Public Policy Issue Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Open Policy Issue - Research Paper Example It is basic for association to grasp the goodness of â€Å"Corporate Social Responsibility† and this will empower them to appreciate the motivators that are essential to the workers and local people. Section An: Issue Description Coca cola is a worldwide that is forceful in its goal of ruling the drink creation and spread market. Coca Cola is continuing with its take over of serious brands that are compromising its fruitful mastery of the market. Obviously, the Coca Cola items are transcendent in the refreshment advertise in various nations including the US. The Coca Cola Corporation (US) is relentless on improving the human services course of action to get cheap to representatives (Geisel 1). Various associations are reliant on the commitment of their workers in improving the efficiency of their organizations. The US specialists are pressurizing organizations to improve the clinical norms that administer the wellbeing methodology of people (O’Connell 1). A few establis hments are hesitant to incorporate these arrangements in their projects refering to it will build their costs and this will eat into their profit. Also, a few organizations are inducing intends to structure wellbeing plans that will finance the clinical cost of their workers. It is plausible that this law can harm the net revenues of the establishments and this discussion has been taking off with a few organizations supporting for its denial. Notwithstanding, it is fundamental to consider the tribulations that representatives experience in carrying on their obligations and start approaches that can moderate the wellbeing risks that will happen (O’Connell 1). Part B: Business Political Strategies Stakeholders Primary Coca cola Management Coca Cola Employees (US Branch) Secondary US Government US Citizens And Workforce I. Budgetary Strategy a. Political Consulting Our association, the Coca Cola Corporation (US), will start activities that will incorporate the administrations de mand for enterprises to make reasonable wellbeing bundles for their workers. It is basic for our association to encourage the definition of strategies that will aid the upgrade of human services (Geisel 1). This program will involve the mediation of the Governmental specialists to clarify the budgetary structure of this wellbeing change. Our duty is to affect positive components in the scattering of modest wellbeing to people. This paper is examining the impact of open rules and systems that Coca Cola can receive to guarantee its association is in attachment with the prerequisite of the Public Policy Authorities. Our organization recognizes there must be activities that will help fuse of the medicinal services upgrades. It is discussed that changing the workers medical coverage is reasonable and is illustrative of the benefits of staff (O’Connell 1). We will introduce our examination of changes that will be useful to the association workers and outline the government assistan ce possibilities of our partnership. b. Financial Leverage The Coca Cola Corporation will liaise with a specific wellbeing supplier that can offer positive rates for the corporation’s representatives (Geisel 1). This will reduce the cost of the participation in clinical issues since the emergency clinics will think about the extraordinary

A Separate Peace The Heart of Darkness essays

A Separate Peace The Heart of Darkness articles There are numerous likenesses between the books The Heart of Darkness and A Separate Peace. Most are between the two primary characters' companions and how they manage their circumstances and issues. The likenesses between the two characters are their initiative aptitudes, their mastery, and how their companions influence them. Mr. Kurtz and Finny both have staggering initiative aptitudes. Finny can convince Gene to do for all intents and purposes anything he needs him to do which at long last is his destruction since he persuades Gene to climb the tree with him and do a twofold bounce. He likewise shows his administration aptitudes when he accumulates a great deal of the understudies and shows them another game that is fitted splendidly to his physical capacities. Mr. Kurtz indicated these abilities when he had the mental fortitude to go into the cillages of savages and persuade them to give him their ivory or to reveal to them where they knew there was a few. He likewise spared Marlow and his team's lives when he told the locals to quit terminating at their steamer. Kurtz got the clan to tail him, did he? I recommended. He squirmed a bit. They loved him, he said. At the drop of his finger, he could have had the locals assault Marlow and his group and slaughter them. While Mr. Kurtz and Finny are both alive, they are very acceptable at what they do. Prior to his mishap, Finney is the most athletic understudy at his school. After the mishap, he attempts to help Fene to turn out to be increasingly athletic. His fantasy is for Finny to make the Olympics rather than him. Mr. Kurtz worked for an organization that discovered ivory and afterward offered it to people in general. The he started once more, guaranteeing me Mr. Kurtz was the best specialist he had, an outstanding man. Mr. Kurtz additionally brought back the most ivory then some other representative; Sends in as much ivory as all the others set up. Both Mr. Kurtz and Finny had companions that had something to do with their demises. For Finny's situation, his companion Gene accidently bumped him off the tree wheat... <!

Best Book Blogs for Avid Readers

Best Book Blogs for Avid Readers For those of us lost in the world of fiction, the question will always be, What should I read next? To that end, we search the depths of second-hand bookstores. We scour our local libraries, or the Amazon best-seller list and recommended purchases. We do this not simply to find a book that we will enjoy, but almost always to find a novel which strikes the same spark in our heart as the last masterpiece (the one which has now been read so often and so thoroughly that the pages have come loose in their binding).To that end, Silent Book Club, Bookanista and Book Smugglers are here to help. These three websites scratch the itch of the endlessly-reading reader; and they provide more than just a blog â€" they provide a cozy community of fellow readers.Silent Book ClubSilent Book Club is a website for readers like us (often introverted, sometimes too introverted) to come together and discuss their current favorite novels, and to find the next piece of fiction that really blows us away. The website boasts more than thirty active chapters, from London, England to Nagoya, Japan, which come together (usually monthly) to discuss their latest read. Silent Book Club has an active Facebook group, and they post regularly on Instagram and Twitter.For those of us with our fingers on the pulse of the book world, Silent Book Clubs use of social media is indispensable. It keeps its readers up to date on events, meetups and attractions in the world of reading and publishing. Still, the book club is growing, and though it has already stretched worldwide, the presence of a chapter in your hometown might be lacking. No matter! Silent Book Club will help you set up your own official chapter, and help you create a new tradition (your own personal meetup) in your neighborhood.This all seems too good to be true, and of course, cynical minds immediately begin whirring: we ask questions about where the site finds its profits, or what supports this community. The answer is that they run a sma ll merchandise shop, and those proceeds go toward supporting volunteers, which keep the whole community running smoothly. Its a cute little e-shop with a selection of kitschy bookmarks, postcards and handbags (and, of course, the occasional book).Other than these optional purchases to support the community, all the services offered by the silent book club are free of charge. In fact, without even submitting an e-mail address, you can browse their calendar of meetups and find the one nearest you. This great community provides the opportunity, without commitment, for us to crawl out of our favorite arm-chair (the one we sunk into years ago and have now fortified with a particular side-table for our tea, an arm upon which the cat perches, and a bag at the side filled with knitting projects).On top of this call to action, to bring us out to the meetups, the silent book club boasts a warm blog: a welcome resource for readers. Each article is written by volunteers from the various silent book club chapters, and if you start your own chapter, then you can contribute to the blog yourself. Though often insightful, because of the volunteer nature of the contributions, updates are sporadic â€" sometimes they come too fast to keep up with, and other times lag to only a single update each month. Still, when the articles are posted, they offer unique insight into the author of the post, and that writers book club.One recent article, written by the organizer of the Portland, Maine chapter, gives a wonderful overview of influential poets throughout the years. It was written for poetry month and includes excerpts by which to judge each of the poets, and gauge ones interest before delving more deeply into their works.Most articles discuss comfortable topics like what to read next and offer insightful critiques written on new works of fiction. Others delve into matters of political interest, in the reading and writing world. For example, a short series of posts called Read the W orld, gives details about historical publishing in nations and geographic areas, and suggests where one might begin if they want to explore the fiction of a certain area. Further still, other posts discuss the rise of audiobooks, and their place in the silent book club; they give details on how to host your own silent book club, and what makes the meetups successful. Other articles address the We Will Not Be Silent campaign, which offers a toolbox to activists, as well as hard-hitting subjects such as the effect of literature on children and on developing minds.Finally, I have personally found Silent Book Clubs presence on Facebook to be incredibly beneficial. The core Facebook group @silentbookclub is one resource: it offers updates on all the events which the silent book club promotes, and it helps us introverts look ahead to getting out of the house (and plan out our busy week so we can make time for the meetups); it brings book news like releases and author interviews convenient ly into our Facebook feed; and it gives the opportunity (without being pushy) to participate in demonstrations or political activism.Beyond this core group, however, are a network of smaller silent book club groups, one for each chapter. These are usually beyond amazing. Just by making a quick search in Facebook, I stumbled on three silent book club chapters, all with very active Facebook groups. One was in my home city, and each of the other two were within quick driving distance. These sub-communities are the result of the natural branching and expanding of a good idea. Like a good book, readers know that a good idea should be shared.BookanistaThe writers at Bookanista.com refer to their site as a web magazine (as opposed to a blog). This professional demeanour isnt simply a pretentious grab for new readers: their posts are closer to scholarly journal entries than the topical discussions of many bloggers, and they take a deep dive into each discussion.That being said, its less lik ely that youll find a new read in a quick skim of Bookanista. The themes and discussions on the site are often much wider, addressing issues of mental illness and gender in novels, and delving into ideas such as ambiguity in writing, and the pitfalls of considering everyone who writes a poem, a poet. With an archive stretching back to 2015, and an extensive collection of short stories and extracts, Bookanista has content to spare. There is bound to be something on the site which snags any readaholics imagination, and because of their reputation, Bookanista is often one of the first sites to get review copies and exclusive excerpts from new authors.Similarly, if you are the kind of reader who devours all the works of an author before moving on, but youve run out of your favorite writers works, then Bookanista might be able to find you a new literary love. Their author interviews are a source of insight into the latest trends in publishing and up-coming novels. They often obscure the work itself in favor of addressing the authors method, or their stylistic choices. Rather than attempt to describe the works of each author, they let the novels and short stories speak for themselves, publishing short pieces of fiction alongside interviews and articles. Everything on Bookanista is free, and well worth a look.The Book SmugglersTheBookSmugglers.com describe themselves as, A book review blog specializing in speculative fiction and popgeekery for all ages since 2008; A digital-first publisher of speculative fiction and nonfiction since 2014; the 2017 Hugo Nominee for best Semiprozine; and a duo of awesomely badass book nerds. Their blog posts focus on new works, but especially science fiction and fantasy. For those looking for their next great read, their current headlining article is a piece called X Marks the Story, which seeks to pair the reader with excellent short fiction, to hopefully bridge the gap between great novels.On top of their blog, the book smugglers are a publishing house with a focus on digital press. They offer book reviews for newly published novels, and support authors by showing off full and partial works on their site, in addition to longer works published by the book smuggler online imprint.Like Bookanista, the book smugglers host a collection of short fiction on their site in a section called Gods and Monsters. This section is worth a quick look, and if you are a fantasy or science fiction buff, it warrants a much longer look. The short stories included in Gods and Monsters are each written by different authors, but always play with similar themes. From religion, to humanity, to serial killers or werewolves, each story is focussed on gods and monsters, either literally or figuratively (or both). Just a quick glance at this portion of the site will find you in the company of dozens of well-polished, professionally edited shorter fictions.The wider communityThe blogs discussed here are not where these communities end. Silent book club, Bookanista and The Book Smugglers have a network of readers which place an emphasis on doing. Each of these sites is concerned with getting out of your chair and making change alongside like-minded individuals â€" or just on getting out of the house and swapping books with new friends. To this end, Silent Book Club is anything but silent within the Twitterverse. They have cultivated a massive network of friendships, bringing together dozens of sites, each with a similar attitude towards reading. Each of these three excellent blogs boast very active Twitter handles. Silent Book Club at @readwinerepeat, @bookanista, and @booksmugglers bring together a wealth of related content and inspiring images. Browsing through their combined Twitter profiles is a sure method to link a reader to a community in their geographic area, or a cause which interests them and brings them out of their shell. We all have something which gets us fired up and out of the house, and these communitie s provide valuable links to those places and people which help to establish communities of readers.In short, reading can be isolating, but it can also be the bridge of shared experience that brings like-minded individuals together in service of a cause, or to discuss the matters which are important to us. Getting out of our arm chair may be a bit uncomfortable, but so long as it means a quiet read, with those who had to struggle out of their own comfy armchair; and as long as it means a glass of good wine, and the presence of good companions; as long as the silent book club, Bookanista and the book smugglers are asking these things of us, I think we can find some time to meet in the real world (or at the very least on twitter), even if it is only to discuss the fictional worlds we love.

Romantic, Realist, And Modernist Period - 1031 Words

Love, since the beginning of time, has had a place in every literature no matter the time period. The world that we live in is complex and often times, love and reason do not exist interconnect, however, literature acts as the glue in bringing these two elements together. Authors sometimes use the concept of love as a subject for their work, rationally, and carefully using it as a tool in their writing. In this essay, works by different authors during the Romantic, Realist, and Modernist period will be used to exhibit some of the forms of love used in literature. Romanticism was a movement that formed out of the need for authors to be able to freely, and completely, express their emotions and desires within their writings. By definition, romance is a feeling of excitement and mystery associated with love. This period, or era, changed how we, as people, viewed love and self. During this time, there was an emphasis placed on ideas that were centered on individualism, nature, and natur al human emotion. Nature, and natural beings, was seen as inspiration and invoked imagination, impulsiveness, freedom, and excess while creating a movement that was open to the ordinary individual, even the social outcast. Charlotte Bronte s Jane Eyre is a perfect example of Romanticism s influence within a work. This work exemplifies the quest to achieve not only romantic love, but self-love or growth while experiencing natural human emotions. After being belittled for so long, theShow MoreRelatedArt As A Declaration Of Societal Culture844 Words   |  4 Pagesterm to characterize an assortment of particular imaginative and philosophical developments. Modernist separated themselves from typical types of expressions and writing. Modern artists felt as though every story that was told was a rehash of itself and does not direct far from Romantic writing. To keep away from this, modernists made better approaches to express emotions and thoughts in their work. Modernist was a term in which the Modernism age was alluded to. In connection to art from the nineteenthRead MoreEssay on The Importance of Loss in Scott Fitzgeralds Winter Dreams3462 Words   |  14 PagesThe Importance of Loss in Scott Fitzgeralds Winter Dreams      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the traditional Romance narrative, there is some desirable object whose consummation is the driving preoccupation of the texts protagonist. The aspiration of the Romantic hero is to capture that elusive object that will, nevertheless, consistently out-strip him. These heroes are intimately acquainted with the pain of the loss and suffer deeply for feeling so acutely. However, loss itself, is essential to the equationRead MoreTechniques and Concerns of Modernism1482 Words   |  6 Pagesin one poem and one short story. Modernism as a movement is an artistic reaction to the conventional art and literature of mid- to late 19th century. World War I introduced advanced technology and the introduction of industrialisation provoked Modernist writers to express their concerns about the changing society and the complexities it of through their works. Urban alienation, the meaning of life as well as inner psychological perspectives are some issues explored through the experimentation ofRead MoreEssay on Cultures Influences on Art1453 Words   |  6 Pagesas an imitation of the culture and society in which they were created. The cultural frame examines the meaning of artworks in relation to the social perspective of the community from which it grows. A reflection can be seen in Manet’s realist artwork of Olympia, and similarly, Umberto Boccioni’s Unique forms of Continuity and Space reflects different beliefs and conventions merely as a result of societal changes. Pop Art works such a Andy Warhol’s Marilyn x 100 and PostRead More Search for Innocence in American Modernism Essay1592 Words   |  7 Pagesworld. The Romantics saw innocence and power in nature and often wrote of escaping from civilization to return to nature. After the Civil War, however, the innocence of the nation is challenged. The Realists focused on the loss of innocence and in Naturalist works innocence is mostly gone. During these periods of American Literature it seems almost as if a hole was being dug, a sort of emptying of innocence, and after World War I the Modernists called this hole the wasteland Many Modernist works focusRead MoreModernism in the Old Man the Sea3759 Words   |  16 Pages(and even life itself) had become outdated in light of the new economic, social and political circumstances of a by now fully industrialized society. Amid rapid social change and significant developments in science (including the social sciences), modernists found themselves alienated from what might be termed Victorian morality and convention. They duly set about searching for radical responses to the radical changes occurring around them, affirming mankind’s power to shape and influence his environmentRead MoreEssay about Toward a Definition of Modernism2672 Words   |  11 PagesToward a Definition of Modernism Lawrence B. Gamache’s article â€Å"Toward a Definition of Modernism† encapsulates in its title the challenges critics meet in their attempts to formulate a coherent theoretical modernist model, though the quintessential modernist works –even at the time of this 1987 article – are over sixty years old. Indeed, the sheer number of scholarly books and articles that discuss or contribute to the debate surrounding the definition of modernism indicates the extent to whichRead MoreArt History 211750 Words   |  7 Pagesbeing, not just a sense of observing. Neither art work depicts the civil uneasiness of the agricultural working class and outbreaks of violence that were resulting from the Industrial Revolution. Industrial Revolution impacted the evolution of romantic landscape painting in England. Although discussion of the Industrial Revolution focuses on technological advances, factory development etc., its effects on the countryside and the land itself were still severe. The economic impact industrializationRead MoreJacques † Joseph Tissot s Waiting For The Train1842 Words   |  8 Pagesmodern life through Waiting for the Train (Willesden Junction) (1871-1873, Dunedin Public Art Gallery) by painting the interaction of a young middle-class woman and the modern environment of a London train station. Tissot (1836-1902) was a French Realist who broke away from the traditions of religious and classical painting through the style of rigorous naturalism which was common in the nineteenth century. He paints life as it is in the modern era, depicting the social and cultural norms of the timeRead MoreA Brief Introduction to American Literature3396 Words   |  14 Pagesinto six pa rts, orderly, colonial period, romanticism, realism, naturalism, modernism and post-modernism. Although American literature in its true sense did not begin until 19th century, however, we always talk about colonial period as a preparatory introduction to American literature. To follow the suit, I ¡Ã‚ ¯d like to take the colonial period also as the first part to introduce. Chapter 1 Colonial Period  ©Ã‚ ¥ A Utilitarian Literary period (1) Background This period is unique in American literature

Langston Hughes In the beginning there was language Essay

In The Beginning, There Was Language nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;A dream is a hope, a wish, and an aspiration. Everyone has dreams about what they want to be when they grow up, how they want to live, whom they want to marry and how their life will turn out. However, not all dreams can come true right away. Many of them are just out of reach and can only be attained by hard work, leadership and determination. The poem â€Å"A Dream Deferred† by Langston Hughes is an example of just that, a dream that is just simply out of reach. So what happens to a dream deferred? Deferred, defined by The New American Webster Dictionary, means to put off, delay or postpone something to a later date. Poetry is filled with many different aspects of poetic†¦show more content†¦These descriptive words however, lead us into the next element of language in poetry, figures of speech such as metaphors and similes. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Within this short eleven-line poem, there are five similes present. A simile is a comparison of two objects using like or as. The first simile used is comparing the â€Å"dream deferred† (1) to a drying up â€Å"raisin in the sun† (3). Before a raisin dries up, it is a beautiful juicy grape. However, once the sun reaches and affects the grape, the once plump fruit used to make juice and wine for all to enjoy, is now just a shriveled up raisin. A raisin can still be of use just not for as many things as a plump grape. The next one compares a dream deferred to a festering â€Å"sore† (4). A sore that never completely heals can grow bad and cause infection in the body. In applying that thought to a dream that cannot be realized, you come up with a dream that has become somewhat of a burden for the owner, like that of a festering sore. If the owner does not attend to and properly care for the sore and it does in fact become infected that could cause more problems for the dream that will not only be deferred but maybe never even realized. The poet just can’t seem to realize the dream instead it just sits there like an infection that continually reminds him it is yet to be accomplished. Does a dream deferred, â€Å"stink like rotten meat† (6)? To imagine aShow MoreRelatedEssay on Langston Hughes: in the Beginning There Was Language1027 Words   |  5 PagesIn The Beginning, There Was Language A dream is a hope, a wish, and an aspiration. Everyone has dreams about what they want to be when they grow up, how they want to live, whom they want to marry and how their life will turn out. However, not all dreams can come true right away. Many of them are just out of reach and can only be attained by hard work, leadership and determination. The poem A Dream Deferred by Langston Hughes is an example of just that, a dream that is just simply out of reachRead MoreAnalysis Of Langston Hughes s Poem I, Too978 Words   |  4 Pages Langston Hughes America, the ideals of freedom, equality, and opportunity traditionally held to be available to every American. This is what everyone was told, what the Declaration of Independence states. But, Langston Hughes a black American poet in the Harlem Renaissance period saw the truth. Being an African American in the United States during the early 1900’s was difficult. Many lived a life full of hardships; segregation, prejudice and economic hardships, viewed as second-class citizensRead MoreLangston Hughes The Weary Blues Analysis1256 Words   |  6 PagesOn Langston Hughes’s The Weary Blues Kevin Young, a graduate of Harvard University and one of the winners of the Guggenheim Fellowship, writes the historical perspective of Langston Hughes. He discusses the flowering of the African American literature and culture and how it is actually just the extension of the New Negro movement. From the Harlem Renaissance, Langston Hughes is able to represent â€Å"different things† for â€Å"different men.† The uprising of Hughes’s poems are the result of their hardshipsRead MoreThe Importance of Determination Essay687 Words   |  3 Pagesuntil they successfully overcome the obstacles that stand in their way. â€Å"Mother to Son† by Langston Hughes and â€Å"Still I Rise† by Maya Angelou are two different works written by two different authors yet they both convey the same message. Together, the two authors stress the significance of pushing harder when faced with conflicts rather than simply giving up. Using figurative language and repetition, L angston Hughes and Maya Angelou effectively emphasize this message in both of their poems. In bothRead MoreLangston Hughes Biography1058 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"James Mercer Langston Hughes, known as Langston Hughes was born February 2, 1902 in Missouri, to Carrie Hughes and James Hughes.† Years later his parents separated. Langston’s father moved to Mexico and became very successful, as his for mother, she moved frequently to find better jobs. As a child growing up Langston spent most of his childhood living with his grandmother named Mary Langston in Lawrence, Kansas. Mary Langston was a learned women and a participant in the civil rights Movement. WhenRead MoreThe Harlem Renaissance M Langston Hughes1243 Words   |  5 PagesAbby Falasco Mrs. Getz Language Arts 10 Honors 6 April 2016 The Harlem Renaissance Man: Langston Hughes â€Å"I too sing America. I am the darker brother.† (Langston Hughes, â€Å"I, Too,† from Collected Poems, 46). Langston Hughes had many factors throughout his life that influenced his works. He was an artist that had works that crossed over into jazz, blues, and expressed his culture. During the 1920s Harlem Renaissance, Langston Hughes shared his African American pride with others through his poetry,Read MoreEssay on Langston Hughes a Harlem Renaissance Man1463 Words   |  6 Pages The beginning of the 20th century many African Americans migrated from the south to the north in what we call today, the Great Migration. Many African Americans found themselves in a district of New York City called Harlem. The area known as Harlem matured into the hideaway of jazz and the blues where the African American artist emerged calling themselves the â€Å"New Negro.† The New Negro was the cornerstone for an era known today as the Harlem Renaissance (Barksdale 23). The Ha rlem Renaissance warrantedRead MoreThe Poetry Of Langston Hughes1001 Words   |  5 Pagesinspiration from their background and past experiences to eloquently formulate their thoughts. Langston Hughes was no exception. Famous for his contribution to the embracement of African American culture in America during the Harlem Renaissance, Hughes began forming his thoughts into poetry early in his life. From growing up in segregated American and his involvement in the Harlem Renaissance, Langston Hughes accounts the celebration of African American culture as well as the fears and struggles, includingRead More i too sing America Essay985 Words   |  4 PagesAmerica†, by Langston Hughes had a significant message in that he desired to voice his expression on the issue of black oppression in America. Langston basic themes focused on the American Dream and the possibilities of hope and advancement were constantly present in his poetry. The tension between the unrealized dream and the realities of the black experience in America provided this insight to the black world. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Langston Hughes undoubtedlyRead MoreEssay on The Poetry of Langston Hughes During the Harlem Renaissance1694 Words   |  7 PagesI. Introduction: The Harlem Renaissance The village of Harlem, New York was originally established by Dutch Governor Peter Stuyvesant in 1658. It was named after a Dutch city, â€Å"Nieuw Harlem. It sits on a 5.5 square mile area of Manhattan north of 96th Street. The 1830s saw the abandonment of Harlem due to the fact that the farmlands failed to produce. The economic recovery in Harlem began in 1837. It boasted prosperous, fashionable neighborhoods that offered a diverse, rich background provided

Sense of Identity Free Essays

Developing a sense of self entity is an essential part of every individual becoming a mature person. Each person’s self-conception is a unique combination of much identification, identifications as broad as woman or man, Catholic or Muslim, or as narrow as being a member of one particular family. Although self-identity may seem to coincide with a particular human being, identities are actually much wider than that. We will write a custom essay sample on Sense of Identity or any similar topic only for you Order Now They are also collective — identities extend to countries and ethnic communities, so that people feel injured when other persons sharing their identity are injured or killed. Sometimes people are even willing to sacrifice their individual lives to preserve their identity groups. The Australians Aboriginal sense of personal identity is derived from only one context, the idea of place. Negara, sense of place, is a word of great importance that contains both physical and metaphysical connotations. Unraveling these apparent contradictions reveals a distance dimension of the Aboriginal world view and sense of identity. The entire earthly environment is ngurraI, or â€Å"country†, â€Å"camp†, or â€Å"place†, as made by the Ancestor Spirits. The colonization’ of Australia by Europeans has caused a lot of problem for the local Aborigines. It drastically reduced their population, damaged ancient family ties, and removed thousands of Aboriginal people from the land they had lived on for centuries. In many cases, the loss of land can mean more than just physical displacement. Because land is so much connected to history and spirituality, the loss of it can lead to a loss of identity. The issue of Aboriginal identity only became an issue after white settlement. However, that is not to say that there was no cultural identity pre-colonization, but more that colonization was the cause of Aboriginal identity to be threatened. There are several ways in which the colonists imposed themselves on Aboriginal society. Firstly, when they arrived they needed land to settle on and this of course meant they would take land away from local Aborigines. This action displaced thousands of people from their homeland and severed their spiritual connection to the land. From this point on, the idea of Aboriginal identity was simultaneously created and put at risk. Without land and place to connect people to their heritage, Australian Aborigines were forced to search for other symbols of Aboriginality to provide them with a sense of identity. t is hard to calculate how many aboriginals children â€Å"†¦have been forcibly separated from their families and communities since the very first days of the European occupation of Australia† (Australian Human Rights Commission, 1997) but that it could sit at between one in three and one in ten in the period from 1910 until 1970. Numerous stories outlined in the report that the environments these children were forced into after being taken from their parents were far from acceptable. One example is the story of Jennifer who was taken from her parents and taken to Cootamundra Home where â€Å"Some of the staff was cruel to the girls. Punishment was caning or belting and being locked in the box-room or the old morgue† (BTH, 1997). This story is not in isolation, there are others. In Paul’s case no one in his foster family ever acknowledged or discussed his heritage and he was left to feel different based the observation that his skin looked different; he was 18 before someone mentioned that he was of Aboriginal descent. The importance of identity for many aboriginal people seems to be recognized on a broader scale than in recent years. The negative media images which drew a direct line between Indigenous people and violence and alcohol have been replaced with more realistic images, depicting vibrant and diverse people and cultures. As well, the importance of ‘place’ would appear to be slowly acknowledged as critical to Indigenous people’s sense of identity. Place is used here to describe a belonging to and knowledge of country and kinship to its people. This was denied to many Indigenous people due to the assimilation policies introduced in the 1940’s. Indigenous people lost contact with their families, with their land, with their very essence. Children were taken from their families to be institutionalized or fostered with Anglo Australians. Aboriginal people were forced from their country and moved onto reserves. Anglo Australians made all decisions for Indigenous people, (including who was or was not aboriginal! ) How to cite Sense of Identity, Papers Sense of Identity Free Essays Developing a sense of self entity is an essential part of every individual becoming a mature person. Each person’s self-conception is a unique combination of much identification, identifications as broad as woman or man, Catholic or Muslim, or as narrow as being a member of one particular family. Although self-identity may seem to coincide with a particular human being, identities are actually much wider than that. We will write a custom essay sample on Sense of Identity or any similar topic only for you Order Now They are also collective — identities extend to countries and ethnic communities, so that people feel injured when other persons sharing their identity are injured or killed. Sometimes people are even willing to sacrifice their individual lives to preserve their identity groups. The Australians Aboriginal sense of personal identity is derived from only one context, the idea of place. Negara, sense of place, is a word of great importance that contains both physical and metaphysical connotations. Unraveling these apparent contradictions reveals a distance dimension of the Aboriginal world view and sense of identity. The entire earthly environment is ngurraI, or â€Å"country†, â€Å"camp†, or â€Å"place†, as made by the Ancestor Spirits. The colonization’ of Australia by Europeans has caused a lot of problem for the local Aborigines. It drastically reduced their population, damaged ancient family ties, and removed thousands of Aboriginal people from the land they had lived on for centuries. In many cases, the loss of land can mean more than just physical displacement. Because land is so much connected to history and spirituality, the loss of it can lead to a loss of identity. The issue of Aboriginal identity only became an issue after white settlement. However, that is not to say that there was no cultural identity pre-colonization, but more that colonization was the cause of Aboriginal identity to be threatened. There are several ways in which the colonists imposed themselves on Aboriginal society. Firstly, when they arrived they needed land to settle on and this of course meant they would take land away from local Aborigines. This action displaced thousands of people from their homeland and severed their spiritual connection to the land. From this point on, the idea of Aboriginal identity was simultaneously created and put at risk. Without land and place to connect people to their heritage, Australian Aborigines were forced to search for other symbols of Aboriginality to provide them with a sense of identity. t is hard to calculate how many aboriginals children â€Å"†¦have been forcibly separated from their families and communities since the very first days of the European occupation of Australia† (Australian Human Rights Commission, 1997) but that it could sit at between one in three and one in ten in the period from 1910 until 1970. Numerous stories outlined in the report that the environments these children were forced into after being taken from their parents were far from acceptable. One example is the story of Jennifer who was taken from her parents and taken to Cootamundra Home where â€Å"Some of the staff was cruel to the girls. Punishment was caning or belting and being locked in the box-room or the old morgue† (BTH, 1997). This story is not in isolation, there are others. In Paul’s case no one in his foster family ever acknowledged or discussed his heritage and he was left to feel different based the observation that his skin looked different; he was 18 before someone mentioned that he was of Aboriginal descent. The importance of identity for many aboriginal people seems to be recognized on a broader scale than in recent years. The negative media images which drew a direct line between Indigenous people and violence and alcohol have been replaced with more realistic images, depicting vibrant and diverse people and cultures. As well, the importance of ‘place’ would appear to be slowly acknowledged as critical to Indigenous people’s sense of identity. Place is used here to describe a belonging to and knowledge of country and kinship to its people. This was denied to many Indigenous people due to the assimilation policies introduced in the 1940’s. Indigenous people lost contact with their families, with their land, with their very essence. Children were taken from their families to be institutionalized or fostered with Anglo Australians. Aboriginal people were forced from their country and moved onto reserves. Anglo Australians made all decisions for Indigenous people, (including who was or was not aboriginal! ) How to cite Sense of Identity, Essay examples

Your Dreams Essay Example For Students

Your Dreams Essay The moon had two hands, one holding a bow and arrows and the other a burden strap of a woman. The moon then offered to the dreamer to make choice, but would often try to confuse him by crossing its hands. If he became the possessor of the burden strap, he would be condemned to live as a woman for the remainder of his life. He would be required to dress as a woman, marry another man, and undertake womans work. Such people were known as a bedache in the Oglala Sioux and suicide was the only way to escape this fate. This is a description of a puberty dream in the Oglala Sioux tribe, this was a very popular ritual that consisted of a young man sleeping in a special place in the wilderness and hoping for a dream that would tell him his role in the tribe. Such dream interpretations were very popular among ancient civilizations and have always held value. However ancient interpretations were based on religious beliefs and cultural adaptations and arent as nearly as revealing as the modernis t interpretation theories of Freud and Jung that are based on life experiences, personality traits and psychological condition. As man developed logic he inquired into the meaning of his dreams. The first developing societies believed that the dreamer enters another real world, the world of power and spirit. This world was seen as real or more real then the waking world, but certainly a more powerful world. The dreamer would then call on tribal elders, matriarchs, patriarchs, priests and shamans to interpret his dreams. Other societies believed that dreams were divine messages from god or could show them how to lead their lives. Among such societies were the Egyptians, the Greeks and the Romans. The Egyptians believed that some of the dreams were omens from the spirit world, but they did not seem to believe that the soul could leave the body and go to a higher level while the person slept. (Delaney 15) They were the first to establish a book of dreams that had many interpretations o f dreams and their conclusions. The Greeks respected dreams believing that they were messages from gods, that they foretell the future, that they are a means of curing illness and that they enable one to speak with the dead and witness events taking place at great distances(Delaney, 33.) The Romans inherited most of their views about dreams from the Greeks. Artemidorus, a roman philosopher developed a five volume elaborate collection about dreams, called Oneirocriticon, in which he argued against several Greek beliefs. We will write a custom essay on Your Dreams specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now The two most recognized names in psychology and dream interpretation are Freud and Jung. Freud has been the most controversial psychologist of the 20th century if not of all time. His book, The Interpretation of Dreams was more than just his account of his psychological theories; it was a collection of his most deeply held feelings and beliefs. In this book Freud explains the how dreams originate, the relationship between dreams and other abnormal psychological phenomenon such as phobias, obsessions, and delusions, and develops a new technique for interpretation. Freud also said that while other psychological researchers have dismissed dreams as the nonsensical products of sleep impaired mind, he is going to show that dreams do have psychological meaning and can be interpreted (Bulkeley, 16.) He states that two methods of interpretation have come down to us through history, symbolic analogy and decoding. He says that both of these methods are arbitrary subjective and essentially supe rstitious, but psychologist of his time are foolish to dismiss dreams as a subject of serious scientific investigation. Freud said that he agrees with popular traditions that dreams if properly interpreted are profoundly meaningful. He goes on to say I must affirm that dreams really have a meaning and that a scientific procedure for interpreting them is possible(Bulkeley, 16.)Freud believed that all dreams were fulfillments of wishes. These wishes go through a process called dream-work in which the latent content is disguised in symbols to form the dream images that are the manifest content. This process is necessary because latent wishes are often immoral, or antisocial or relating to basic sexual aggressive instincts of human nature. He develops the theory of the Oedipus complex, the deeply unconscious desire in all men to kill their fathers and sleep with their mothers. Some of his critics have argued that Freuds beliefs are that all dreams arise from sexual desires, however Freu d has always denied this popular misunderstanding. He says that sexual desires do express themselves in dreams but other wishes appear as well. This process of distortion is necessary for the dreamer to stay asleep, because sleep is necessary to rest our psychic apparatus. The process of dream-work is produced from two sources and evolves in four stages. The first source is day residue, neutral or indifferent memories from our day-to-day life. The second source is distant memories from the dreamers past, such as childhood instinctual wishes. The four stages are condensation, displacement, considerations of responsibility and secondary revision. Condensation is putting two or more outside stimuli into one element in a dream. Displacement is when the dreamers emotions in a dream are inconsistent with what actually happens in the dream. For example an incident might take place that would cause the dreamer to react with hysteria that would not cause that reaction in waking life. Conside ration of responsibility is a major part of dream-work in which latent thoughts are transformed into visual images. Freud acknowledges the difficulty of translating these images back into its latent content, but he says that is exactly the intention of dream-work. The last step in the process of dream-work is the secondary revision in this stage the dream is revised and to make the appearance of the dream more coherent. It fills in the gaps and makes revision and additions to the dream to make it flow better. However this process also disguises the latent meaning of the dream.(Bulkeley, 21-22)To discover the meaning of these latent dreams, Freud used free-association. .u60954e562459d82fc9c1dec8ae60e3e2 , .u60954e562459d82fc9c1dec8ae60e3e2 .postImageUrl , .u60954e562459d82fc9c1dec8ae60e3e2 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u60954e562459d82fc9c1dec8ae60e3e2 , .u60954e562459d82fc9c1dec8ae60e3e2:hover , .u60954e562459d82fc9c1dec8ae60e3e2:visited , .u60954e562459d82fc9c1dec8ae60e3e2:active { border:0!important; } .u60954e562459d82fc9c1dec8ae60e3e2 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u60954e562459d82fc9c1dec8ae60e3e2 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u60954e562459d82fc9c1dec8ae60e3e2:active , .u60954e562459d82fc9c1dec8ae60e3e2:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u60954e562459d82fc9c1dec8ae60e3e2 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u60954e562459d82fc9c1dec8ae60e3e2 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u60954e562459d82fc9c1dec8ae60e3e2 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u60954e562459d82fc9c1dec8ae60e3e2 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u60954e562459d82fc9c1dec8ae60e3e2:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u60954e562459d82fc9c1dec8ae60e3e2 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u60954e562459d82fc9c1dec8ae60e3e2 .u60954e562459d82fc9c1dec8ae60e3e2-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u60954e562459d82fc9c1dec8ae60e3e2:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Antigone: Gender Issues EssayThis process involved the patient lying down on a couch with Freud sitting on a chair behind him. This was so that the patient cannot see his Freuds facial expressions. After the patient has told Freud about his personal life and the dream he had, Freud would bring up particular elements and images of the dream and the patient would have to answer with the first thing that came to mind relating to the image, no matter how embarrassing, foolish, or bizarre the answer is. Then Freud would consider the relationship between the responses and come up with a logical wish that the dreamer wants fulfilled. Freuds theory that all dreams are wish fulfill ments was challenged because it did not explain the occurrence of nightmares. In response Freud said that nightmares do represent wishes as well and the fear is a result of the censoring agency failing to mask the wishes good enough. Freuds second explanation for nightmares was that some people have a masochistic component in their sexual constitution, (Bulkeley, 18) a sense pleasure from being hurt. For such people a nightmare might be a fulfillment of a wish. Carl G. Jung was Freuds colleague and leading student but their views on dreams among many other psychological interpretations were so different that they parted. Jung unlike Freud believed that dreams are a direct expression of the dreamers conditions of his inner world and arose from the collective unconscious. He does not agree with Freuds theories that dreams try to fool the dreamer by disguising their meaning. But instead he believes they give an accurate self-portrayal of the psyches actual state. Jung said to me dreams are a part of nature, which harbors no intention to deceive, but expresses something as best it can, just as plant grows or an animal seeks food as best as it can(Bulkeley, 30). He believed that dreams appear strange not because of deceit but because our conscious minds do not always understand that the special symbolic language of the unconsciousness, and if we want to discover the real meaning of our dreams we have to learn the distinctive language of image sy mbol and metaphor. Jung believes that dreams serve two functions. The main function is the process of compensation. The theory of compensation Jung believed worked as follows. Our psychological health depends on the balance between our consciousness and the unconscious. Dreams are a powerful agent of sustaining the overall balance between the two. They bring about unconscious thoughts that the ego has either ignored, not valued sufficiently, or actively repressed. Jung supports this with a personal anecdote where he is treating a patient and his dialogue with the patient becomes increasingly shallow. He felt something wrong but he didnt know what it was. The night before the next session with this patient he had a dream that he was walking in a valley with a steep hill on the right. On the top of the hill is a castle, and on the highest tower he sees a woman and in order to look at her he had to strain his neck. When he awoke he realized that the woman was the patient and the dream meant: If in the dre am I had to look up at the patient in this fashion then in reality I had probably been looking down on her. Dreams are after all compensation for the conscious attitude. Jung told the patient of the dream he had and his interpretation and it produced an immediate and positive change in the therapeutic relationship (Bulkeley, 31.)The second function Jung believed was to give a perspective look into the future. Jung agreed with Freud that dreams look at past experiences. But he argued that dreams could also foretell the future. He didnt mean that all dreams predict the future but some can give some insight into what might happen and the possibilities the dreamers future might hold. .u26ea7bb75055cdb1e54d89dd0e8d830c , .u26ea7bb75055cdb1e54d89dd0e8d830c .postImageUrl , .u26ea7bb75055cdb1e54d89dd0e8d830c .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u26ea7bb75055cdb1e54d89dd0e8d830c , .u26ea7bb75055cdb1e54d89dd0e8d830c:hover , .u26ea7bb75055cdb1e54d89dd0e8d830c:visited , .u26ea7bb75055cdb1e54d89dd0e8d830c:active { border:0!important; } .u26ea7bb75055cdb1e54d89dd0e8d830c .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u26ea7bb75055cdb1e54d89dd0e8d830c { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u26ea7bb75055cdb1e54d89dd0e8d830c:active , .u26ea7bb75055cdb1e54d89dd0e8d830c:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u26ea7bb75055cdb1e54d89dd0e8d830c .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u26ea7bb75055cdb1e54d89dd0e8d830c .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u26ea7bb75055cdb1e54d89dd0e8d830c .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u26ea7bb75055cdb1e54d89dd0e8d830c .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u26ea7bb75055cdb1e54d89dd0e8d830c:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u26ea7bb75055cdb1e54d89dd0e8d830c .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u26ea7bb75055cdb1e54d89dd0e8d830c .u26ea7bb75055cdb1e54d89dd0e8d830c-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u26ea7bb75055cdb1e54d89dd0e8d830c:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Pitch perception EssayJungs interpretation techniques were substantially different from Freuds. Unlike free-association Jung used ampliphicaton. He believed that instead of leading the dreamer away from the dream with free association, the interpreter should circle around the dream images again and again, in an effort to find deeper element of the dreams meaning. Another aspect of interpretation Jung talks about is relating the dream into the dreamers objective or subjective level. The objective level being reality, something that has happened in the physical world, the subjective level is within the dreamer, such as an emotional conflict of some sort. Jung used the subjec tive level more often then the objective. He once compared dreams to a theater in which the dreamer is himself the scene, the player, the prompter, the producer, the author, the public, the critic. . . . The subjective approach conceives all figures in the dream as personified features of the dreamers own personality.(Bulkeley, 32)The last idea Jung disagrees with Freud on is the idea of symbolism. Jung believed in archetypal symbols, this theory originated in one of his dreams, in which he is in a house, one that he believes to be his own, he goes downstairs and finds that the first floor has medieval furniture and decorations. He then goes to the cellar which is a dwelling of the ancient Rome, he sees a stone slab on the floor, opens it, and descends into a dark cave containing bones with bones and two skulls, very old and disintegrated. He interpreted this dream to have special meaning. He thought that the human mind has a collective unconscious which consists of archetypes and a rchetypical symbols. The collective unconscious is passed on from generation to generation. Archetypes are universal human thinking patterns that underlie all human functioning. He argues that archetypes are not specific images, feelings, or experiences but the blueprints for personality and thought development. Jungs principal archetypes were the persona, shadow, anima, animus and self. The persona, Jung said is the mask we put on when we are in public. The shadow is our unconscious elements and energies. The anima is our feminine qualities. The animus is our masculine qualities. And the self is our desire to achieve psychological wholeness. Archetypal symbols when appear, can provide the dreamer with profound insight and guidance into the dreamers thoughts. These are symbols that are passed down through with the collective unconscious. They reflect natural wisdom ingrained deeply within the human unconscious. (Bulkeley, 33-34.)When people began to interpret dreams, they were thoug ht to be supernatural visions from gods. Today we are aware that dreams are a part of psychology, because our society is based on science, instead of religious beliefs. Modern theories are much more insightful into the real meaning of dreams, because they have developed through out the years with concrete facts supporting them. Modernist such as Freud and Jung support their interpretations with rational and scientific evidence. That is why they are more revealing and effective in interpreting dreams. Science

Ten Most Common Trees in the United States

Ten Most Common Trees in the United States A United States Forest Service report called the Checklist of Native and Naturalized Trees suggests that there may be more than 865 different species of trees in the United States. Here are the 10 most commonplace native trees in the United States, based on several Federal surveys of tree species stem count, and are listed here in order of estimated numbers of trees by species: Red Maple or  (Acer rubrum)   Red maple is the most common tree in North America and lives in diverse climates and habitats, mainly in the eastern United States.  Acer rubrum  is a prolific seeder and readily sprouts from the stump which makes it ubiquitous  in both the  forest and in the urban landscape. Loblolly Pine or  (Pinus taeda)   Also called bull pine and old-field pine, Pinus taeda is the most widely planted pine tree in the eastern coastal states. Its natural range stretches  from east Texas to the pine barrens of New Jersey and is the dominant pine tree harvested for paper and solid wood produces. Sweetgum or  (Liquidambar styraciflua)   Sweetgum is one of the most aggressive pioneer  tree species and quickly takes over abandoned fields and unmanaged cut-over forests. Like red maple, it will comfortably grow on many sites including wetlands, dry uplands and hill country up to 2,600. It is sometimes planted as an ornamental but out of favor because of the spiky fruit that collects underfoot in the landscape. Douglas Fir or  (Pseudotsuga menziesii)   This tall fir of the North American west is only surpassed in height by the redwood. It can grow on both moist and dry sites and covers coastal and mountain slopes from 0 to 11,000. Several varieties of  Pseudotsuga menziesii, including the coastal Douglas fir of the Cascade Mountains and the Rocky Mountain Douglas fir of the Rockies. Quaking Aspen or  (Populus tremuloides)   Although not as numerous in stem count as red maple,  Populus tremuloides is the most widely distributed tree in North America spanning the entire northern portion of the continent. It is also called a keystone tree species because of its importance in diverse forest ecosystems within its large range. Sugar Maple  or (Acer saccharum)   Acer saccharum  is often called the star of eastern North Americas autumn foliage show and very common in the region. Its leaf shape is the emblem of the  Dominion of  Canada and the tree is the staple of  the Northeast maple syrup industry.   Balsam Fir  (Abies balsamea)   Like quaking aspen and with a similar range, balsam fir is the most widely distributed fir  in North America and the primary component of the Canadian boreal forest.  Abies balsamea  thrives on moist, acid and organic soils in swamps and on mountains to 5,600. Flowering Dogwood  (Cornus florida)   Flowering dogwood is one of the most common understory  hardwoods you will see in both hardwood and coniferous forests in eastern North America. It is also one of the most common of small trees in the urban landscape. It will grow from sea level to nearly 5,000. Lodgepole Pine  (Pinus contorta)   This pine is in abundance, particularly in western Canada and the Pacific Northwestern portion of the United States. Pinus contorta is prolific throughout the Cascades, Sierra Nevada and extends to southern California. It is a pine tree of the mountains and grows to an elevation of 11,000 feet. White Oak  (Quercus alba)   Quercus alba can grow on the most fertile of bottomlands to the most sterile of mountain slopes. White oak is a survivor and grows in a wide range of habitats. It is an oak that inhabits coastal forests to the woodlands along the mid-western prairie region.

35 Flower Meanings You Must Get Right The Language of Flowers

35 Flower Meanings You Must Get Right The Language of Flowers SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Most everyone knows that the rose is associated with love. But did you know that the marigold represents grief, pansies represent thoughtful remembrance, and the sweet pea symbolizes lasting pleasure? There’s an entire language of flowers, in which different blooms carry different meanings. So if you're selecting flowers for a particular occasion, it’s useful to know more about flower meanings and symbolism. Bouquets and blooms are frequently involved in events like graduations, performances, funerals, anniversaries, and perhaps most notably, weddings. What floral choices are the most appropriate or meaningful for what occasions? In this article, we’ll provide a brief introduction to the concept of flower meanings. Then we’ll give a guide to flower symbolism for thirty-five popular flowers. We’ll also discuss their cost, seasonal availability, and what flowers may be most appropriate for a particular event or circumstance. We’ll close out with a handy index so you can find flowers by price, season, birthday month, and anniversary year. Table of Contents The Language of Flowers: An Introduction A Note On Price Flower Meanings A-E Flower Meanings F-K Flower Meanings L-Q Flower Meanings R-Z Index The Language of Flowers: An Introduction The concept of a symbolic flower language has existed since ancient times in various cultures throughout the world. However, the significance of flower meanings peaked in the Western world during the Victorian era. The practice of sending coded bouquets was supposedly inspired by an elaborate Turkish custom that involved members of harems sending secret messages to each other through objects. It’s hard to say exactly how much truth there is to this backstory, but flower language took Victorian England- and the rest of Europe- by storm. The first Western flower dictionary was written by Frenchwoman Charlotte de Latour in 1819 and called â€Å"le language des fleurs.† (That’s â€Å"The Language of Flowers,† for those of you who don’t speak French.) It was a runaway success and spawned countless copycats, translations, new editions, and so on. Flower dictionary authors grabbed the meaning of flowers from myth, legend, other cultures, religion, the emblems of royal houses and lineages, each other, and so on. As you might imagine, this meant that different flower dictionaries could posit very different ideas of what the same flower meant based on whatever source material the author consulted. Thus, the answer to the question â€Å"What do flowers symbolize?† is not as simple as people might imagine. This is because different cultures and sources can have wildly different flower meanings! In this guide, we’ve presented major interpretive discrepancies in the language of flowers where they exist and provided guidance as to how to navigate these discrepancies. Furthermore, the same flowers can have different meanings based on their colors! Some colors are fairly consistent across flowers. For example, most guides have yellow flowers meaning friendship and cheer. Similarly, most sources have purple flowers meaning royalty. We will give guidance to different colors in the entries for given flowers where needed. With our help, you can get a grasp on flowers and what they mean. We’ll equip you to send meaningful, heartfelt bouquets with extra-special significance. A Note on Price Before the Flower Dictionary In this article, I’ve used $ signs to indicate price instead of giving a more specific number. It can be hard to know the exact price of flowers per stem due to availability and variability. Here’s the key: $ = 3 dollars per stem $$ = 3-8 dollars per stem $$$ = 8+ dollars per stem It’s also worth considering that you aren’t just paying for flower rarity, but size. Baby’s breath may be cheap on a per-stem basis, but you’ll need lots of it to fill out a bouquet or arrangement. By contrast, you may only need a few stems of the more expensive hydrangea because the blooms are so profuse. Flower Meanings A-E Note that flowers are called by their common name as opposed to their scientific one. (These are sometimes, but not always, the same.) Alstroemeria Genus: Alstroemeria Cost Range (Per Stem): $ Seasonal Availability: Year-round Colors: Most colors except true blues About This Flower: Also known as the Peruvian Lily or the lily of the Incas, alstroemeria is native to South America. It’s a popular bouquet flower that can last up to two weeks when cut. Resembling a miniature lily, the alstroemeria comes in a rainbow of colors. While not as toxic as typical lilies (which can be deadly to pets and even people), alstroemeria can make cats and dogs sick, so this flower may not be the best choice for a pet owner! Symbolism: The alstroemeria represents devoted friendship. Furthermore, it represents wealth and prosperity. Appropriate Occasions: A bouquet of these blooms is a great choice to express true friendship or to congratulate someone for a new promotion or job opportunity. Birthdays and Anniversaries: N/A Aster Genus: Aster Cost Range (Per Stem): $ Seasonal Availability: Year-round; fall peak Colors: Pink, white, purple, and blue About This Flower: From the Greek and Latin words for â€Å"star,† this little flower is another popular choice in floral arrangements. Symbolism: Also known as the â€Å"herb of Venus,† this plant has long been thought to have magical and healing powers. Ancient Greek legend says the goddess Astraea looked down on earth from the sky and wept when she saw that there were no stars on earth. Her tears became the Aster flower. This flower represents daintiness, elegance, and small beginnings in the language of flowers. It’s also a love talisman. Appropriate Occasions: Aster is a solid component of a romantic bouquet, or to celebrate any new beginning. Birthdays and Anniversaries: The Aster is the birth month flower for September and the 20th wedding anniversary flower. Baby’s Breath Genus: Gypsophila Cost Range (Per Stem): $ Seasonal Availability: Summer, fall Colors: White, pink (much less common) About This Flower: The summer-blooming baby’s breath is a popular â€Å"filler† flower in bouquets and arrangements. Baby’s breath is a fairly budget-friendly flower and frequently used as an accent flower in rose bouquets. Symbolism: This delicate spray of typically white blooms symbolizes purity and innocence as well as everlasting love. And, of course, it’s a symbol of babies- especially newborns! Appropriate Occasions: It’s a good choice as a component of any romantic bouquet, and a great choice for a flower girl or bridesmaid. Baby’s breath is sometimes sent to new parents. Lastly, it’s frequently used in funeral arrangements, where its symbolic meanings of innocence and everlasting love have particular poignancy. Birthdays and Anniversaries: N/A Bird of Paradise Genus: Strelitzia Cost Range (Per Stem): $$ Colors: Orange and blue combination Seasonal Availability: Winter, spring (tropical climates) About This Flower: The exotic and striking Bird of Paradise is named for the tropical bird that it resembles. This bloom is native to South Africa. As the Bird of Paradise thrives in heat and humidity, they can be somewhat expensive outside of those climes, but are frequently grown as houseplants in hospitable climates. Note that this flower is poisonous to pets. Symbolism: This showy flower signifies the wonderfully unexpected, magnificence, paradise, royalty, and joyfulness. Appropriate Occasions: As an exuberant and opulent flower, it’s a good choice to commemorate a happy occasion with anyone who has bold and unconventional tastes. Birthdays and Anniversaries: This bright flower is traditionally associated with the ninth wedding anniversary. Carnations Species: Dianthus caryophyllus Cost Range (Per Stem): $ Seasonal Availability: Year-round Colors: Most colors except blue About This Flower: The carnation, or dianthus, is an extremely popular and affordable bouquet flower that can last up to three weeks when cut. It’s thought to be native to the Mediterranean region. Symbolism: In general, the carnation is associated with love and marriage. Betrothed couples were often depicted holding a carnation in Renaissance-era paintings. However, carnations can communicate very different messages based on their color. A red carnation has a meaning of intense love and admiration. White carnations signify pure love and innocence. The pink carnation is a symbol of mother’s day. Christian legend holds that the pink carnation sprang from the tears of Mary as she walked to the cross. Additionally, the pink carnation communicates gratitude. Purple carnations symbolize whimsy and capriciousness. In France, they are the traditional flower of condolence after someone has lost a loved one. Not all carnations have positive meanings in the language of flowers. The yellow carnation communicates rejection. (But if you send a bouquet of yellow carnations to a significant other, you might still want to break up with them verbally.) Striped signifies a refusal, especially a refusal of someone’s romantic advances. (But again, you probably still need to communicate with words. It’s not the Victorian era anymore!) Appropriate Occasions: The best occasion for carnations depends a lot on their color. Red carnations are good for a romantic bouquet, especially mixed with white carnations. White carnations are a good choice for weddings. Pink carnations are an excellent mother’s day gift. Birthdays and Anniversaries: The carnation is the birth flower for January and the first wedding anniversary flower. Cherry Blossoms Subgenus: Prunus Cerasus Cost Range (Per Stem): n/a; not generally purchased for bouquets Seasonal Availability: Spring Colors: White and pink About This Flower: The fragile, flowering blooms of the cherry tree don’t often appear in bouquets. They briefly bloom in gorgeous profusion in the early spring, only to fade and fall several weeks later. Symbolism: The brief life of cherry blossoms makes them a symbol of the bittersweet beauty of the impermanent and transient. In China, cherry blossoms are a symbol of a good education and the flower of April. In Japan, cherry blossoms represent wealth and prosperity. They are also the flower of March and the national flower of Japan. Appropriate Occasions: You likely won’t be sending anyone cherry blossoms in a bouquet, but a cherry blossom motif will communicate a meaning that you are aware of a poignant sweetness that may not last. Birthdays and anniversaries: N/A Chrysanthemum Genus: Chrysanthemum Cost Range (Per Stem): $-$$ Seasonal Availability: Year-round; late summer/fall peak Colors: Various About This Flower: The chrysanthemum (or mum) originated in China, and typically blooms in the fall. Symbolism: In China, the chrysanthemum is a symbol of autumn. In many countries the chrysanthemum is a mourning flower and primarily used for funerals. In the United States, however, it symbolizes hope in dark times and optimism and cheer. In Victorian times, white chrysanthemums symbolized truth. A wedding bouquet of white chrysanthemums represented the honest and faithful nature of the bride. Appropriate Occasions: The mum is a good choice to send to those in mourning. Additionally, it can be used for get-well-soon bouquets or sent to anyone who needs a lift. Finally, for a wedding bouquet with traditional significance, consider white mums. Birthdays and Anniversaries: The chrysanthemum is the November birthday flower and the thirteenth wedding anniversary flower. Daffodil Genus: Narcissus Cost Range (Per Stem): $ Seasonal Availability: Winter, spring Colors: Yellow About This Flower: The perennial daffodil, which blooms in late winter and early spring, is a variety of the genus narcissus. It’s a popular bouquet flower. Be warned that the daffodil is poisonous to pets! Symbolism: In Victorian England, the daffodil represented chivalry. A cheerful early bloomer, the daffodil now symbolizes new beginnings and new life. As such, it’s become a flower emblematic of both Easter and the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary. (The Annunciation is when Mary was informed by the angel Gabriel that she would bear Jesus, for those who aren’t as familiar with the Christian canon). In Wales, daffodils were traditionally placed on the graves of loved ones on Palm Sunday. Appropriate Occasions: The daffodil is appropriate to celebrate a new baby, a new job, or anything else new in life! Birthdays and Anniversaries: The daffodil is the birth flower for March and the tenth wedding anniversary flower. Dahlia Genus: Dahlia Cost Range (Per Stem): $-$$ Seasonal Availability: Summer, fall Colors: Various About This Flower: The bright dahlia is native to Mexico. Dahlias come in a huge variety of shapes and colors. Painter Frida Kahlo frequently wore the blooms in her hair. Symbolism: The dahlia is the national flower of Mexico. Because it is hard to cultivate successfully in Europe’s harsher climes, the Victorians believed it symbolized instability. However, it now carries a message of dignity and regality. Appropriate Occasions: The dahlia is a versatile flower appropriate for many occasions, including to express gratitude, best wishes, or admiration. Birthdays and Anniversaries: N/A Daisy Genus: Bellis Cost Range (Per Stem): $ Seasonal Availability: Spring, summer, fall Colors: White About This Flower: The classic, cheerful daisy is a well-loved flower. The name â€Å"Daisy† is thought to come from the Old English version of â€Å"day’s eye,† because the flowers open with the sunrise and close at night. Symbolism: The daisy symbolizes innocence, gentleness, and purity. The flower was associated with Aphrodite (and her Roman counterpart, Venus) in ancient times. However, the flower now most strongly signals a youthful, inexperienced innocence and purity. Appropriate Occasions: The daisy is an appropriate floral gift for girls and young women. It can be a charming flower to adorn flower girls at weddings. Birthdays and Anniversaries: They daisy is associated with April birthdays and fifth wedding anniversaries. Flower Meanings F-K Read on for flowers and meanings from F-K! Forget-Me-Not Genus: Mysotis Cost Range (Per Stem): Not commonly sold; consult with florist Seasonal Availability: Spring, summer Colors: Blue About This Flower: The little forget-me-not is a spring-blooming wildflower that naturally grows along riverbanks and streams. The forget-me-not is more likely to be grown in a garden or found in the wild than it is to appear in a typical store-bought bouquet. Symbolism: As you might imagine from its name, the â€Å"forget-me-not† symbolizes remembrance, particularly remembering a loved one when they are apart from you. There are several legends about how the forget-me-not got its name. One posits that a knight leaving on campaign crouched by the riverbank and picked some for his lady love, admonishing her not to forget him. A Christian legend supposes that when the Lord named all of the flowers, he reached the end of the plants. Then a little, overlooked flower said, â€Å"What about me?† And so the lord named it the â€Å"forget-me-not.† A German folktale holds that the flower got its name when a man bent down to pick the flowers from the riverbanks for his fiancee. He lost his footing and fell in. As the river carried him away, he threw the flowers to his love with a cry of â€Å"forget me not!† (The Germans can be a little morbid with their folktales.) Appropriate Occasions: Because of their message of faithful love, forget-me-nots are a perfect flower for spring weddings and romantic bouquets. Furthermore, because they symbolize remembrance, they are appropriate for funerals and for honoring the dead more generally. Birthdays and Anniversaries: N/A Freesia Genus: Freesia Cost Range (Per Stem): $ Seasonal Availability: Year-round Colors: Various About This Flower: The beautiful, spring-blooming freesia is considered one of the most fragrant flowers out there. It’s known for its pleasant, citrusy smell. The freesia is a fairly popular bouquet flower that comes in a variety of colors. Symbolism: The freesia primarily signifies innocence, trust, and friendship. It can also signify a love that is careful and slow, as opposed to one that is rushed and passionate. Appropriate Occasions: While its meaning may not seem as explicitly romantic as some other flowers, it’s nonetheless a popular wedding flower. In addition to weddings, the freesia is a particularly appropriate gift to honor a close friendship. Birthdays and Anniversaries: The freesia is the traditional seventh wedding anniversary flower. Gardenia Genus: Gardenia Cost Range (Per Stem): $$-$$$ Seasonal Availability: Year-round Colors: White and yellow About This Flower: The pale gardenia, part of the coffee family, blooms on small evergreen trees and shrubs in warm climates. Because they come from a shrub, gardenias are not particularly common in store-bought bouquets. On a cut branch, gardenias can last multiple weeks. Otherwise, the cut blooms last only a few days. Symbolism: In the Chinese tradition, these beautiful flowers are a paean to feminine elegance and creativity. Similarly, in the Western canon, the gardenia signifies refinement and loveliness. They can indicate a secret love. In the American South, where gardenias are common, they have a particular connection to Southern hospitality. Appropriate Occasions: Gardenias can be a beautiful and unusual wedding flower, although the cut flower will need to be affixed to artificial stems by a florist so that they can be included in a bouquet. Otherwise, you may not have much occasion to gift gardenia blooms unless you give a plant wholesale- only a good idea if you know the recipient likes to garden! Birthdays and Anniversaries: N/A Gerbera Daisy Genus: Gerbera Cost Range (Per Stem): $ Seasonal Availability: Year-round Colors: Every color but blue and green About This Flower: The gerbera daisy (also known as the African or Transvaal daisy) is a bright and cheerful flower that blooms in a huge variety of bright colors. Because they are hardy and last well over a week when cut, they are a common bouquet flower at all times of the year. They are readily available for purchase and fairly affordable. Symbolism: The gerbera daisy symbolizes cheerfulness, joy, and innocence. Appropriate Occasions: The gerbera daisy is a great flower for anyone who needs a pick-me-up. Additionally, gerberas are appropriate to celebrate an accomplishment like a new job, graduation, or housewarming. Birthdays and Anniversaries: As the Gerbera is a daisy type, it’s appropriate for April birthdays. Gladiolus Genus: Gladiolus Cost Range (Per Stem): $ Seasonal Availability: Year-round, summer peak Colors: Various About This Flower: Native to South Africa, the summer-blooming gladiolus is another popular cutting and bouquet flower. Be aware that the gladiolus is poisonous to pets. Symbolism: Some think that the flower, also known as the â€Å"sword lily,† may be the â€Å"lily of the field† to which Jesus referred in Matthew 6:28. With its bladelike sheaf of blooms, the gladiolus indicated to the Victorians that the receiver had pierced the sender’s heart. Now the flower symbolizes grace, fidelity, honor, and a strong character. Appropriate Occasions: Gladiolus is an excellent flower to express admiration- romantic or otherwise. Birthdays and Anniversaries: The gladiolus is an August birthday flower and the 40th wedding anniversary flower. Hyacinth Genus: Hyacinthus Cost Range (Per Stem): $ Seasonal Availability: Winter, spring Colors: Purple, blue, white About This Flower: The beautiful hyacinth blooms in the late winter and spring. The bulbs are highly poisonous to pets, so if you have a dog who likes to dig, you may not want to plant this in your garden! Symbolism: Hyacinth symbolizes young love. In 19th-century France, the flower communicated a kind of desperate, all-consuming love; the English connotation was more flirtatious and playful. The hyacinth gets its name from a Greek myth. Hyacinth was the young lover of Apollo, but Zephyr also admired Hyacinth. In his jealousy, he caused Apollo’s discus to strike Hyacinth, killing him. Grief-stricken, Apollo transformed Hyacinth’s spilled blood into the hyacinth flower. As such, the hyacinth was dedicated to Apollo. In Victorian parlance, the different hyacinth colors had different connotations. Blue signified constancy, purple asked for forgiveness, and white symbolized beauty. Appropriate Occasions: As a symbol of young love, hyacinths are particularly well-suited for a romantic spring bouquet or spring wedding. Birthdays and Anniversaries: N/A Hydrangea Genus: Hydrangea Cost Range (Per Stem): $$-$$$ Seasonal Availability: Summer, fall Colors: Blue, purple, pink, green, white About This Flower: Hydrangeas have a long blooming season, beginning in early spring and stretching out to late autumn. They bloom on shrubs or climbing vines. Interestingly, the color of hydrangea blooms is based on soil pH. If you wish to give someone hydrangea flowers, you can get them in a cut bouquet or give hydrangea as a houseplant. Note that this plant is poisonous to pets. Symbolism: To the Victorians, the profusely blooming hydrangea signified boastfulness, because its magnificent blooms don’t lead to fruit. Today, the hydrangea has a somewhat contradictory meaning. Some hold that it symbolizes emotional coldness, while others purport that it signifies gratitude. But the ambiguity (and general lack of romantic symbolism) hasn’t stopped the hydrangea from being included in many weddings! Appropriate Occasions: In general, most people who receive flowers associate them with positive meanings. So you can safely gift hydrangea as a thank-you flower without worrying that you’ll be giving an insult! Birthdays and Anniversaries: Hydrangea is the fourth wedding anniversary flower. Iris Genus: Iris Cost Range (Per Stem): $ Seasonal Availability: Year-round; spring peak Colors: Various About This Flower: The vibrant, multicolored iris is very popular in both gardens and bouquets. Depending on the specific species, garden irises bloom from the spring to the late fall. Some varieties bloom multiple times in a season. With its many varieties and long blooming season, the iris is readily available and affordable as a bouquet flower. Like several other flowers flagged in this list, the iris is poisonous to pets. Symbolism: This flower is named after the Greek messenger goddess, whose emblem was the rainbow. Because of its association with this goddess, the iris flower symbolizes a message, particularly one of hope or of mourning. It’s also associated with eloquence, faith, courage, and wisdom. In medieval iconography, the iris was associated with the Annunciation. (The iris represented the message from the angel Gabriel that Mary was to be the mother of Jesus). A stylized version of the iris became the fleur-de-lis, the emblem of French royalty. Appropriate Occasions: The iris is a good choice to someone who has just completed an important speaking engagement. You can also send the iris as a message of courage in difficult times. Furthermore, with its message of hope and faith, the iris is a common funeral and mourning flower. Birthdays and Anniversaries: The iris is the birth flower of February and the 25th wedding anniversary flower. Flower Meanings L-Q Flowers L-Q covered in the following section! Lilac Genus: Syringa Cost Range (Per Stem): $ Seasonal Availability: Spring, summer Colors: Purple, Pink, Blue, White, Yellow About This Flower: Blooming at the end of spring and early summer, the lilac shrub is a prized for its fragrant, delicate flowers. People once believed its strong smell could ward off the Black Death! While lilacs are not very common bouquet flowers, perhaps due to their short season, they are found in many cutting gardens. (A cutting garden is a household garden that is maintained for the purpose of being able to cut home-grown bouquets.) Symbolism: To the Victorians, this flower represented the first emotions of love. This symbolism still holds today, as the lilac represents the early blush of love and the beginning of summer. Some say that the lilac also represents the bittersweet sadness of new lovers when they are forced to part for even a moment. Appropriate Occasions: If you are lucky enough to have access to lilacs for cutting, a bouquet of fresh-cut lilac is a stunning gift for a new paramour- or anyone else who loves the sweet and soothing smell of lilac. Birthdays and Anniversaries: The lilac is the eighth wedding anniversary flower. Lily Genus: Lilium Cost Range (Per Stem): $$-$$$ Seasonal Availability: Year-round Colors: Various About This Flower: Few flowers are more popular or have more cultural significance than the lily. The lilium genus has incredible variation in color and notably sizable blooms. But the lily is extremely poisonous to cats and can be deadly! Symbolism: The lily has been a sacred flower since ancient times. Hence, lily flower meaning is a dense topic. In the ancient near east it was associated with Ishtar, the goddess of love and fertility. In Greece the lily was a symbol of Hera; in Rome, a symbol of Venus. In Semitic legend, the lily sprang from the tears of Eve when she was cast out of the Garden of Eden. As Christianity overtook older traditions, the lily came to be associated with the Virgin Mary. This held particularly true of the white lily, also called the Madonna lily. The white lily has also come to symbolize Easter and the resurrection of Christ within the Christian tradition. In the Victorian era, it was the highest flattery to compare a woman to the Virgin Mary. As such, comparing a woman to a lily, Mary’s emblem, was to pay her high honor indeed. The white lily symbolized purity, chastity, innocence, and modesty. While the connotations of purity still persist somewhat, lilies have also come to signify perfection, majesty, and excellence. Appropriate Occasions: It is a high compliment to gift someone lilies; many consider lilies to be an incredibly romantic flower. Lilies are frequently used in weddings. However, because of its connection with the resurrection of Christ, the lily is also often used in funerals and sent in sympathy bouquets in Western countries. Overall, lilies are a versatile flower; when sending flowers is appropriate, it’s hard to go wrong with a lily bouquet. Birthdays and Anniversaries: The lily is the birth flower for May and the 30th wedding anniversary flower. The calla lily (not a true lily, though many think it is) is the sixth wedding anniversary flower. Lily of the Valley Species: Convallaria majalis Cost Range (Per Stem): $$ Seasonal Availability: Year-round, spring peak Colors: White About This Flower: The perennial lily of the valley is the true lily’s humbler wildflower cousin. It blooms in late spring, and smells sweet but is highly poisonous- so don’t eat it! It’s not a true lily, the lily of the valley is still poisonous to pets. It’s not a particularly common cutting flower in your average bouquet. Symbolism: This flower is the emblem of the Norse goddess of the dawn, Ostara. In Christian lore, the lily of the valley sprang from the tears of Mary as she wept at the cross. This flower is also a symbol of May Day in France. The lily of the valley represents purity, sweetness, and a renewal of happiness. Appropriate Occasions: Lily of the valley is a popular choice for bridal bouquets and decorations for spring weddings. Furthermore, it’s a good choice to celebrate a birth, a baptism, or any other joyful event or rite of passage. Birthdays and Anniversaries: The lily of the valley the second wedding anniversary flower. Marigold Genus: Calendula Cost Range (Per Stem): $ Seasonal Availability: Year-round, summer and fall peak Colors: Yellow, orange About This Flower: Brightly colored marigolds bloom all summer, lasting until the ground frosts over. The marigold is poisonous to cats. Symbolism: While they may look cheerful, marigolds actually represent grief and sadness in the language of flowers. Appropriate Occasions: Marigold is best suited to funeral and condolence bouquets. You can temper the message of sadness with other blooms, perhaps baby’s breath (everlasting love) or or rosemary (remembrance). Birthdays and Anniversaries: The warm-toned marigold is one of the October birthday flowers. Narcissus Genus: Narcissus Cost Range (Per Stem): $ Seasonal Availability: Winter, spring Colors: White, white and yellow, yellow, orange, and pink About This Flower: Narcissus flowers bloom early, in late winter and early spring. The most famous variety of the narcissus genus is the cheerful daffodil, but the flower also comes in other colors. Symbolism: Narcissus actually has a fairly negative connotation in the language of flowers. They symbolize narcissism and egotism. Greek legend holds that the narcissus flower was created when a young man named Narcissus was so besotted with the sight of his own reflection in a pond that knelt down there for days until he eventually turned into the beautiful flower that bears his name. An exception to this negative connotation is the cherry yellow daffodil, which is a type of narcissus with its own positive meaning. Appropriate Occasions: It’s true that most people don't associate a bouquet of flowers with an insult, no matter how subtle. Narcissus flowers really aren’t the best choice for a symbolic, meaningful bouquet, unless you’re sending daffodils or a December birthday bouquet. Birthdays and Anniversaries: Narcissus is a December birthday flower. Orange Blossom Species: Citrus Sinensis Cost Range (Per Stem): Not a typical bouquet flower; discuss with a florist Seasonal Availability: Spring Colors: White About This Flower: When the orange tree blooms- usually in April- it bears beautiful, fragrant white flowers. Orange blossom fragrance is a key element of many perfumes, and orange blossom water is an element in French and Middle Eastern cooking. Orange blossom honey has a citrus flavor and is one of the best-loved honey varieties. Symbolism: The orange blossom is closely associated with weddings in many cultures. The flowers are often used in bridal headpieces and bouquets. It’s said that the crusaders brought the practice back to Europe from the Middle East, where the Saracen brides wore the blossoms as a symbol of fecundity. In Victorian England they came to signify a bride’s purity. In Japan, orange blossoms symbolize chastity and eternal love. The blossoms have remained symbolic of a fruitful marriage, loveliness, and innocence. Appropriate Occasions: For wedding flowers that are steeped in tradition, orange blossoms are a lovely option. Birthdays and Anniversaries: N/A Orchid Family: Orchidaceae Cost Range (Per Stem): $$-$$$ Seasonal Availability: Year-round Colors: Various About This Flower: The tropical orchid family is among the most prized and exquisite of flowers. There are over 28,000 orchid species, displaying an astonishing variety of color, shape, size, and scent. Vanilla comes from the vanilla orchid. Many orchid varieties are used to scent perfume. The cultivation and collection of orchids in greenhouses became such a popular pastime in Victorian-era England that the term â€Å"orchidelirium† was termed for the frenzy. Orchid are expensive and delicate flower. Symbolism: The orchid symbolizes the exotic, the ecstatic, and the luxurious. Its flower meaning also relates to mature elegance, beauty, and refinement. Appropriate Occasions: If money’s no object, orchids can be a beautiful wedding flower. For gifts, it is more common to give an orchid as a potted houseplant than as part of a bouquet. It’s a very romantic flower that sends the message that the receiver is highly prized. However, only give a potted plant as a gift if you know the recipient will actually enjoy taking care of the orchid! Birthdays and Anniversaries: The fourteenth wedding anniversary is typically associated with the orchid. Pansy Species: Viola Tricolor Cost Range (Per Stem): Typically a garden flower; discuss with florist Seasonal Availability: Spring, fall Colors: Various color combinations About This Flower: The spring-blooming pansy is a type of multicolored violet, created by hybridizing several subspecies. Pansies are popular garden flowers but less common in arranged bouquets. Symbolism: It’s said that the pansy is named for the French word for thought (â€Å"pensà ©e†). The flower was thought to have telepathic magic such that if you picked one, you could hear your lover’s thoughts at that moment. To the Victorians, who loved the pansy, the flower symbolized a â€Å"woman’s heart† and its supposedly inherent qualities of sweetness and compassion. It was a popular gift between lovers and friends alike. Now, the pansy symbolizes thoughtful remembrance and asks the recipient to think of the giver. Appropriate Occasions: Though they aren’t common bouquet flowers, a potted pansy may be an appropriate gift for a friend or loved one- particularly before parting. Birthdays and Anniversaries: N/A Poppy Subfamily: Papaveroideae Cost Range (Per Stem): $ Seasonal Availability: Spring, summer About This Flower: The brightly colored poppy blooms in the late spring. The sap of the plant has a sedative effect and is used to make morphine, codeine, and opium. It can sedate pets. The poppy is not a typical bouquet flower and as such you may not have an easy time finding it at the florist. However, it is grown in cutting gardens and may be available from specialty or wholesale florists on request. Symbolism: Because of its sedative properties, the poppy has signified rest, sleep, dreams, and death since the time of the ancient Greeks and Egyptians. The poem â€Å"In Flanders Fields,† written in 1915 by John McCrae about WWI, also popularized the poppy as a symbol to honor the wartime fallen. In Britain, poppies are worn on Remembrance Day, when veterans are honored. By contrast, in Chinese and Japanese traditions, the poppy means love, beauty, and success. Appropriate Occasions: Due to its association with death and rest, the poppy is an appropriate funeral flower. Because of its connection to imagination and dreams, it would also be an appropriate floral gift for someone engaged in creative endeavors. Birthdays and Anniversaries: N/A Flower Meanings R-Z Flowers and meanings from R to the end of the alphabet follow. Rosemary Species: Rosmarinus officinalis Cost Range (Per Stem): Not typically sold for bouquets; consult with a florist. Seasonal Availability: Spring, summer Colors: Blue, purple, white, pink About This Flower: Native to the Mediterranean, rosemary isn’t just a delicious evergreen herb. It also has delicate flowers that emerge in spring and summer in temperate climates. Rosemary is a popular element in many soaps and perfumed products. Symbolism: Rosemary’s primary symbolic association is with remembrance. Rosemary is thought to be a natural remedy against memory loss and forgetfulness. In Hamlet Ophelia says, â€Å"there’s rosemary, for remembrance.† Rosemary symbolizes faithful love and devotion. In the medieval era it was associated with weddings and both the bride and groom often incorporated rosemary into their wedding ensembles. In the Victorian Era, it was common for mourners to toss rosemary into the grave to signify their enduring memory of the deceased. Appropriate Occasions: Rosemary is a thoughtful element to include in funeral flowers or a condolence bouquet. Additionally, rosemary serves as a symbol of devotion and fidelity in wedding bouquets- perhaps a sprig in the groom’s boutonniere as well. Birthdays and Anniversaries: N/A Roses Genus: Rosa Cost Range (Per Stem): $-$$$ Seasonal Availability: Year-round Colors: Almost all except blue About This Flower: Roses are one of the most popular- if not the most popular- flowers for garden cultivation and professional floristry. With its lush spray of petals, sweet scent, and sharp thorns, the rose has inspired more myth, legend, poetry, and art than perhaps any other flower. There are species native to Asia, Europe, Africa, and North America. They come in a rainbow of colors. There are climbing roses and shrub roses of all shapes and sizes. With so much variety betweens species, the blooming season can span from spring through fall. Roses are also used for perfumes and in teas and potpourris. Rose water is even sometimes deployed in cooking and baking. Symbolism: Roses are associated with love and romance in general and Valentine’s day in particular. In ancient Greece, the rose (especially the red rose) was associated with Aphrodite, goddess of love. In Rome it was associated with her counterpart, Venus. In the Christian era the rose came to be associated with the Virgin Mary- the white rose in particular. The rose has also been associated with secrecy and silence. In both the Roman and medieval eras, roses were sometimes rendered or literally hung from ceilings in council chambers and rooms where private proceedings took place. The phrase â€Å"sub rosa†- Latin for â€Å"under the rose†- signaled that what was discussed under the rose should remain secret. Roses were sometimes depicted on church confessionals to similarly signal that all would remain confidential. Roses have been used for crests, emblems, and decoration for millennia. Notable examples include the white rose of York, the red rose of Lancaster, and the red-and-white Tudor Rose. To the Victorians, the rose signified love, and the deeper the love, the deeper the color. White roses, then, would be appropriate for a very young woman. Red roses meant passionate love. Today, the rose is still primarily associated with love and beauty. Red roses in particular carry the signal of passion, desire, and romantic love. Appropriate Occasions: Roses are frequently deployed as wedding flowers, on prom corsages and boutonnieres, and generally for almost any occasion where flowers are appropriate. If you wish to send a truly unmistakable message of romantic love, red roses are an excellent choice. Red roses are also sometimes given to congratulate for a major accomplishment, particularly an artistic performance. Other rose colors carry their own meanings. White roses connote purity and are often used for funerals and weddings. Yellow roses send a message of platonic friendship- so don’t send those as a romantic gift! Pink roses signal affection and gratitude- the perfect thank-you. For more on rose color meanings, see our complete article. Birthdays and Anniversaries: The rose is one of the birth flowers for June, and the fifteenth wedding anniversary flower. Snapdragon Genus: Antirrhinum Cost Range (Per Stem): $-$$ Seasonal Availability: Spring, summer, fall Colors: Various About This Flower: The snapdragon is so named because the blooms are fancifully said to resemble a snapping dragon when the bloom is squeezed. These annual plants thrive in cooler temperatures and typically bloom in spring. Snapdragons are a common element in bouquets and are easily found even in the floral departments of supermarkets. Symbolism: In the Victorian era, these flowers were an invitation to impetuousness. Now, they carry a dual meaning. On one hand, they signify graciousness and strength because they thrive in rocky areas. On the other, they may also present the receiver with an accusation of deception. Appropriate Occasions: Most people take a floral gift as a compliment, so for the purposes of assembling a bouquet, you can focus on the positive message. With its message of graciousness and strength, the snapdragon is a versatile flower symbol. It’s appropriate to express admiration or gratitude. It would be a good choice to someone who is recovering from a long illness or other difficulty. Birthdays and Anniversaries: N/A Sunflower Genus: Helianthus Cost Range (Per Stem): $ Seasonal Availability: Summer, fall Colors: Warm colors (yellows, reds, oranges) and sometimes white About This Flower: Most species of the summer-blooming sunflower are native to North America. As they are fairly hardy, sunflowers are a well-liked garden flower. They are readily available from commercial florists. Sunflowers are also cultivated commercially for their seeds and oil. Symbolism: Unsurprisingly, the sunflower is a symbol of the sun and its attributes: heat, power, and sustenance. To the Incans, the sunflower was a sacred symbol of their sun god. In China, the sunflower connotes longevity. Appropriate Occasions: Sunflowers are a good choice for any time you want to communicate warmth and cheer. They are particularly appropriate to mark a happy occasion! Birthdays and Anniversaries: The sunflower is also the third wedding anniversary flower. Sweet Pea Species: Lathyrus odoratus Cost Range (Per Stem): $ Seasonal Availability: Winter, spring Colors: Various About This Flower: The sweet pea is native to the Mediterranean, although it is now grown in many places. This climbing flower emits a sweet honeyed scent when it blooms. The natural blooming time is early spring, but could be almost any season depending on your climate. With its profusion of blooms, it’s a well-loved choice for cutting gardens, although it’s somewhat harder to find at the florists’. The sweet pea is mildly poisonous to pets. Symbolism: The sweet pea was a hugely popular flower during the Victorian era, when it symbolized lasting pleasure and easy luxury. It still symbolizes pleasure and bliss. Appropriate Occasions: The sweet pea makes a beautiful choice for a wedding bouquet or any romantic occasion. Birthdays and Anniversaries: The sweet pea is an April birth flower. Tulip Genus: Tulipa Cost Range (Per Stem): $-$$ Seasonal Availability: Winter, spring Colors: Various About This Flower: Originally native to the mountains and steppes of central Asia, the perennial tulip has become one of the most popular flowers worldwide for both gardens and commercial bouquets. They’ve become an almost universal symbol of spring. They come in nearly every color of the rainbow except true blue- including in a purple so dark it’s nearly black! Tulip bulbs are poisonous to pets. Symbolism: The tulip is a romantic flower, whose strongest symbolic associations are with love and creativity. Tulip flower meaning is also strongly influenced by flower color. In Persia, a red tulip in particular is a love declaration. The red of the petals represents the suitor on fire with love, and the black center is the suitor’s heart burned to coal by the strength and heat of their love. Other tulip colors have other connotations. Yellow tulips send a message of cheerfulness and joy. White tulips communicate either an apology or forgiveness. Pink tulips signal good wishes and affection- a less overtly romantic message than the red tulip. Purple tulips signify royalty. Appropriate Occasions: Different colors of tulip are appropriate for different occasions. Red tulips are ideal for a romantic springtime bouquet. Pink tulips make excellent bridesmaid bouquets or a congratulations gifts. Yellow tulips send a â€Å"congratulations† or â€Å"get well soon† message, while white tulips ask for or grant forgiveness. Purple tulips are for a truly unique and special person. Birthdays and Anniversaries: The tulip is the th wedding anniversary flower. Violet Genus: Viola Cost Range (Per Stem): Not typically sold as cut flowers; consult with florist. Seasonal Availability: Winter, spring Colors: Various About This Flower: The violet flowers in late winter and early spring. In spite of the name, not all violets are purple. There are also yellow, blue, white, and ivory varieties- some even multicolored! While they are not common in commercial bouquets, they are very popular garden flowers. The violet has long been valued for its edible and medicinal properties. The blooms and greens are edible. The Greeks and Romans brewed violet wine. Chefs sometimes us syrup made from violet blossoms to flavor desserts. Violet blossoms, often in tea form, are a natural laxative remedy. The flower is also used to scent some perfumes. Symbolism: The violet has symbolic significance as well. Per the Greeks, Persephone may have been picking violets when she was abducted by Hades and taken into the underworld. The violets became a symbol of Bonapartists in post-Napoleonic France. The violet flower meaning also relates to modesty and faithfulness. With its heart-shaped flowers, it's unsurprising that the violet also communicates a message of returned love. Appropriate Occasions: If you have some in your cutting garden, violets can make a beautiful gift to a loved one to communicate your love and fidelity. You could also try your hand at using violets in your cooking! Birthdays and Anniversaries: N/A Water Lily Family: Nymphaeaceae Cost Range (Per Stem): Not typically sold as cut flowers; consult with florist Seasonal Availability: Spring, summer, fall About This Flower: The aquatic water lily can flower from May to September, covering ponds and pools for the whole summer. They improve water quality. Unfortunately, the flowers don’t last very long out of the water- perhaps 12 hours. Symbolism: Also known as the lotus, the water lily had sacred significance in ancient Egypt, where it symbolized death and rebirth. In Buddhist tradition the lotus is a symbol of enlightenment and spiritual transcendence. In Hinduism, the lotus is a very significant symbol with many meanings. It signifies the heart, beauty, fertility, spiritual purity and growth, and prosperity. It’s also associated with many divinities. The god Brahma emerged from a lotus. The goddess Lakshmi is often depicted seated on a lotus. The water lily is the national flower of Bangladesh and also of Sri Lanka. Appropriate Occasions: Some brides do use water lilies in their bridal bouquets, though this is not particularly common. Overall it’s unlikely that you’ll be giving anyone water lilies in a bouquet. But if you’re landscaping your yard and you want to bring a symbol of beauty, rebirth, and spiritual peace to your pond, consider introducing water lilies. Birthdays and Anniversaries: The water lily is a birth flower for July. Flower Meanings Index Below find several charts with handy reference information to help you find the right flower quickly. We have charts for birth month flowers, anniversary flowers, flower seasonality, and flower cost. Birth Month Flowers Month Flower January Carnation February Iris March Daffodil April Daisy, Gerbera Daisy, Sweet Pea May Lily June Roses July Water Lily August Gladiolus September Aster October Marigold November Chrysanthemum December Narcissus Anniversary Flowers Anniversary Flower 1st Carnation 2nd Lily of the valley 3rd Sunflower 4th Hydrangea 5th Daisy 6th Calla Lily 7th Freesia 8th Lilac 9th Bird of Paradise 10th Daffodil th Tulip 12th Peony 13th Chrysanthemum 14th Orchid 15th Roses 20th Aster 25th Iris 30th Lily 40th Gladiolus 50th Yellow Roses Violets Flowers By Season Flowers will be listed by those that are available all year, and then by season. Available Year-Round Alstroemeria Aster (fall peak) Carnations (late summer/fall peak) Chrysanthemum Freesia Gardenia Gerbera daisy Gladiolus (summer peak) Iris (spring peak) Lily Lily of the Valley (spring peak) Marigold (summer/fall peak) Orchid Roses Winter Bird of Paradise (tropical climates) Daffodil Hyacinth Narcissus Sweet pea Tulip Violet Spring Bird of Paradise (tropical climates) Cherry Blossoms Daffodil Daisy Forget-me-not Hyacinth Lilac Narcissus Orange Blossoms Pansy Poppy Rosemary Snapdragon Sweet Pea Tulip Violet Water lily Summer Baby's breath Dahlia Daisy Forget-me-not Hydrangea Lilac Poppy Rosemary Snapdragon Sunflower Water lily Fall Baby's breath Dahlia Daisy Hydrangea Pansy Snapdragon Sunflower Water lily Flowers By Cost Remember, $ means 3 dollars per stem, $$ means 8 dollars per stem, and $$$ means 8+ dollars per stem! Lowest Cost: $ Alstromeria Aster Baby's breath Carnations Chrysanthemum Daffodil Daisy Freesia Gerbera daisy Gladiolus Hyacinth Iris Lilac Marigold Narcissus Poppy Sunflower Sweet pea Low Cost: $-$$ Dahlia Roses Snapdragon Tulip Medium Cost: $$ Bird of Paradise Lily of the Valley High Cost: $$-$$$ Gardenia Hydrangea Lily Orchid Roses