Looking for a quote about bees, sex, and life
April 16, 2009 2:59 PM Subscribe
I once read a poem, or possibly a quote, about a bee pollinating flowers and how it was so beautiful and I think they even maybe connected it to sex and/or the essence of life. Does anyone know the name or author of this?
Is it this from "The King and I?"
"A girl must be like a blossom, with honey for just one man.
A man must live like honeybee, and gather all he can.
To fly from blossom to blossom, a honeybee must be free
But blossom must never fly, from bee to bee to bee.”
posted by Fortnight Bender at 3:07 PM on April 16, 2009
"A girl must be like a blossom, with honey for just one man.
A man must live like honeybee, and gather all he can.
To fly from blossom to blossom, a honeybee must be free
But blossom must never fly, from bee to bee to bee.”
posted by Fortnight Bender at 3:07 PM on April 16, 2009
Response by poster: Thank you drjimmy11!! That's it! What a beautiful quote, eh? And thank you FB for your effort. :)
posted by ascetic at 3:10 PM on April 16, 2009
posted by ascetic at 3:10 PM on April 16, 2009
Heh, I immediately thought of John Donne, but then realized the poem I was thinking of is called The Flea. So no, not a bee. I wonder if you can think of any other identifying markers? Drawing comparisons between bees pollinating and sex is likely very common.
posted by JenMarie at 3:12 PM on April 16, 2009
posted by JenMarie at 3:12 PM on April 16, 2009
FWIW, this also reminds me of the Toomer's speech from The Great Santini, about "boy flowers" and "girl flowers" and how the bees are like little "preacher men" and every flower they touch become married.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 3:20 PM on April 16, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 3:20 PM on April 16, 2009 [1 favorite]
Oh, I always forget about that preview thing. Good job, drjimmy11!
posted by JenMarie at 3:59 PM on April 16, 2009
posted by JenMarie at 3:59 PM on April 16, 2009
Um, bees pollinating flowers *is* sex... just not for the bee.
posted by Maias at 4:47 PM on April 16, 2009
posted by Maias at 4:47 PM on April 16, 2009
Thank you for your question, you brought back a memory for me.... discovering Lew Welch at age 17 through his poem "Botany".
BOTANY
Consider the Passion Flower:
Who'd ever think a plant would go to
so much trouble
just to get fucked
by a Bee.
How shocked I was! How disapproving and scandalized. And above all, how very very YOUNG.
Maybe it wasn't the verse you had in mind, but it definitely falls under Variations on a Theme!
posted by GuffProof at 6:10 PM on April 16, 2009
BOTANY
Consider the Passion Flower:
Who'd ever think a plant would go to
so much trouble
just to get fucked
by a Bee.
How shocked I was! How disapproving and scandalized. And above all, how very very YOUNG.
Maybe it wasn't the verse you had in mind, but it definitely falls under Variations on a Theme!
posted by GuffProof at 6:10 PM on April 16, 2009
On the other side of things, there's bees assaulting the flowers.
posted by nonane at 6:32 PM on April 16, 2009
posted by nonane at 6:32 PM on April 16, 2009
yay drjimmy, but for those interested in songs with the bee-pollinating-the-flower euphemism:
Grease 2: Reproduction
Once Upon a Mattress: Man to Man Talk
posted by i_am_a_fiesta at 11:30 PM on April 16, 2009
Grease 2: Reproduction
Once Upon a Mattress: Man to Man Talk
posted by i_am_a_fiesta at 11:30 PM on April 16, 2009
I've always liked this E.B. White poem: Song of the Queen Bee
posted by Prawn at 6:30 AM on April 17, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by Prawn at 6:30 AM on April 17, 2009 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
That? It's from the screenplay to "Adaptation" by Charlie Kaufman.
posted by drjimmy11 at 3:03 PM on April 16, 2009 [5 favorites]