The studio was filled with the rich odor of roses……Catch the gleam of the honey-sweet and honey-

colored blossoms of the laburnum, whose tremulous branches seemed hardly able to bear the
burden of a beauty so flame-like as theirs

Ho Ho! – an analytical goldmine

The studio was filled with the rich odor of roses

Even before the reader knows what’s hit them, Wilde immediately establishes the theme of beauty
in the very first lines of the novel and thus introduces the idea of the toll it can take on those blessed
by its touch. Indeed, the idea that the ‘rich odor of roses’ ‘filled’ the studio induces an almost idyllic
atmosphere, highlighting the magnitude of beauty on display; Wilde’s use of the verb ‘filled’
effectively utilises ideas of volumetric capacity to further the image of the serene studio brimming
with the beautiful scent of roses, as thought it could take no more exquisiteness. Alternatively, we
could argue that the double entendre in ‘rich’ even furthers the beauty of the description. On the
surface it appears only to describe the indulgent headiness of the roses, yet Wilde perhaps also uses
it to suggest nature’s true value by connoting ideas of wealth and affluence; although not
materialistic prosperity, Wilde highlights how to those who can see ‘only Beauty’ in ‘beautiful
things’, the natural splendour holds far more value than any currency ever could, and thus Wilde
immediately establishes the theme of aestheticism from the very outset of chapter 1. Certainly, an
extremely important theme throughout the play is the motif of flowers; it is interesting to note that
at the time of writing, floriography had become an extremely popularized literary device in which
the writer utilises a plethora of different flowers to subtly connote ideas about a character or scene.
Thus, we could argue that Wilde purposely opens the novel with ‘roses’ to act as a symbol for the
desire which will be on show in the coming plot; Lord Henry’s desire to manipulate Dorian, Dorian’s
desire to be forever young and beautiful, and Basil’s desire to be loved by Dorian. Similarly, the
‘laburnum’ is also of significance, as throughout the novel one begins to recognise it as the
‘floriographical’ symbol of Lord Henry; when relating to floriography, a Victorian reader would have
associated the ‘laburnum’ to “pensive thought” and ‘pensive beauty, highlighting his philosophical
fascinations. Indeed, throughout the novel it is made clear that his significant interest in Dorian is
rooted in a strong desire for power over the young man, as his intent to dominate Dorian through a
manipulation of mind and thought gradually emerges. Indeed, the laburnum flower is extremely
toxic, and thus Wilde perhaps highlights how Lord Henry poisons Dorian by inducing the desire for
immortal youth and beauty within him, driving him down the path of immorality which ultimately
dooms him to a terrible fate. Yet we could argue that the symbolism of flowers plays an even greater
role throughout the play; they highlight the fleeting nature of beauty. Like a flower which will
eventually wilt, beauty decays overtime, and Wilde perhaps argues that it is this inevitable dulling
which enhances the beauty of things immensely, for that which is fleeting is often the most
exquisite. Certainly, it is disputably Dorian’s inability to accept the ephemerality of beauty which
triggers his descent into immorality as he becomes overcome by his desire for eternal beauty.

the laburnum, whose tremulous branches seemed hardly able to bear the burden of a beauty so
flame-like as theirs.

Yet aside from describing the extreme beauty of the flowers and thus immediately introducing the
reader to the theme of aestheticism running throughout the novel, Wilde also simultaneously
foreshadows the toll beauty takes on those who are blessed by its touch, as is Dorian. Certainly, the
idea that the laburnum is ‘hardly able to bear the burden of a beauty so flame-like as theirs’ is
testament to the previous sentence; such is the exquisiteness of the laburnum flowers that it places
an immense strain upon the boughs of the tree. This image is possibly even further emphasised by
the use of the quasi- onomatopoeic verb ‘tremulous’; the plosive ‘t’ sounds sandwiching the soft ‘m’
conjures a sound which aurally mimics the wavering motion of the branches under the immense
stress of the laburnum’s beauty. It is not hard to see then how one could draw a parallel between
the tree and Dorian Grey; Wilde highlights how the responsibility and weight of such unfathomable
beauty takes a terrible toll on Dorian as he becomes infected with the desire to remain as such for
eternity. Undeniably, Wilde’s use of the alliterative plosive ‘b’ sounds are perhaps once again used
to enhance the image described by mimicking the faint cracking sound of the branch under the
strain of its beauty, followed by the eventual plosive ‘k’ which foreshadows the inevitable downfall
of one who is as inherently beautiful as Dorian.