To An Early Violet Poem by Swami Vivekananda

To An Early Violet

Rating: 5.0


What though thy bed be frozen earth,
Thy cloak the chilling blast;
What though no mate to clear thy path,
Thy sky with gloom o'ercast -
What though of love itself doth fail,
Thy fragrance strewed in vain;
What though if bad o'er good prevail,
And vice o'er virtue reign -
Change not thy nature, gentle bloom,
Thou violet, sweet and pure,
But ever pour thy sweet perfume
Unasked, unstinted, sure !

POET'S NOTES ABOUT THE POEM
Written to Sister Christine from New York on 6th January 1896. Violet is the spring flower of the West. But when it blooms in late winter, ie before the advent of spring, it has to fight against the cold blast. The poem is meant to give encouragement to the disciple to stand up to adverse circumstances.
COMMENTS OF THE POEM
Susan Williams 04 February 2018

A beautifully expressed poem that any gardener can instantly get behind. I have some annuals on my porch that have remained green through a rather stern winter. I have had this happen before but a spell of warm weather followed promptly by a deep and bitter frost usually kills them off. I now shall look at them through the eyes of this poem.... as well as use as a metaphor for other events.

0 1 Reply
READ THIS POEM IN OTHER LANGUAGES
Close
Error Success