He is not the flower of courtesy, but I’ll warrant him as gentle as a lamb.
– William Shakespeare
Romeo and Juliet, Act 2, Scene 5. The Nurse has just returned from meeting Romeo and gives her judgement of him. Using a flower metaphor, she tells Juliet that Romeo is not the most polite man in the world. But in a simile she says that he makes up for it by having the gentleness of a lamb. Romeo’s more gentle and romantic side stands in contrast to the roughness and brashness of some of his kinsmen and friends, such as the bawdy Mercutio. The Nurse subsequently gives her approval to the relationship between Romeo and Juliet.