What do the Flowers in The Flower Duet Mean?

By: Deeba Mehr

The Flower Duet is from Léo Delibe’s 1883 opera, Lakmé. Though it is scored for a soprano and mezzo-soprano, it is also popular among instrumentalists and very frequently performed in a concert setting. In popular culture, it is often used in movies and television shows such as Meet the Parents and The Simpsons. Its most famous appearance is in a 1980 British Airways advertisement. The piece is commonly used as a way to show viewers a scenario that is (overly) perfect, and sometimes creates a ‘peace before the storm’ effect before something goes wrong.

In the opera, the duet is between the characters of Lakmé and her servant Mallika (a soprano and mezzo-soprano respectively) as they gather flowers by the riverside. The scene takes place in the first act of the opera, where Lakmé is yet to meet the British officer Gérald, with whom she falls in love. The placement of the piece within the first act and the flowers mentioned allude to Lakme’s naïveté at this point of the story. As mentioned, the ‘peace before the storm’ symbolism is in effect here, as after she meets the officer, her idyllic life is disrupted.

As suggested by the name of the piece, the lyrics are heavily inspired by the beauty of the nature surrounding the characters—particularly the flowers. Flowers themselves have lots of symbolism attached to them; some of the meanings have deeply-rooted origins in history, while connotations of others can be traced back to Le Langage des Fleurs, a book from 1820 intended to consolidate messages given via flowers. In the piece, four plants are named: the vine, the white jasmine, the rose, and the blue lotus.

Vines can be used to signify connection and friendship, as well as strength, determination, and evolution. This may be due to their ability to readily progress forward despite any obstacle. In regards to Lakmé, the vine could allude to her friendship with her servant, her connection with the officer, and her personal evolution. As mentioned, her world view shifts once the officer enters her life, forcing her to grow and evolve past her established comfort zones.

The white jasmine has multiple meanings and usages depending on the location. In this scenario, innocence would be the most pertinent connotation. Since the duet takes place in the first act, before any major conflict arises, it makes sense that Lakmé would still be very innocent and naïve. However, another usage which could apply to this situation is jasmine flowers being used in Hindu rituals to signify good fortune. Lakmé is the daughter of a Hindu priest, so the flower may also be a reference to her background.

Roses are some of the most association-heavy symbols, particularly with different colours connoting different meanings. The lyrics do not make any suggestions about the colour of the roses in the scene, though some colours with applicable meanings are the pink, yellow, and white roses. Pink implies grace, yellow; friendship, and white; innocence. A debated explanation as to why the colour of the rose is not specified is that the word ‘rose’ in French (the language of the opera) has both the meaning of the flower, and of the colour pink. Therefore, there could be a chance that the ‘rose’ mentioned was intended to be interpreted as being pink by default rather than repeating the word. That being said, there is no definitive answer.

The blue lotus has divine implications in various Indian traditions, potentially being another marker to Lakmé’s religious background. It also has connotations of purity, given that it rises above the water and is clean and perfect once open, even though its roots are deep in the mud below. Blue lotuses, in particular, have also been said to imply the victory of the soul over knowledge and intelligence. Though this meaning does not apply to the Flower Duet specifically, it may serve as foreshadowing to the rest of the opera.

Flowers are so laden with subtle messages that, more often than not, if a flower is mentioned in a written work, the symbolism is intentional. We can see in Delibe’s Lakmé that each flower has a relevance to the opera itself—be it a reflection of the heroine’s naïveté and bliss or a hint of what is to come. The word-painting and descriptive nature of the Flower Duet’s lyrics allow the viewer of the show and the listener of the piece to feel immersed in the beauty of which Lakmé and Mallika sing.