Crossword Dictionary
ROSES OF PICARDY
"Roses of Picardy" is a popular British song with lyrics by Frederick Weatherly and music by Haydn Wood.
While this song was written during the first world war, it makes no allusion nor reference to the conflict. It does not stray at all from its central theme of love and infatuation. The song’s lyrics describe a mysterious woman with notably sea-blue eyes in an almost dream-like setting, watching from a poplar tree. The woman is seen watching, longing, and waiting for something, or someone. What is she waiting for? Why does she long for it? And what is she watching? These only add to the mysterious attraction of this song’s character. In this song, love is quite literally in the air, causing the mystery woman to tremble, as if freezing. Then comes the chorus. The chorus of the song plays heavily with imagery involving roses, time, and death. The mystery girl is compared to a rose, which is symbolic of her beauty and magnificence. In the foggy landscape of Picardy where visibility is unclear, her beauty stands out as a beacon of love. Then, in the summer the flowers and roses reach the end of their life and die, but the one rose that persists is the girl, who lives on in the heart and memory of the song’s artist. This cycle of the seasons that results in the birth and death of the flowers represents the continuation of love through time. It truly is a beautiful analogy.