The Last Flower

The Last Flower is an anti-war short story written and illustrated by James Thurber's own drawings; it deals with themes of war, peace, love, and resilience.

This short parable was originally published in November 1939, two months after World War II officially began.

The Last Flower was written as Thurber began to realize the sorrow and chaos of war, as can be read via the dedication to his only child "in the wistful hope that her world will be better than mine."

The novelist Ellen Glasgow, captivated by the book, wrote to Thurber, "I found that I had forgotten your wonderful birds.

Bertold Hummel and Klaus Meyer (Op 55a) put together a short ballet in 1975 based on The Last Flower.

Their wording for the first scene and pas de deux is as follows: On Thurber's tombstone at Green Lawn Cemetery in Columbus, Ohio, a version of The Last Flower is etched.