Explain the main contrast in the poem "A Contemplation Upon Flowers."

In the poem "A Contemplation Upon Flowers," the main
contrast is the way flowers view death versus the way the poet views
death.

The flowers have no fear of death. In fact, they are
ever present in death. They decorate the bier at death looking "fresh and
spruce."

The poet asks the flowers to teach him to view
death differently. The poet fears death but in contrast the flowers have no fear of
death.

The flowers are fragrant even in death. The poet
desires to have sweet breath in death much like the flowers. The poet desires to breathe
sweet fragrances as he dies.

The flowers seem to understand
their purpose more so than the poet. The flowers bloom with no vanity. Then they die and
go back to the earth from which they are born. There is no fighting death. The flowers
obey and wither in dignity.

The poet sees the contrast in
the way he accepts death versus the way the flowers so "gallantly" die and go back to
the earth.