The Marsh Marigold (Caltha palustris)
In clumps like burnish’d gold. The earth is now
Not vile, but fit for angels. We must sow
The seeds of virtue broadcast, and may look
For happiness when we obey the laws 5
Of Nature, which are God’s: when we rebel
In our own minds we carry the real hell,
Which burns to punish all who may oppose
The great Creator’s will. ‘T was never meant
Mankind should be unhappy. Earth and sky 10
Unite to ask us the real reason why
Such misery is ours: for God has sent
All that is needful for our happiness,—
Only we hate each other when we should caress.
George Markham Tweddell
[Sonnets on Trees and Flowers, p. 19.] Also published in Texas
Masonic Journal, May, 1887 Northern Weekly Gazette, June 5th,
1897.
Editor's Note
Paul Tweddell sent me a copy the poem below by George Wither 1588 - 1667) in 2008 as a poet that had influenced George Markham Tweddell. I recalled that GMT also had one called Marsh Marigold (above) and somehow felt there was some symbolism going on in both poems. I scrolled down the Wither poem to find the note at the foot of the poem to discover that the whither poem was a well known Emblem writer. Afterwards I found plenty of evidence that GMT was employing Emblems and Masonic symbolism in his poems. here's the Whither poems from this website https://tspace.library.utoronto.ca/html/1807/4350/poem2325.html
The Marigold
1When with a serious musing I behold
2The grateful and obsequious marigold,
3How duly, ev'ry morning, she displays
4Her open breast, when Titan spreads his rays;
5How she observes him in his daily walk,
6Still bending towards him her tender stalk;
7How, when he down declines, she droops and mourns,
8Bedew'd, as 'twere, with tears, till he returns;
9And how she veils her flow'rs when he is gone,
10As if she scorned to be looked on
11By an inferior eye, or did contemn
12To wait upon a meaner light than him;
13When this I meditate, methinks the flowers
14Have spirits far more generous than ours,
15And give us fair examples to despise
16The servile fawnings and idolatries
17Wherewith we court these earthly things below,
18Which merit not the service we bestow.
19But, O my God! though groveling I appear
20Upon the ground (and have a rooting here
21Which hales me downward) yet in my desire
22To that which is above me I aspire;
23And all my best affections I profess
24To Him that is the sun of righteousness.
25Oh, keep the morning of His incarnation,
26The burning noontide of His bitter passion,
27The night of His descending, and the height
28Of His ascension ever in my sight,
29 That imitating Him in what I may,
30 I never follow an inferior way.
Notes
1] The first emblem book (or book containing pictorial representations whose symbolic meaning is expressed in words) was the Emblematum Libellus of Alciati (1522). This was widely imitated, Quarles and Wither being the best known English emblem writers.
21] hales: drags.
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A contribution to the discussion of George Markham Tweddell's use of emblems and symbols in his poetry can be found here - http://georgemarkhamtweddell.blogspot.co.uk/2011/04/poets-view-of-george-markham-tweddell.html under the sub-heading Emblems and Symbols.
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