Lily (Lilium candidum)
"To gild refilded gold, to paint the lily
...
Is wasteful and ridiculous excess."
- King John, Act IV, Scene 2
"How bravely thou becomest thy bed, fresh lily,
And whiter than the sheets! That I might touch!
But kiss; one kiss!"
- Cymbeline, Act II, Scene 2
"Now by my maiden honour, yet as pure
As the unsullied lily,"
- Love's Labour's Lost, Act V, Scene 2
Since ancient times the Lily has been a symbol of beauty and purity and has been the flower associated with a number of goddesses. It was later adopted by the Catholic Church as a symbol of the Virgin Mary. In Shakespeare's works the Lily was also used to signify beauty, grace and purity. Like with most flowers it was associated with feminine beauty, in particular with the paleness of a lady's skin. In the Tudor period pale skin was a virtue, representing delicacy and nobility, only the lower classes who worked outside would have had sun tanned skin. It was so important that some women, including Elizabeth I, went to dangerous lengths the maintain a pure white complexion, including putting a mixture of vinegar and white lead on their face. [source]
 |
| A pale face was the epitome of female beauty, exemplified by Elizabeth I |
The Lily has also traditionally been associated with purity. The Lilium candidum is also known as the Madonna Lily and was a symbol of the Virgin Mary's piety and virtue. Shakespeare used the Lily as a symbol of purity and virginity in Love's Labour's Loss when the Princess of France refers to her honour as an "unsullied lily". Likewise in Henry VIII Shakespeare uses the image of the "unspotted lily" to refer to Elizabeth I.
"She shall be, to the happiness of England,
An aged princess; many days shall see her,
And yet no day without a deed to crown it.
Would I had known no more! but she must die,
She must, the saints must have her; yet a virgin,
A most unspotted lily shall she pass
To the ground, and all the world shall mourn her."
- Henry VIII, Act V, Scene 5
An aged princess; many days shall see her,
And yet no day without a deed to crown it.
Would I had known no more! but she must die,
She must, the saints must have her; yet a virgin,
A most unspotted lily shall she pass
To the ground, and all the world shall mourn her."
- Henry VIII, Act V, Scene 5
The white Lily is today more often associated with funerals, the flower representing the soul's innocence as it enters the afterlife. Shakespeare also associated the Lily with death and absence. In Sonnet 98 the speaker pines for his absent lover:
...
Nor did I wonder at the lily's white,
Nor praise the deep vermilion in the rose;
They were but sweet, but figures of delight,
Drawn after you, you pattern of all those.
Yet seem'd it winter still, and, you away,
As with your shadow I with these did play.
Nor did I wonder at the lily's white,
Nor praise the deep vermilion in the rose;
They were but sweet, but figures of delight,
Drawn after you, you pattern of all those.
Yet seem'd it winter still, and, you away,
As with your shadow I with these did play.
And in Sonnet 99 the pale beauty of a lady's skin is combined with the imagery of the paleness of death.
...
The forward violet thus did I chide:
Sweet thief, whence didst thou steal thy sweet that smells,
If not from my love's breath? The purple pride
Which on thy soft cheek for complexion dwells
In my love's veins thou hast too grossly dyed.
The lily I condemned for thy hand,
And buds of marjoram had stol'n thy hair ...
Type: Perennial
Height: Stems can reach over 5 feet
When to Plant: Autumn, spring
Flowers: Summer