Pansies for Thoughts: Vassar College’s Floral Tribute to Shakespeare

On This Day
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April 24, 1916

On this day, dear garden enthusiasts and lovers of literature alike, Vassar College paid a most charming tribute to the immortal Bard of Avon.

On the 300th anniversary of William Shakespeare's passing, the hallowed grounds of this esteemed institution were graced with the planting of pansies - those modest yet deeply symbolic blooms that carry a weight of history quite out of proportion to their diminutive size.

Oh, what a delightful scene it must have been! Picture, if you will, the eager students from Winifred Smith's Shakespeare class and Emmeline Moore's botany class, their hands deep in the rich earth, planting these cheerful harbingers of spring. What a fitting gesture to honor the great playwright with a garden of pansies, those sweet and thoughtful flowers so often mentioned in his timeless works.

Indeed, Shakespeare himself referred to pansies as the "flower for thoughts." How apt, then, that these blooms should be chosen to commemorate a man whose thoughts have shaped the very fabric of our language and literature for centuries.

The pansy, dear readers, is no ordinary flower. It is a symbol of hope and remembrance, a brave little bloom that can withstand the chill of winter's breath. Its resilience speaks of perseverance, a quality that Shakespeare himself embodied in his prolific works. Did you know that these hardy flowers possess a natural antifreeze, a chemical that allows them to fight off the cold temperatures? Nature's own little miracle, tucked away in those velvet petals!

Our Canadian friend, the naturalist Charles Joseph Sariol, believed that pansies should be grown from seed. One can almost imagine him, hunched over his garden beds, carefully nurturing these delicate seedlings to vibrant life. And let us not forget the beloved Beatrix Potter, whose adoration for pansies no doubt inspired many a young gardener to try their hand at cultivating these cheerful blooms.

There is, indeed, something undeniably charming about the pansy's bright countenance. Its ability to brighten even the dullest of days is a gift, a reminder of the simple joys that nature provides us. As the happy poet Edgar Albert Guest so delightfully expressed in his poem "To Plant a Garden":

If you'd get away from boredom,
And find new delights to look for,
Learn the joy of budding pansies,
Which you've kept a special nook for.

Can you not feel the joy radiating from these simple lines? The anticipation of those first buds, the delight in tending to a special corner of one's garden dedicated to these happy flowers?

As we reflect on Vassar College's thoughtful tribute, let us raise a glass (perhaps filled with pansy-infused tea?) to both the humble pansy and the towering memory of William Shakespeare. May these resilient flowers continue to bloom for centuries to come, a living testament to the enduring power of great literature and the simple beauty of nature.

So, dear gardeners and Shakespeare enthusiasts, why not honor the Bard in your own way? Plant a patch of pansies in your garden, let their cheerful faces greet you each morning, and as you tend to them, remember the immortal words that have shaped our understanding of the human condition. For in nurturing these blooms, we keep alive not just the memory of Shakespeare, but the very essence of what it means to find joy in the simple act of cultivating beauty.

May your gardens bloom as prolifically as Shakespeare's sonnets, and may you find in each pansy's face a reflection of the timeless wisdom and beauty that the Bard bestowed upon us all.

Pansies
Pansies
Thompson Memorial Library, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, NY
Thompson Memorial Library, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, NY
Vassar College, Strong Hall, 1909
Vassar College, Strong Hall, 1909
Edgar Albert Guest, 1935
Edgar Albert Guest, 1935

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