Double Red Daisies by Robert Graves
The work centers on a speaker's deep attachment to double red daisies, symbolizing personal identity and ownership. The speaker asserts their exclusive claim over these flowers, contrasting them with other plants owned by family members, Claire and Ben, who possess different types of flowers that the speaker dismisses. This establishes a theme of individuality and the desire for personal space in a chaotic household. The speaker's connection to the daisies extends beyond mere preference; they serve as a personal emblem, marked in books and carved into trees, reinforcing the idea of the daisies as a unique signature of the speaker's identity. The repetition of the lines about Claire and Ben emphasizes the speaker's insistence on their distinctiveness and the rejection of others' attempts to encroach on their territory. The work explores themes of ownership, identity, and the significance of personal symbols in a familial context. The speaker's fierce protection of the daisies reflects a broader commentary on the need for self-definition amidst external pressures and the importance of claiming one's space and identity in a shared environment. The imagery of the flowers serves as a metaphor for the speaker's individuality and the assertion of personal boundaries.
By Robert Graves · First published 1940 · Genre: Poetry, Literary Fiction, Nature Writing · 223 words
First lines
Double red daisies, they're my flowers, Which nobody else may grow. In a big quarrelsome house like ours They try it sometimes -- but no, I root them up because they're my flowers, Which nobody else may grow.
_Claire has a tea-rose, but she didn't plant it; Ben has an iris, but I don't want it. Daisies, double red daisies for me, The beautifulest flowers in the garden._
Double red daisy, that's my mark: I paint it in all my books! It's carved high up on the beech-tree bark, How neat and lovely it looks! So don't forget that it's my trade mark; Don't copy it in your books.
What this Textopian page supports
Double Red Daisies is listed on Textopian as a poem by Robert Graves, dated 1940 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: Robert Graves
- Date: 1940 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Poetry, Literary Fiction, Nature Writing, Children's Literature, Symbolism
- Length: 223 words
- Structure: 1 section, 4 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
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Similar titles
- The Flowers by Robert Louis Stevenson
- My Babys Garden by Ring Lardner
- Ad Magistrum Ludi by Robert Louis Stevenson
- Go Little Book The Ancient Phrase by Robert Louis Stevenson
- Butterflies by Rudyard Kipling
- Come My Little Children Here Are Songs For You by Robert Louis Stevenson
Genres
- Poetry — The work is structured in verse and employs poetic devices, focusing on themes of individuality and personal expression.
- Literary Fiction — The narrative explores deeper themes of ownership and identity through the metaphor of flowers, characteristic of literary fiction.
- Nature Writing — The central imagery revolves around flowers and gardening, emphasizing a connection to nature.
- Children's Literature — The simplicity and playful tone of the language suggest it could appeal to a younger audience.
Tags
flowers · daisies · nature · gardening · identity · ownership · beauty · creativity · self-expression · individuality · quarrels · family