The white flowers in this poem represent the memories the widow has of her late husband.
"...but the grief in my heart is stronger than they for though they were my joy formerly, today I noticed then and turned away forgetting". She can't face her memories, because the joy they once brought her can never be brought back. So when she sees the white flowers, she feels sorrow. On the other hand, her son sees these flowers and wants her to remember, so she can move on. He tells her he sees the white flowers in the meadow, implying that he wants her to start that journey of recovering. He knows that she won't be over quickly, but it is within sight. But the widow doesn't even think twice about what her son wants. She wants those memories back, but she knows she can't. All she wants at this point is to "sink into the marsh next to [those flowers]". I think she just wants to die.
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