When I learned I might have cancer, / I bought fifteen white lilies.
-- Speaker (Lines 1-2 )

Importance: The opening lines of the poem provide its context and focus. Line 2 is somewhat unexpected, but the speaker presents it logically within the poem’s narrative. In other words, the reader knows that the poem will go on to explore the connection between the speaker’s cancer and these lilies. Rhythmically, the second line disrupts the iambic pentameter in the phrase “learned I might have cancer,” which reflects the second line’s unexpectedness.

I dug them into the garden, / knowing they would not bloom for another year.
-- Speaker (Lines 4-5)

Importance: The speaker’s decision to plant the flowers despite being aware that they will take a year to bloom demonstrates her will and hope to survive. A possible cancer diagnosis could drive anyone to despair, but the speaker in “The Lilies” focuses on the possibilities, beauty, and openings that life offers...