationship with God through the beauty of Nature.

The Rhodora is presented as a flower as beautiful as the rose, but which remains humble and does not seek broader fame.

The Rhodora can be described as a scrawny deciduous shrub that usually grows to 3-4 feet in height.  The well-known attraction to The Rhodora are it lavender flowers. The northern version of the shrubbery the lavender flowers are quite showy.

The narrator of the famous poem by Emerson is located outside in the springtime in the New England area and has found a beautiful Rhodora, "Spreading its leafless blooms in a damp nook," and is reflecting on the ability to bring beauty to such a dismal location and setting.

Numerous poetic experts have offered interpretations regarding the inspiration behind 'The Rhodora.'

Some are quite complex. I disagree. While Emerson seemed complex to many, he was rather a simplistic person, which carried over to his writing. He advocated "less is more."

While the experts will confidently pronounce the poem is about the relationship between man and nature, I hold the strong belief The Rhodora described the love of his life.

His wife.

Emerson detested the ordinary and status quo. Just a peek at his transcendentalist beliefs is solid proof.

Roses?

Not his cup of tea. Those were for the masses.

Emerson sought that which was unique.

When it came to describing his wife, the Rhodora plant encompassed all that he felt of her, including the lavender petals. Is there a more calming scent in nature than lavender? I say not.

Emerson describes his wife as stunningly beautiful, akin to items of immense value, and notes her calming influence on his life as a writer.

He gives her a grand compliment as a writer that she has a calming influence on his life. He points out that she is only known by a certain few, those who seek out her uniqueness, her beauty, and her calming influence.

Such a woman is rare indeed.

Since Emerson was a Transcendentalist, it makes sense that he would believe nature is emblematic of the true Spirit of God. The Rhodora, as a comparison, is viewed and beheld as a natural entity converted into the spirit and thought, which then formed Emerson's new perception of nature.

The Rhodora plant grows in solitude, away from other flowers and plants that are considered by many to be immensely beautiful. This coincides with Emerson's distaste for the rose. He preferred that which was unique and rare to find.

Emerson's “The Rhodora” contemplates the beauty of a simple flower and its effect on its surroundings. In the poem, it is stated that nature is beautiful and needs no excuse for being; instead, it should be valued and, in a way, worshipped for what it brings to the human mind, eyes, and senses.

Example: the lavender scent of The Rhodora gives calmness to those who come upon it.

The red bird is the Northern Cardinal.

"Red Bird" was a common nickname for the Northern Cardinal. In the poem, Emerson writes that the red-bird might come to a pool of water “his plumes to cool,” meaning to cool his feathers — or "splash about."