Recently, I saw this quote which has become a favorite of mine:
“The earth laughs in flowers.”
Though it’s often been attributed to e.e. cummings, it actually appears in Hamatreya, by Ralph Waldo Emerson. A slight misquote, its meaning taken out of context is quite different than in the poem.
The full line in the poem reads:
“Earth laughs in flowers, to see her boastful boys
Earth-proud, proud of the earth which is not theirs;
Who steer the plough but cannot steer their feet
Clear of the grave.”
Out of context, it’s warm-and-fuzzy imagery. In context, it’s an illustration of nature’s supremacy, mocking the arrogance of a humanity which thinks it holds dominion over Earth – an immortal force created long before we existed and which will remain long after we’re gone. I find the quote more interesting with the nuances of meaning the poem presents, and I can’t help but wonder if Emerson would be dismayed to see it printed on coffee mugs as a happy pick-me-up.
And yet, I like it as a happy pick-me-up, too. For me, it’s an excellent reminder to live in the moment, to pay attention to fleeting instants of beauty, and to appreciate what I have when I have it. Because as Emerson points out, the nature of life is transitory. But unlike Emerson, I don’t look at death as something to be feared; I’d rather look at life as something to be celebrated.
© Karen Joslin, 2011
Girl, you’re my hero! I’ve spent an hour trying to find out the source and author of that quote.
Glad to help!
Did ee.cummings write a poem with these words at all? How is it that e. e. cummings gets all the credit. Explains why googling these lines comes up with nothing.
As far as I can tell, he didn’t, although I’ve read in a few places that he quoted Emerson on that line. So that may be where the confusion comes from. Cummings did write a lot of nature-themed poems, so that could help explain it also.