--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Why, flowers are violent, cruel, terrible…" description: "\"Why, flowers are violent, cruel, terrible and splendid... like love!\" — Octave Mirbeau" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/207/octave-mirbeau-17305_cruel_why-flowers-are-violent-cruel-terrible-a_286712.jpg" --- # Why, flowers are violent, cruel, terrible and splendid… ![“Why, flowers are violent, cruel, terrible and splendid... like love!” quote by Octave Mirbeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/207/octave-mirbeau-17305_cruel_why-flowers-are-violent-cruel-terrible-a_286712.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/207/octave-mirbeau-17305_cruel_why-flowers-are-violent-cruel-terrible-a_286712.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/207/octave-mirbeau-17305_cruel_why-flowers-are-violent-cruel-terrible-a_286712.jpg) > “Why, flowers are violent, cruel, terrible and splendid... like love!” [Octave Mirbeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octave-mirbeau/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Love shares the paradoxical beauty and brutality of flowers, embodying both wonder and pain. **In simple terms:** Love is beautiful yet painful like flowers. Key Takeaway Embrace love’s dual nature. Themes love beauty pain paradox Mood melancholic introspective Type poetic philosophical When to use this quote - relationships - artistic inspiration - personal reflection - grief processing Key Concepts Romanticism existential duality Questions to Reflect On - What makes love both cruel and splendid? - Can we accept love’s contradictions? A Different Perspective May romanticize suffering. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Flower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flower/) [Flowers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flowers/) [Gardening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gardening/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Splendid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/splendid/) [Violent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/violent/) ## Related quotes > [Why, flowers are violent, cruel, terrible, splendid...like love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octave-mirbeau/why-flowers-are-violent-cruel-terrible-splendid-like-love/) [Octave Mirbeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octave-mirbeau/) > [..it's awful not to be loved. It's the worst thing in the world...It makes you mean, and violent, and cruel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/it-s-awful-not-to-be-loved-it-s-the-worst-thing-in-the-world-it-makes/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [“No decent person deliberately chooses to be violent or cruel. We must remove our blinkers and learn that in order to live according to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mango-wodzak/no-decent-person-deliberately-chooses-to-be-violent-or-cruel-we-must/) [Mango Wodzak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mango-wodzak/) > [“It’s entirely possible to subscribe to a violent, cruel, repressive and regressive belief system, and not actually enact most of its values. Technically, almost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sami-shah/it-s-entirely-possible-to-subscribe-to-a-violent-cruel-repressive-and/) Sami Shah > [His mane was like a crest, mounting, then falling low. His neck was long and slender, and arched to the small, savagely beautiful head.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-farley/his-mane-was-like-a-crest-mounting-then-falling-low-his-neck-was-long/) [Walter Farley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-farley/) > [In spite of my great admiration for individual splendid talents I do not accept the star system. Collective creative effort is the root of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/constantin-stanislavski/in-spite-of-my-great-admiration-for-individual-splendid-talents-i-do/) [Constantin Stanislavski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/constantin-stanislavski/) > [Heroism, self-denial, and magnanimity, in all instances where they do not spring from a principle of religion, are but splendid altars on which we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/heroism-self-denial-and-magnanimity-in-all-instances-where-they-do/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [Do not be afraid of your difficulties.Do not wish you could be in other circumstances than you are. 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If we only—can—live up—to the thoughts—of us—by them—that love us!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-stead/it-is-splendid-to-be-loved-if-we-only-can-live-up-to-the-thoughts-of/) [Christina Stead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-stead/) > [We are a spectacular, splendid manifestation of life. We have language. . . . We have affection. We have genes for usefulness, and usefulness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-thomas/we-are-a-spectacular-splendid-manifestation-of-life-we-have-language/) [Lewis Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-thomas/) > [Give me, indulgent gods with mind serene, And guiltless heart, to range the sylvan scene, No splendid poverty, no smiling care, No well-bred hate,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-young/give-me-indulgent-gods-with-mind-serene-and-guiltless-heart-to-range/) [Edward Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-young/) ## More by Octave Mirbeau > [“After two years' absence she finally returned to chilly Europe, a trifle weary, a trifle sad, disgusted by our banal entertainments, our shrunken landscapes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octave-mirbeau/after-two-years-absence-she-finally-returned-to-chilly-europe-a/) [Octave Mirbeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octave-mirbeau/) > [The universe appears to me like an immense, inexorable torture-garden…Passions, greed, hatred, and lies; social institutions, justice, love, glory, heroism, and religion: these are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octave-mirbeau/the-universe-appears-to-me-like-an-immense-inexorable-torture-garden/) [Octave Mirbeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octave-mirbeau/) > [As soon as I find myself in the presence of a rich man, I cannot help looking upon him as an exceptional and beautiful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octave-mirbeau/as-soon-as-i-find-myself-in-the-presence-of-a-rich-man-i-cannot-help/) [Octave Mirbeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octave-mirbeau/) > [Wherever he goes, whatever he does, he will always see that word: murder—immortally inscribed upon the pediment of that vast slaughterhouse—humanity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octave-mirbeau/wherever-he-goes-whatever-he-does-he-will-always-see-that-word-murder/) [Octave Mirbeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octave-mirbeau/) > [You're obliged to pretend respect for people and institutions you think absurd. 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I need love in a good way.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tegan-quin/don-t-be-so-cruel-to-me-don-t-promise-me-anything-i-ve-got-everything/) [Tegan Quin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tegan-quin/) > [Pity is cruel. Pity destroys.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-greene/pity-is-cruel-pity-destroys/) [Graham Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-greene/) > [“Even the cruel feel pain. And even the cruel can change. I hope this changes him. He could do so much, if only he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierce-brown/even-the-cruel-feel-pain-and-even-the-cruel-can-change-i-hope-this/) [Pierce Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierce-brown/) > [You must learn that to endure cruelty is to become cruel yourself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bleach/you-must-learn-that-to-endure-cruelty-is-to-become-cruel-yourself/) [Bleach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bleach/) > [“my power is as cruel a joke as it can get? That’s”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-d-anderson/my-power-is-as-cruel-a-joke-as-it-can-get-that-s/) Katie D. Anderson > [I must be cruel only to be kind; Thus bad begins, and worse remains behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/i-must-be-cruel-only-to-be-kind-thus-bad-begins-and-worse-remains/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Huamns, uregulated, are cruel and capricious; violet and selfish; miserable and quarrelsome. It is only after their instincts and basic emotions have been controlled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/huamns-uregulated-are-cruel-and-capricious-violet-and-selfish/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [“You would think those who have endured unkindness would be kinder as a result, intent on sparing others the awful suffering they abhorred firsthand.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-e-goodrich/you-would-think-those-who-have-endured-unkindness-would-be-kinder-as/) [Richelle E. Goodrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-e-goodrich/) > [how cruel, your veins are full of ice-water and mine are boiling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-bronte/how-cruel-your-veins-are-full-of-ice-water-and-mine-are-boiling/) [Emily Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-bronte/) > [There is no kindness more cruel than the kindness which consigns another person to their sin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/there-is-no-kindness-more-cruel-than-the-kindness-which-consigns/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [Vanity can create a very cruel space for you if you don't know how to manage it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lady-gaga/vanity-can-create-a-very-cruel-space-for-you-if-you-don-t-know-how-to/) [Lady Gaga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lady-gaga/) > [Life is cruel and we do terrible things to each other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-pym/life-is-cruel-and-we-do-terrible-things-to-each-other/) [Barbara Pym](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-pym/) > [What people loathe the most is to be orphaned, desolate, unworthy. But this is what princes and kings call themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/what-people-loathe-the-most-is-to-be-orphaned-desolate-unworthy-but/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) Browse all 1,069 Cruel quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Why, flowers are violent, cruel, terrible and splendid... like love!", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Octave Mirbeau" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octave-mirbeau/why-flowers-are-violent-cruel-terrible-and-splendid-like-love/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Cruel" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octave-mirbeau/why-flowers-are-violent-cruel-terrible-and-splendid-like-love/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/207/octave-mirbeau-17305_cruel_why-flowers-are-violent-cruel-terrible-a_286712.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/207/octave-mirbeau-17305_cruel_why-flowers-are-violent-cruel-terrible-a_286712.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/207/octave-mirbeau-17305_cruel_why-flowers-are-violent-cruel-terrible-a_286712.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Why, flowers are violent, cruel, terrible and splendid... like love!” — Octave Mirbeau", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Octave Mirbeau", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octave-mirbeau/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Why, flowers are violent, cruel, terrible...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octave-mirbeau/why-flowers-are-violent-cruel-terrible-and-splendid-like-love/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octave-mirbeau/why-flowers-are-violent-cruel-terrible-and-splendid-like-love/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```