Floriography Influences in Music

Are there any influences of Victorian Floriography in song lyrics in music of the last six decades?

Problem Statement

There is a problem concerning the lack of uniform definitions of the meaning of flowers in the last sixty years of music. Despite the influences from the Victorian era that are reflected in other aspects of society, there seems to be a lack of Victorian Floriography in modern communication, specifically in the lyrics of music of the last four decades, as shown in the possible inconsistencies of the meanings of flower references in these songs. The problem has possibly negatively affected the music community, because the meanings used are different, and it could cause confusion and a disconnect between different songs that may take away from the listeners experience. Perhaps a study which investigates if there are influences of Victorian Floriography in lyrics of the past four decades, to best discover if current depictions of flowers are accurate to the original model could help solve this problem for future generations of lyricists.

Researcher

Hannah Cox

Class of 2023

Significance and Value of Study

Will having more succinct flower usages in song lyrics inspire more artists to use them in their works?

Will people connect more with the lyrics of the song if the metaphors and flower references all have the same basis in their meanings?

Definitions and Variables

Lyrics are the words sung or spoken in a piece of music.

Victorian Floriography is the language of flowers, as used in the Victorian Era, and shown in Floriography by Jessica Roux

Hypothesis and Assumptions

I hypothesize that there will be very few influences of Victorian Floriography in lyrics of the last 60 years, regarding certain types of flowers. Roses have a fairly universal meaning, but other flowers will be viewed as different from their original, intended message.

I have a bias towards the idea that music artists don’t use or understand floriography, and are using personal meanings relating to flowers. I don’t think that many people actually know what floriography is, and have unknowingly created their own messages behind the flowers, that aren’t connected to Victorian era floriography. I will monitor this bias by using extremely specific questions when analyzing the lyrics, and attempting to remain neutral when looking through the data.

Proposed Method of Study

I used a textual analysis method, which is a qualitative method used to analyze, interpret, and describe literature, language, or symbols. I decided to use this method because the main focus was on the interpretation of flower references in song lyrics, which are a type of literature. My main process was to analyze and then interpret the lyrics, as well as juxtapose their guessed intended meanings with the original definitions, so it fit very closely with the textual analysis method.

Results and Findings

The research found that the majority of the time, the meaning of the flower reference in the song lyrics did not match the original meaning in Victorian Floriography. By using the textual analysis of song lyrics, and comparing them side by side with the original definitions in floriography, I discovered that only 7 of the 23 songs that I analyzed had similar flower meanings to the original definitions.

Implications and Conclusion

I feel that it’s very important to continue this research, not only to save the dying language, but to inform and inspire artists and creators of the future. Floriography played such a large role in our past, as it was used in writings from famous classical authors, or paintings that now hold a large significance in the art scene. It brought many people together in a period of change and growth, and by bringing this unique language back, it could do the same in our near future. By reintroducing it to a large variety of people, I hope to give them a way to express themselves, quietly, to add depth to their creations, and their communicating. Tiny pink carnations stitched into the seams of handmade clothes, signifying a mothers love. Continuous references to gladiolus in a novel, meant to show the growth of the characters. Carefully curated bouquets given to loved ones to show appreciation and emotions that maybe haven’t been spoken as often as you mean. The more often flowers are used as a way of communicating, the more beauty will be shared around the world. By conducting further research, large advancements could be made in spreading the word, or rather, the language, of flowers.

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