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All blossom to the root;
But whose poor nature cannot grow,
One particle of fruit!
Lines 21-22: "Like plants that make a gaudy show , All blossom to the root;"
Important words
Meaning: Empty words are like plants that make a flashy show – they are completely covered in flowers , right down to the root.
Lines 23-24: "But whose poor nature cannot grow, One particle of fruit !"
Important words
Meaning: But these plants are so weak inside that they cannot grow even one tiny bit of fruit – they give nothing useful.
"Like plants that make a gaudy show, All blossom to the root;"
(Empty words are like plants that make a flashy show – they are completely covered in flowers, right down to the root.)
"But whose poor nature cannot grow, One particle of fruit!"
(But these plants are so weak inside that they cannot grow even one tiny bit of fruit – they give nothing useful.)
Overall meaning: The poet compares empty words to showy plants full of flowers that look beautiful but grow no fruit at all . So flashy words may look impressive, but they give nothing of real value . The poem ends warning us against empty, showy words.
