Flower in the crannied wall

by Alfred Tennyson


Original Language English

Flower in the crannied wall,
I pluck you out of the crannies; --
Hold you here, root and all, in my hand,
Little flower -- but if I could understand
What you are, root and all, and all in all,
I should know what God and man is.

-- from Tennyson's Poetry (Norton Critical Editions), by Alfred Tennyson / Edited by Robert W. Hill Jr.

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Commentary by Ivan M. Granger

Since Lord Tennyson kept his poem short, I'll keep my commentary short, as well.

Maybe this poem's observation of the flower is a bit sentimental, but the final lines have an alliterative delight, and its depth of insight shouldn't be overlooked--

but if I could understand
What you are, root and all, and all in all,
I should know what God and man is.

Any thing -- any object, any person, any experience -- no matter how mundane or humble, when truly and fully encountered, becomes a doorway to enlightenment.

Have a beautiful day!



Recommended Books: Alfred Tennyson

The Oxford Book of English Mystical Verse Alfred Lord Tennyson: Selected Poems (Penguin Classics) Tennyson's Poetry (Norton Critical Editions) Alfred Tennyson: The Major Works (Oxford World's Classics) The Suppressed Poems of Alfred Lord Tennyson
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Flower in the