The answer comes from a text by Maya Angelou: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
The author is using the examples of a comaprison of her study of literature.
This phrase is likely a cultural reference or metaphor, suggesting a trade or exchange between two items or concepts. In this case, it may symbolize offering something valuable or desired in return for a social interaction or favor with someone of importance or fame, like Beowulf from the epic poem.
bitter-tasting leaves
That is the flavor of anise- which along with wormwood and fennel create the 'trinity' of absinthe flavor. Wormwood supposedly is bitter with a woodsy, somewhat floral flavor.
something that causes you to have a bitter or highly unpleasant experience. Gall and wormwood are plants that were often referred to for their bitter taste in the Bible and Shakespeare. (The modern word gall now refers to bile, rather than a plant.)
An absinthium is an alternative name for the common wormwood, a bitter herb used in the production of absinthe and vermouth.
Wormwood. The nurse says, "But, as I said, when it did taste the wormwood on my nipple of my dug and felt it bitter, pretty fool, to see it tetchy and fall out with the dug." Wormwood is bitter and when baby Juliet tasted it on the nurse's breast (that's what "dug" means), she lost interest in breastfeeding. She and the breast have a cooling of affection; that's what "fall out with" means.
Wormwood is a bitter-tasting plant known for its medicinal properties. It is commonly used in herbal medicine and has been mentioned in literature and legends for its symbolic meanings. In some cultures, wormwood is associated with bitterness and sorrow.
Wormwood is a strong bitter that affects the bittersensing taste buds on the tongue that send signals to the brain to stimulate the entire digestive system (salivation, stomach acid production, intestinal tract movement, etc.).
The oils to be avoided include arnica, bitter almond, calamus, cinnamon, clove, mugwort, sage, wintergreen, and wormwood.
AA turn of the cable which is round the bitts., Having a peculiar, acrid, biting taste, like that of wormwood or an infusion of hops; as, a bitter medicine; bitter as aloes., Causing pain or smart; piercing; painful; sharp; severe; as, a bitter cold day., Causing, or fitted to cause, pain or distress to the mind; calamitous; poignant., Characterized by sharpness, severity, or cruelty; harsh; stern; virulent; as, bitter reproach., Mournful; sad; distressing; painful; pitiable., Any substance that is bitter. See Bitters., To make bitter.
The scientific name of Wormwood is Artemisia absinthium. It belongs to the Asteraceae family and is known for its bitter taste and toxic effects when consumed in large quantities.
AA turn of the cable which is round the bitts., Having a peculiar, acrid, biting taste, like that of wormwood or an infusion of hops; as, a bitter medicine; bitter as aloes., Causing pain or smart; piercing; painful; sharp; severe; as, a bitter cold day., Causing, or fitted to cause, pain or distress to the mind; calamitous; poignant., Characterized by sharpness, severity, or cruelty; harsh; stern; virulent; as, bitter reproach., Mournful; sad; distressing; painful; pitiable., Any substance that is bitter. See Bitters., To make bitter.
There are a variety of herbs that can cause miscarriages in cats. Some of these include bitter melon, anise seed, calamus root, dill, goji berries, nutmeg, tansy, and wormwood.