Sea Iris (H. D.) by Hilda Doolittle
“Sea Iris” addresses a hardy iris growing among weed, moss-weed, and sand. Its root is tangled, its flower brittle, and one shell-like petal is broken; yet it casts the fine shadow of a thin twig. The flower is praised as fortunate, scented and stinging, rigid as a myrrh-bud and camphor-flower, with a sweetness and saltness likened to wind entering human nostrils. The speaker then wonders whether passing murex-fishers drench the iris, whether its roots draw colour from the sand, and whether gold lies beneath it like rivets. A band of iris-flowers stands above the waves, painted blue like a fresh prow stained amid salt weeds.
By Hilda Doolittle · First published 1927 · Genre: Poetry, Literature, Feminism · 169 words
First lines
Weed, moss-weed, / root tangled in sand, / sea-iris, brittle flower, / one petal like a shell / is broken, / and you print a shadow / like a thin twig.
Fortunate one, / scented and stinging, / rigid myrrh-bud, / camphor-flower, / sweet and salt -- you are wind / in our nostrils.
II
Do the murex-fishers / drench you as they pass? / Do your roots drag up colour / from the sand? / Have they slipped gold under you; / rivets of gold?
What this Textopian page supports
Sea Iris (H. D.) is listed on Textopian as a poem by Hilda Doolittle, dated 1927 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: Hilda Doolittle
- Date: 1927 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Poetry, Literature, Feminism, Modernism
- Length: 169 words
- Structure: 1 section, 5 paragraphs
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Sea Iris (H. D.) by Hilda Doolittle
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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Genres
- Poetry — The book is a collection of poems by H.D., therefore fitting the poetry genre.
- Literature — The book is a significant part of literary history, marking D.H. Lawrence's involvement in the literary world.
- Feminism — H.D.'s work, including 'Sea Iris,' often explores themes of female empowerment and feminism.
- Modernism — H.D. was a key figure in the modernist movement, and her work including 'Sea Iris' features many characteristics of that movement.
Tags
modernism · imagism · nature · symbolism · poetry · feminism · identity · emotion · landscape · mythology · transformation · sensuality