Poetry Analysis: Lamium | Louise Glück’s The Wild Iris
An analysis of Lamium, poem #5 in The Wild Iris by Louise Glück. We explore the voice of this shadow-thriving flower, its symbolism of numbness, and its reflection of human detachment.
Poem #5: Lamium
from Louise Glück’s The Wild Iris
This is the third flower (other than the Wild Iris and the Trillium), and Lamium is especially intriguing in its personality. The perspective of the Lamium feels most similar to the Wild Iris so far: it radiates detachment.
The Lamium plant — often called Dead Nettle — thrives in shade and has silver-veined leaves. Glück gives this flower a cool, steady voice, allowing us to read a quiet meditation on emotional numbness.
💬 My initial notes while reading this poem:
The flower thrives in darkness, has a confidence & magnetism to its personality, and reflects human nature.
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