14 The Virgin Mother! Whose virgin bosom was uncrost With the least shade of thought to sin allied; Woman! Above all women glorified, Our tainted nature’s solitary boast; Purer than foam on central ocean tost; Brighter than eastern skies at daybreak strewn With fancied roses, than the unblemished moon Before her wane begins on heaven’s blue coast. The Marian symbolism of the lily is implicit in, among other places, a verse from the Song of Songs: “As a lily among thorns, so is my beloved among women” (Sgs 2:2). Considered by the Greeks “the flower of flowers,” it is only natural that the lily should accompany the Virgin, the most beautiful flower of paradise. For this reason, it has been named the “madonna lily.” Through its brilliant whiteness, the lily symbolizes purity, virginity, and chastity. Traditionally held by the angel Gabriel in depictions of the Annunciation, it is also the attribute of Saint Joseph. As early as the eleventh century, Mary was represented with a lily on coins minted by bishops. The perfume of the lily is also associated with the odor of sanctity.
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