The Maypole Of Merry Mount

“O people of the Golden Age, the chief of your husbandry was to raise flowers!” 

The narrator demonstrates his sarcasm as he discusses the nature of the Merry Mounters. Although they all appear happy, their happiness is not without its cost, namely, the fact that they do not produce anything of value. Although as a Romantic, Hawthorne would have valued the proximity to Nature exhibited by the Merry Mounters, there is also an indication here of the futility of their endeavors. While being close to Nature, it seems as though the Merry Mounters do not accomplish anything besides the raising of flowers. However, flowers are cultivated through Nature, and so it would seem as though Hawthorne is essentially labeling the Merry Mounters as useless. 

“Bright roses glowed in contrast with the dark and glossy curls of each, and were scattered round their feet or had sprung up spontaneously there.”

This quotation demonstrates the similarities between Edith and Edgar, specifically using descriptive language to speak of them in terms of their appearances. Unlike the Puritans, who seem to have staunch gender roles in terms of appearance, both Edith and Edgar seem to have the same beautiful hair which speaks of their innocence and youth. They are adorned in flowers in a way that appears almost magical; the red of the roses symbolizes the love between them.