Resisting Inferiority

Sea Rose flower image from Under the Sun Seeds

Kevin Vargas

In Hilda Doolittle’s poem “Sea Rose” and Adrianna Puente’s “The Rose and The Poppy” both imply personified enviable or inferior characteristics towards the Red Rose flower.  

For context, a sea rose is a pink pentagon like flower with a complex amount of leaves underneath the petals. In Doolittle’s poem, the personified Sea Rose is evaluating the assets of the red rose to itself. In the first stanza, the words “Meagre, thin, and sparse” meet the same dictionary definition. Within the third stanza, the speaking Sea Rose is reassuring the Rose’s vulnerability in thinness because of the insignificant amount of leaves upon the stem. It is like a woman in power who teases that underneath. Thus it can be implied that having more leaves is a sign of wealth and beauty. Not the typical naked flower. However, it is only in the fourth stanza that sends a signal to the reader to sway one to question scent over symbolism. A flower that will supply one’s price over a gesture of love. 

In Puente’s poem, the humanly Poppy is of a saddened and accepting inferiority when compared to the grand Rose. In the first stanza, the poppy acknowledges the levels of comfort that the rich rouge flower provides. In a way, if it is another species of plant besides a rose then it can be interpreted as an insult. However, the third stanza defies the symbolistic ideal of the rose through their withering lives. Both the Poppy and the Rose provide a scent as equals.  

Puente challenges the role of the rose in a stronger fashion than of Doolittle’s with the contrast of incomparable inherited beauty and compliant equals.