What is the meaning of the poem the blossom by eavan boland?

Answer 1

I assume you are referring to this:

On a day (alack the day!)

Love, whose month was ever May,

Spied a blossom passing fair,

Playing in the wanton air:

Through the velvet leaves the wind,

All unseen, 'gan passage find;

That the lover, sick to death,

Wish'd himself the heaven's breath.

Air, quoth he, thy cheeks may blow;

Air, would I might triumph so!

But, alas! my hand hath sworn

Ne'er to pluck thee from thy thorn:

Vow, alack, for youth unmeet,

Youth, so apt to pluck a sweet,

Thou for whom Jove would swear

Juno but an Ethiope were;

And deny himself for Jove,

Turning mortal for thy love.

It's a terrible poem.

The first bit develops the idea of the wind ruffling through the petals of a flower, and the lover imagining the flower as his inamorata and himself being jealous of the wind. The author has apparently sworn not to have any physical contact ("pluck thee from thy thorn") with the person represented by the flower. He complains that this vow is "unmeet" for someone so young, one presumes, as the poet. The last four lines are a classical allusion but one that makes no sense. If "thou" means the blossom-person, then she is being compared to Juno, Jupiter's wife, who is by comparison ugly (dark skin was thought to be ugly in those days). Then who is denying himself? And why for Jove? Is it the poet? How can the poet "turn mortal"? Does he imagine himself to be immortal or something? Or is it Jove that is turning mortal?

Search me. It is, as I said, a terrible poem.

Answer 2

the meaning of this poem is about a father giving his daughter who is grown up. the blossom is an extended metaphor for the daughter growing up.