Skip to content
Storgy

The Annotated Edition

SONG by James Russell Lowell

Summary, meaning, line-by-line analysis & FAQ.

Read aloud in ~2 minOpen reading mode →

Lowell speaks to a violet flower like an old friend, noting its blue petals and tear-like dew as he contemplates profound questions about sadness, longing, and the essence of contentment.

Poet
James Russell Lowell
Themes
faith, hope, memory
The PoemFull text

SONG

James Russell Lowell

Violet! sweet violet! Thine eyes are full of tears; Are they wet Even yet With the thought of other years? Or with gladness are they full, For the night so beautiful, And longing for those far-off spheres? Loved one of my youth thou wast, Of my merry youth, And I see, Tearfully, All the fair and sunny past, All its openness and truth, Ever fresh and green in thee As the moss is in the sea. Thy little heart, that hath with love Grown colored like the sky above, On which thou lookest ever,-- Can it know All the woe Of hope for what returneth never, All the sorrow and the longing To these hearts of ours belonging? Out on it! no foolish pining For the sky Dims thine eye, Or for the stars so calmly shining; Like thee let this soul of mine Take hue from that wherefor I long, Self-stayed and high, serene and strong, Not satisfied with hoping--but divine. Violet! dear violet! Thy blue eyes are only wet With joy and love of Him who sent thee, And for the fulfilling sense Of that glad obedience Which made thee all that Nature meant thee!

Public domain

Sourced from Project Gutenberg

§01Quick summary

What this poem is about

Lowell speaks to a violet flower like an old friend, noting its blue petals and tear-like dew as he contemplates profound questions about sadness, longing, and the essence of contentment. Ultimately, he concludes that the violet isn't sad; it's just fulfilling its purpose, and this adherence to its own nature brings it joy. The poem offers a gentle lesson: let go of yearning for what you can't attain and embrace the serenity of simply being yourself.

§02Themes

Recurring themes

§03Line by line

Stanza by stanza, with notes

  1. Violet! sweet violet! / Thine eyes are full of tears;

    Editor's note

    Lowell begins by addressing a violet as if it were a person. The flower's dew-laden petals transform into "eyes full of tears," prompting him to question the meaning behind those tears — are they expressions of sorrow for what has been, or are they filled with admiration for the beauty of the night sky? This inquiry establishes the central theme of the poem: is longing a type of sadness, or does it resemble something more like awe?

  2. Loved one of my youth thou wast, / Of my merry youth,

    Editor's note

    Now the violet serves as a memory trigger. Lowell links the flower to his younger, carefree self — a "merry youth" filled with openness and honesty. The idea of the past being "ever fresh and green" like sea moss is somewhat surprising: moss underwater remains alive and vibrant even in darkness, hinting that good memories endure even when they're buried in time.

  3. Thy little heart, that hath with love / Grown colored like the sky above,

    Editor's note

    Here, Lowell provides a beautifully poetic yet scientific reason for why violets are blue: they reflect the color of the sky they gaze at in admiration. He then poses a question about the flower itself—can such a tiny, sky-gazing life truly grasp the profound human pain of yearning for something that will never return? He feels a mix of envy and pity for the violet.

  4. Out on it! no foolish pining / For the sky

    Editor's note

    "Out on it!" is a mild oath — similar to saying "come on!" or "nonsense!" — and it indicates a clear shift. Lowell realizes he was wrong: the violet isn't pining at all. Its upward gaze isn’t about longing; it’s just in its nature. This moment represents the poem's moral turning point: he desires his own soul to mirror this — to draw its color (its character, its purpose) from what it loves, and to be "self-stayed and high, serene and strong" instead of feeling restlessly dissatisfied.

  5. Violet! dear violet! / Thy blue eyes are only wet

    Editor's note

    The closing stanza returns to the opening image but brings it to a satisfying conclusion. The violet's "tears" are now understood as expressions of pure joy and love for God ("Him who sent thee"). The flower feels fulfilled, having become exactly what Nature — and, by extension, the divine — intended it to be. That "glad obedience" represents Lowell's ideal: it's not about struggling or mourning, but rather embracing your purpose with complete, joyful acceptance.

§04Tone & mood

How this poem feels

The tone begins softly and somewhat melancholic—the type of wistfulness that arises when you behold something small and beautiful that takes you back to your youth. In the fourth stanza, it changes to a more brisk and self-correcting tone, as if Lowell is having a quiet word with himself. By the end, the mood feels calm and devotional, embracing a warm, resolved peace instead of sadness.

§05Symbols & metaphors

Symbols & metaphors

The violet
The violet serves as the poem's main symbol, representing the idea of achieving one's purpose. Its blue color, petite size, and upward-facing petals are interpreted as indicators of a being completely at ease with its identity and its intended role.
Tears / dew on the petals
The moisture on the flower's petals takes on different meanings throughout the poem. Initially, it seems to convey grief or longing, but by the end, Lowell concludes it represents joy. This same image can evoke contrasting feelings based on the reader's interpretation — illustrating the very lesson he's learning.
The sky / blue color
The sky symbolizes the divine and the ideal. The violet has "grown colored" by constantly looking up at it, implying that continuous love and attention truly influence who you become. Lowell wishes for his own soul to be similarly shaped by his aspirations.
Moss in the sea
Moss growing underwater represents a serene vision of life and greenery in an unexpected, hidden environment. It evokes memories of youth that remain clear and vibrant, even when they're tucked away deep in the past.
The night / stars
The night sky and its stars embody beauty and transcendence, evoking feelings of either longing or pure wonder. Lowell uses them to differentiate between unhealthy yearning and a healthy, grounded aspiration.

§06Historical context

Historical context

James Russell Lowell wrote this poem early in his career during the 1840s, influenced by the Romantic tradition that sought moral and spiritual meaning in nature. American Romanticism, shaped by writers like Emerson and the Transcendentalists, encouraged a close, reverent attention to small details in nature as reflections of larger truths. At the same time, Lowell was experiencing personal intensity; he was in love with Maria White, a fellow poet who had a strong moral impact on him. Many of his early lyrics blend this personal tenderness with a quest for spirituality. The violet, symbolizing modesty, faithfulness, and spiritual aspiration, had a rich literary history dating back to Shakespeare and the European Romantics, so Lowell's readers would have instantly recognized its significance. The poem fits within the tradition of addressing a flower, a form used by Burns, Wordsworth, and Keats, while moving towards a uniquely American, Protestant sense of realizing one's God-given nature.

§07FAQ

Questions readers ask

On the surface, this piece reflects on a violet flower, but it delves deeper into the themes of longing and dissatisfaction. Lowell begins by attributing sadness to the flower, only to discover that the violet is actually quite content, simply existing as it was intended. He concludes with a desire for his own soul to embody that same state: purposeful, calm, and free from the weight of unfulfilled aspirations.

Read next

Poems in the same key

Similar poems

TO A SKYLARK. — Percy Bysshe ShelleyODE TO A NIGHTINGALE. — John KeatsLines Written in Early Spring — William WordsworthTintern Abbey — William Wordsworth

More by James Russell Lowell

Browse all James Russell Lowell poems →

Themes in this poem

Poems about faithPoems about hopePoems about memoryPoems about nature