The Value of Sunflowers

 

The sunflower is a beloved flower that has a deeply rooted symbolism in music, art, nature, and psychology.  The sunflower is often mentioned in various forms of art and media such as music, paintings, and literature. Its presence in various settings is symbolic of positive energy, growth, and evolution.

The presence of these flowers often evokes feelings of hope, joy, and beauty. Their appearance is tied to warm summer days and brings forth a sense of optimism.

Psychology

The bright yellow colour of the sunflower represents positivity, optimism, and intelligence, which are all crucial aspects of psychology.

In psychology, for example, it represents the unfolding and blossoming of one's unique self, integrating all aspects of one's personality and potential. The sunflower can be seen as a representation of the Self, which is a central concept in Jungian psychology.

 

Music

In the same way that psychology describes sunflowers as a symbol of joy and optimism, songwriters find sunflowers as the perfect symbol for the love and appreciation they hope to evoke in their songs, especially in some that are made to evoke in mind the image of summer late afternoons and their cosy, warm vibe. 

 For example, “Sunflower” by Post Malone and Swae Lee mainly focuses on a relationship between the singer and his significant other, his sunflower. Another example is “Sunflower, Vol. 6” by Harry Styles. we can gather from these lyrics, where the word sunflower is repeated many times that it represents the singer’s crush and that he wants to know her personally but is afraid to talk to her and embarrass himself.

Art

In art, we know sunflowers from impressionist and post-impressionist artists such as Vincent van Gogh and Paul Gauguin, by way before that, Native Americans created the earliest sunflower art: they used both a representation of the flower in art and processed sunflowers to create pigments, that later, by mastering the technique, became very popular in pottery and other art.

For Van Gogh, Sunflowers held the meaning of pure joy and happiness, a concept very dear to that artist who, in the bright yellow colour of the petals saw himself, always reaching for happiness like this flower looks out for the sun.

Literature

Lastly, in literature, the sunflowers are used to talk about admiration for nature and its beauty. In many poems, the sunflower is described as a flower that turns towards the sun and gets its energy and power from it. It is often used as a metaphor for life and the desire for happiness and success. For example, Goethe's Sunflower poem is an ode to nature, represented by the sunflower and it also emphasizes the importance of the sun as a source of life.

In the Romantic period the sunflower was often used as a metaphor, since in this period of literature, nature was the focus, and the sunflower symbolized the longing for freedom and self-realization. Especially among the poets of German Romanticism such as Novalis, Hölderlin and Eichendorff, the sunflower was used as an expression of love and the desire for an ideal life. 

Today’s Blogger

Hello there! I'm Lucrezia Pelliccia, a 16-year-old student in the third year of Liceo Scientifico. I have a passion for artistic expression, which includes drawing, painting, and writing. I find solace and inspiration in the world of art. Additionally, music is a significant part of my life, with a particular fondness for indie rock.