Flower in the crannied wall

Tennyson memorial statue

"Flower in the crannied wall" is a 1863 poem by Alfred, Lord Tennyson.

Flower in the crannied wall,
I pluck you out of the crannies,
I hold you here, root and all, in my hand,
Little flower—but if I could understand
What you are, root and all, and all in all,
I should know what God and man is.

Plaque

Tennyson composed the poem by the wishing well at Waggoners Wells.^[1]

The Tennyson memorial statue by George Frederic Watts at Lincoln shows him holding a flower in his hand and a plaque with this poem.^[2] The phrase flower in the crannied wall is sometimes used in a metaphorical sense for the idea of seeking holistic and grander principles from constituent parts and their connections.^[3]

References

Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom, 1850-1892 Early poetry "The Deserted House" "The Lady of Shalott" The Lotos-Eaters Mariana Oenone Poetry "Break, Break, Break" "The Charge of the Light Brigade" The Day-Dream "Godiva" Idylls of the King In Memoriam A.H.H. Lady Clara Vere de Vere "Locksley Hall" "Now Sleeps the Crimson Petal" "The Palace of Art" The Princess Sir Galahad St. Simeon Stylites "Tears, Idle Tears" The Two Voices "Ulysses" Late poetry "Crossing the Bar" "The Eagle" "Enoch Arden" "Flower in the crannied wall" Maud "Ring Out, Wild Bells" "Tithonus" Other works The Foresters (play) The Window (song cycle) Related Chapel House, Twickenham Farringford House Blackdown, West Sussex Aldworth People Arthur Hallam (friend) Emily Tennyson (wife) Hallam Tennyson (son) Lionel Tennyson (grandson) Charles Tennyson (grandson) Emilia Tennyson (sister) Charles Tennyson Turner (brother) Frederick Tennyson (brother) Commons Wikibooks Wikiquote Wikisource texts

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