The Daisy Flashcards
by Hans Christian Andersen — tap or click to flip
Flashcard Review
Flashcards: The Daisy
Where does the daisy grow at the beginning of the story?
It grows on the fresh green bank of a ditch, close by the high road near a farmhouse with a painted paling garden.
What is the daisy doing when the story opens?
It has fully opened its snow-white petals around its yellow centre and is happily turning toward the sun, listening to the lark sing.
Why does the lark fly down to the daisy instead of the garden flowers?
The lark prefers the soft grass and the simple beauty of the daisy, praising its golden heart and silver dress, rather than the proud tulips and peonies.
What happens to the tulips in the garden?
A girl comes with a large sharp knife and cuts them off one after another, carrying them away.
How does the lark end up in a cage?
The lark is caught and imprisoned in a cage placed close by an open window, where it sings sadly about its lost freedom.
Why do the two boys cut out a square of turf around the daisy?
They want to provide a fine piece of turf for the captive lark in its cage, and one boy insists the daisy be left in the centre because it looks pretty.
What does the caged lark say to the daisy?
It tells the daisy that both of them must fade, and that the daisy and the grass are all it has been given in exchange for the whole world it enjoyed outside.
How does the lark die?
It dies of thirst and longing because no one remembers to bring it water; its heart breaks, and it utters a faint final tweet before bending its head toward the daisy.
What happens to the daisy at the end of the story?
The piece of turf with the daisy is thrown out on the dusty highway, completely forgotten, while the boys bury the lark with flowers and royal honours.
How do the boys treat the lark after it dies versus when it was alive?
While alive they forgot it and let it suffer in the cage without water; after it dies they cry bitterly, give it a decorated grave, and bury it in a pretty red box.
How does the daisy differ from the garden flowers in personality?
The daisy is humble, content, and grateful for simple blessings, while the tulips and peonies are proud, haughty, and competitive about their appearance.
How do the peonies try to distinguish themselves?
They puff themselves up to appear larger than the roses, believing that size will make them superior.
How do the tulips behave in the story?
They stand bolt upright like candles, proud of their fine colours, and become vexed and stiff-faced when the lark chooses the daisy over them.
What kind of character is the lark in the story?
The lark is a joyful, free-spirited creature that values genuine beauty over showiness, but becomes a tragic figure once captured and neglected.
What is the central theme of the story?
The story contrasts humility and genuine worth with vanity and outward show, while also criticizing how people neglect the living and mourn only after it is too late.
How does the story illustrate the theme of neglect and belated grief?
The boys forget the living lark, letting it die of thirst, then lavish it with flowers and tears after death -- showing that attention and care come too late.
What does the story say about contentment and gratitude?
The daisy models true contentment by rejoicing in sunshine, birdsong, and its simple existence, while the garden flowers are dissatisfied despite their beauty.
How does the story address freedom versus captivity?
The lark's joyful singing in freedom contrasts sharply with its misery in the cage, illustrating that beauty and song cannot survive when freedom is taken away.
What does the daisy symbolize in the story?
It symbolizes humility, quiet virtue, and selfless compassion -- qualities the world overlooks and discards.
What literary technique does Andersen use by giving human traits to the daisy, lark, and garden flowers?
Personification, which allows him to explore human emotions like vanity, contentment, compassion, and neglect through nature.
What is ironic about the ending of the story?
The boys who neglected the lark and caused its death now mourn it with elaborate funeral honours, while the daisy that truly cared is thrown away unnoticed.
How does Andersen use contrast as a literary device in the story?
He contrasts the humble daisy with the proud garden flowers, the lark's freedom with its captivity, and human indifference during life with grief after death.
What is the significance of the lark calling the daisy's petals a 'silver dress' and its centre 'gold'?
This imagery elevates the humble daisy to something precious and beautiful, showing that true worth is recognized by those who look beyond outward grandeur.
What role does the setting play in the story?
The contrast between the wild ditch bank and the cultivated garden reinforces the theme that genuine beauty and virtue exist outside prestigious, manicured spaces.
What does the word 'palings' mean in the context of the farmhouse garden?
Palings are fence stakes or pickets, referring to the painted wooden fence surrounding the garden.
What does 'haughty' mean as used to describe the garden flowers?
It means arrogantly superior and disdainful, suggesting the flowers look down on others they consider beneath them.
What does 'reverence' mean in the context of the daisy looking up at the lark?
It means deep respect and admiration, conveying the daisy's awe at the lark's ability to fly and sing.
What does 'vexed' mean when describing the tulips' reaction to the lark choosing the daisy?
It means annoyed and irritated, showing the tulips are upset that the lark preferred the humble daisy over them.