Daffodil

Daffodil

Narissus pseudonarissus • Narissus poeticus

Regard and Chivalry


I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.
William Wordsworth 1770-1850



Wordsworth's famous lines have immortalized the Daffodil.



Know in Shakespeare's day as the Lent lily, some regarded the daffodil as unlucky to have in the house for they hang their heads and bring tears and unhappiness.



Traditionally, the first Sunday in April in England was "Daffodil Sunday," and people would pick daffodils from their homes and surrounding fields to take to the hospitals in London.



Superstition in Maine says that if you point your index finger at a daffodil, you will cause it not to bloom.



In the Victorian language of flowers, a daffodil means regard, and the great yellow daffodil is the symbol of chivalry.

Since the Middle Ages in the Christian faith, the daffodil has been viewed as a symbol of Christ's resurrection and the promise of eternal life.



This national emblem of Wales is better enjoyed outside in the garden because its fragrance is so overpowering.