# The Pansy; The Chim‑pansy explained — How to Tell the Birds from the Flowers and Other Woodcuts

> Chapter companion for How to Tell the Birds from the Flowers and Other Woodcuts by Robert Williams Wood.

## What happens

The chapter observes the pansy's human-like face, painted in yellow, blue, and black, but notes that the face resembles a chimpanzee, which diminishes the flower's appeal.

## Themes in this chapter

### Visual Perception and Deception

The pansy's face is perceived as human-like but is actually that of a chimpanzee, playing with visual deception.

### Nature and Classification

The poem explores the classification of a flower (pansy) by comparing it to an animal (chimpanzee), blurring natural categories.

## Key lines

> Observe how Nature’s necromancies Have clearly painted on the Pansies, These almost human counten‑ances, In yellow, blue and black nu‑ances.

Notice how nature's magic has painted pansies with faces that look almost human, using shades of yellow, blue, and black.

_Describes the pansy's appearance as a magical, human-like face._

> The face however seems to me To be that of the Chim‑pan‑zee: A fact that makes the gentle Pansy, Appeal no longer to my fancy.

But the face looks to me like a chimpanzee's, and that realization makes the gentle pansy lose its charm for me.

_Reveals the speaker's disillusionment upon recognizing the chimpanzee-like face._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/how_to_tell_the_birds_from_the_flowers_and_other_se/chapters/the-pansy-the-chim-pansy
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/how_to_tell_the_birds_from_the_flowers_and_other_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/how_to_tell_the_birds_from_the_flowers_and_other_se/chapters