Artarazzi Challenge #21- Spring Flowers

The modest Rose puts forth a thorn,
The humble sheep a threat'ning horn:
While the Lily white shall in love delight,
Nor a thorn nor a threat stain her beauty bright.
- William Blake

This week's visual prompt from Artarazzi is the painting Spring Flowers by Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema . I've added some lilies I shot a few years ago & some corner brackets from a scan of an inkadinkadoo stamp package. Pop on over to the comments section (& Mr. Linky) at Artarazzi to add your own creation & enjoy the variety of submissions.


While I'm a big fan of William Blake, I stumbled upon this poem by A.E.Houseman that also feels apt. The Lent Lily is a name that I haven't heard in years. That's what my grandmother,who spent much of her time in the garden, used to call her daffodils.

'Tis spring; come out to ramble
The hilly brakes around,
For under thorn and bramble
About the hollow ground
The primroses are found.

And there's the windflower chilly
With all the winds at play,
And there's the Lenten lily
That has not long to stay
And dies on Easter day.

And since till girls go maying
You find the primrose still,
And find the windflower playing
With every wind at will,
But not the daffodil,

Bring baskets now, and sally
Upon the spring's array,
And bear from hill and valley
The daffodil away
That dies on Easter day.

- A.E. Houseman