Literary notes about FLORIST (AI summary)
The term "florist" in literature is employed both in its literal sense—a professional dealing in flowers—and as a symbol of refinement and aesthetic sensibility. In works such as The Age of Innocence [1, 2] and Mosses from an Old Manse [3, 4], the florist is portrayed as a purveyor of beauty whose offerings carry emotional and social significance. Meanwhile, in texts like Pygmalion [5, 6] and An Ideal Husband [7], the term hints at the elegance of cultivated manners and the settings where delicate, genteel interactions unfold. Even in narrative observations—from the practical assistance in a greenhouse mentioned in Louisa May Alcott’s work [8, 9] to the biblical reflection on the beauty of natural forms in the King James Bible [10]—the florist emerges as a figure emblematic of both the art of floriculture and its broader cultural resonance.
- He turned into his florist's to send her the daily box of lilies-of-the-valley which, to his confusion, he found he had forgotten that morning.
— from The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton - The florist assured him that they would.
— from The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton - With this idea he hastened to the florist's and purchased a bouquet that was still gemmed with the morning dew-drops.
— from Mosses from an old manse by Nathaniel Hawthorne - On his way, happening to pass by a florist's, he bought a fresh bouquet of flowers.
— from Mosses from an old manse by Nathaniel Hawthorne - What about your old idea of a florist's shop?
— from Pygmalion by Bernard Shaw - Eliza: you are to live here for the next six months, learning how to speak beautifully, like a lady in a florist's shop.
— from Pygmalion by Bernard Shaw - I will speak to the florist, my lord.
— from An Ideal Husband by Oscar Wilde - "You said in your note that Mr. Sterling was a florist, and might like me to help in the green-house, if I was willing.
— from Work: A Story of Experience by Louisa May Alcott - "You should know better than I, being a florist," said Christie, glad to see he approved of her work.
— from Work: A Story of Experience by Louisa May Alcott - What does a florist care for the shape and structure of the organs of fructification, unless, indeed, they add to the beauty of the flower?
— from The King James Version of the Bible