A sculpture of Shakespeare among the blooms. “All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players;” (from As You Like It.)
Flashback: memorizing the Bard’s plays for exams.
The present: traipsing around in the Shakespeare Garden.
Wonderful experiences, both.
Learning to appreciate William Shakespeare’s poetic language, wit and wisdom was due, quite considerably, to the excellent literature teachers at my old high school, TKGS in Singapore.
And last weekend, I spent a light-hearted day visiting the Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens in San Marino, California. It has several themed gardens including one inspired by the Bard.
The Shakespeare Garden is designed to look like an old English country scene. It features many plants and flowers mentioned in Shakespeare plays such as roses, poppies, violets, pansies and rosemary. A small plaque next to the plant displays the relevant quote or verse.
And thus I present scenes from the garden, and some favorite lines from Shakespeare’s plays.
"Speak low if you speak love." ( from Much Ado About Nothing.)
"I like this place, and willingly could waste my time in it." (from As You Like It.)
“This above all: to thine own self be true,..” (from Hamlet.)
