First 6 lines - Rizal in this paragraph poetically requests the flowers of Heidelberg to speak of him in the

Philippines. Dr. Rizal lived and worked in Germany for years and actually studied in Heidelberg. He loved
its natural beauty but he was homesick for his native Philippines and in the poem asks the flowers to act
as messengers to take his thoughts of home back there. He asks the flowers to tell everyone back home
that whilst he likes Germany his true loyalties are to the Philippines.

Next 3 paragraphs

These three paragraphs mentions the times of day starting from dawn and the break of sunlight. He
beautifully asked the flowers to bear witness to his undying concern for his motherland when at dawn
he sings to the flowers native songs in exchange of their gift of natural perfume. And in the morning
under the soft light of the early sun he reflects still of his motherland where the same sun now is at its
highest... as if he is connected with his motherland through the sun

Pluck

Rizal poetically describes his plan for the flowers to carry his message to his motherland. He plucks them
and preserves them in his book.

Here is the paradox: Rizal used the flowers of Heidelberg as his symbol of his love for his motherland.
The beauty of the flowers is comparable to the way he looks at our country that anyone who will see the
flower may get in touch with Rizal's concern for his motherland. Though noble this may seem to be, Rizal
in the last stanza reflected on its utter futility since the flower will no longer be the same when it
reaches the country. Its beauty and perfume, which should reflect Rizal's intentions for the country, will
long be gone. Why? For it is far from its fatherland.)

1. TO THE FLOWERS OF HEIDEL PREPAREDBY: ROXETTE V. VERDEFLOR BSEDIII

2. GO TO MY COUNTRY, GO FOREIGN FLOWERS, PLANTEDBY THE TRAVELERON HIS WAY, ANDTHERE

BENEATHTHAT SKY OF BLUE THAT OVERMY BELOVEDTOWERS, SPEAKFORTHIS TRAVELERTO SAY WHAT
FAITHIN HIS HOMELANDHE BREATHES TO YOU. INTERPRETATION : RIZAL IN THIS PARAGRAPH
POETICALLY REQUESTS THE FLOWERS OF HEIDELBERG TO SPEAK OF HIM IN THE PHILIPPINES

3. GO ANDSAY.... SAY THAT WHEN THE DAWN FIRST BREWYOURCALYXOPEN THERE BESIDE THE
RIVERNECKERCHILL, YOU SAWHIMSTANDING BY YOU, VERY STILL, REFLECTING ON THE PRIMROSE
FLUSHYOU WEAR. SAY THAT WHEN THE MORNING LIGHT HERTOLL OF PERFUME FROMYOU WRUNG,
WHILE PLAYFULLY SHE WHISPERED, "HOWI LOVE YOU!" HE TOO MURMUREDHERE ABOVE YOU

4. THAT WHEN THE RISING SUN THE HEIGHT OF KOENIGSTHUL IN EARLY MORN FIRST SPIES,
ANDWITHITS TEPIDLIGHT IS POURING LIFE IN VALLEY, WOOD, ANDGROVE, HE GREETS THE SUN AS IT
BEGINS TORISE, WHICHIN HIS NATIVE LAND IS BLAZING STRAIGHT ABOVE. INTERPRETATION : THESE
THREE PARAGRAPHS MENTIONS THE TIMES OF DAY STARTING FROM DAWN AND THE BREAK OF
SUNLIGHT. HE BEAUTIFULLY ASKED THE FLOWERS TO BEAR WITNESS TO HIS UNDYING CONCERN FOR
HIS MOTHERLAND WHEN AT DAWN HE SINGS TO THE FLOWERS NATIVE SONGS IN EXCHANGE OF THEIR
GIFT OF NATURAL PERFUME. AND IN THE MORNING UNDER THE SOFT LIGHT OF THE EARLY SUN HE
REFLECTS STILL OF HIS MOTHERLAND WHERE THE SAME SUN NOW IS AT ITS HIGHEST... AS IF HE IS
CONNECTED WITH HIS MOTHERLAND

5. ANDTELL THEMOF THAT DAY HE STAID ANDPLUCKEDYOU FROMTHE BORDEROF THE PATH, AMIDTHE
RUINS OF THE FEUDAL CASTLE, BY THE RIVERNECKAR, ANDIN THE SYLVAN SHADE, TELL THEMWHAT HE
TOLDYOU AS TENDERLY HE TOOK YOURPLIANT LEAVES ANDPRESSEDTHEMIN A BOOK, WHERE NOWITS
WELL-WORN PAGES CLOSE ENFOLDYOU. INTERPRETATION : RIZAL POETICALLY DESCRIBES HIS PLAN FOR
THE FLOWERS TO CARRY HIS MESSAGE TO HIS MOTHERLAND. HE PLUCKS THEM AND PRESERVES THEM
IN HIS BOOK HTTP://LAONLAAN.BLOGSPOT.COM/2010/02/TO-FLOWERS-OF- HEIDELBERG.HTML

6. CARRY, CARRY, FLOWERS OF RHINE, LOVE TOEVERY LOVE OF MINE, PEACE TOMY COUNTRY
ANDHERFERTILE LOAM, VIRTUE TOHERWOMEN, COURAGE TOHERMEN, SALUTE THOSE DARLING ONES
AGAIN, WHOFORMEDTHE SACREDCIRCLE OF OURHOME. INTERPRETATION : HIS FIRST MESSAGE TO THE
COUNTRY IS PEACE, VIRTUE TO WOMEN, COURAGE TO MEN.
HTTP://LAONLAAN.BLOGSPOT.COM/2010/02/TO-FLOWERS-OF- HEIDELBERG.HTML

7. HTTP://LAONLAAN.BLOGSPOT.COM/2010/02/TO-FLOWERS- OF-HEIDELBERG.HTML ANDWHEN YOU

REACHTHAT SHORE, EACHKISS I PRESS UPON YOU NOW, DEPOSIT ON THE PINIONS OF THE WIND,
ANDTHOSE I LOVE ANDHONOR ANDADORE WILL FEEL MY KISSES CARRIEDTO THEIRBROW.
INTERPRETATION : HE POETICALLY DESCRIBES HIS WILL THAT HIS KISSES ON THE FLOWER MAY BE
CARRIED BY THE WIND TO HIS LOVED ONES

8. AH, FLOWERS, YOU MAY FARE THROUGH, CONSERVING STILL, PERHAPS, YOURNATIVE HUE; YET,
FARFROMFATHERLAND, HEROIC LOAM TO WHICHYOU OWE YOURLIFE, THE PERFUME WILL BE GONE
FROMYOU; FORAROMA IS YOURSOUL; IT CANNOT ROAM BEYONDTHE SKIES WHICHSAWIT BORN,
NORE'ER FORGET.

9. INTERPRETATION RIZAL USED THE FLOWERS OF HEIDELBERG AS HIS SYMBOL OF HIS LOVE FOR HIS
MOTHERLAND. THE BEAUTY OF THE FLOWERS IS COMPARABLE TO THE WAY HE LOOKS AT OUR
COUNTRY THAT ANYONE WHO WILL SEE THE FLOWER MAY GET IN TOUCH WITH RIZAL'S CONCERN
FORHIS MOTHERLAND. THOUGHNOBLE THIS MAY SEEM TO BE, RIZAL IN THE LAST STANZA
REFLECTEDON ITS UTTER FUTILITY SINCE THE FLOWERWILL NO LONGERBE THE SAME WHEN IT REACHES
THE COUNTRY. ITS BEAUTY AND PERFUME, WHICH SHOULD REFLECT RIZAL'S INTENTIONS FOR THE
COUNTRY, WILL LONG BE GONE. WHY? FORIT IS FARFROMITS FATHERLAND.

10. REFLECTION RIZAL WROTE THIS WHEN HE WAS AT GERMANY. IN FRANCE AND GERMANY, RIZAL
WAS WELL KNOWN ANDRESPECTED. BUT HE MAY HAVE REALIZED WHAT GOOD WILL THEIR RESPECT DO
TO HIS COUNTRY. WHAT GOODWILL THIS DO TO THE PHILIPPINES IF HE IS SERVING FOREIGN LANDS
AND NOT HIS OWN. HIS VERSES HAD A SINGLE SYMBOL WHICH IS THE FLOWERS OF HEIDELBERG. BUT IT
SYMBOLIZES TWO REALITIES. FIRST, THE FLOWERS' BEAUTY SYMBOLIZES RIZAL'S LOVE FOR HIS
COUNTRY, AND SECOND, THE FLOWERS' REDUCED QUALITY REFERS TO RIZAL'S USELESS PRESENCE IN
ANOTHER COUNTRY. LATER HE DECIDED TO RETURN TO THE COUNTRY DESPITE REPEATEDWARNING
FROMHIS FRIENDS ANDRELATIVES.
11. RIZAL WROTE THIS POEM BECAUSE OF HIS MOOD OF HOMESICKNESS. IT SHOWS PATRIOTISM,
NATIONALISM AND LOVE OF HIS OWN LANDINSPITE HE IS IN THE OTHER LANDSERVING OTHERPEOPLE