In Victorian polite society, etiquette was the watchword of the day. Clearly defined social rules governed everything from whom you could speak with and what you could acceptably say; young women risked scandal by openly flirting with strange men and fraternising with those from other social classes was frowned upon.
No wonder then that Victorian courtships were discreet affairs.
Young lovers, often without the option of a direct approach, relied on more subtle means to woo the objects of their affection. Flowers became popular as a secret language, their different varieties symbolising everything words could not.
Brontë in flowers
The messages sent using flowers could be as intricate and complex as prose; fitting as the era came hot on the heels of the Romantic poets such as Blake, Byron and Keats.
A gift of Arbutus would carry the message “Thee only do I love,” whereas purple Hyacinth asked for forgiveness. Receiving a withered bouquet of flowers signified rejected love.
Tussie-mussies, tightly-gathered posies, were all the rage in Victorian England, with different combination of flowers used to send a wide variety of messages. The range of meanings, which differed depending on flower species and colour, were so extensive that special dictionaries were printed so they could be deciphered. Using a different flower dictionary with alternative definitions could be potentially catastrophic for young Victorian lovers!
Here is just a small selection of flower meanings from the time:
Azalea – Take care of yourself for me
Carnation (pink) – I’ll never forget you
Carnation (red) – My heart aches for you
Carnation (yellow) – Rejection, disdain, disappointment
China Aster – I will think of thee
Cyclamen – Resignation and goodbye
Daffodil – Egotism
Fern (Maidenhair) – A secret bond of love
Fuchsia – Ambitious love, good taste
Gladiolus – Love at first sight
Honeysuckle (monthly) – I will not answer in haste
Hyacinth (yellow) – Jealousy
Mistletoe – I surmount all difficulties
Peach blossom – My heart is thine
Rose (red) – I love you
Tulip (variegated) – Beautiful eyes
Venus Flytrap – Caught at last
Wall flower – Fidelity
Lingering legacy
It’s not difficult to see why the Victorians embraced the symbolism of flowers – they have been used since ancient times for the same purpose, such as in Middle Eastern harems – but in the austere Victorian society they were taken to heart so passionately that some of their symbolic meanings remain as well-known now as ever.
Although few of us would guess that the snowdrop can also represent “consolation”, a red rose is still an unmistakeable declaration of love.
