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Narcissus absolute is prepared from a concrete that is extracted with petroleum ether from the flowers of Narcissus poeticus, the poet's narcissus, a species of the Amaryllidaceae family. The species is native to central and southern Europe, from Spain and France through Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia to Croatia, Albania, Greece and Ukraine. Its flower is extremely fragrant, with a ring of pure white tepals and a short light yellow corona with a distinct reddish edge. Poet's daffodil is cultivated in the Netherlands and southern France for its essential oil.

The absolute is soluble in alcohol and insoluble in water. It should be stored in a cool, dry place in tightly sealed containers, protected from heat and light. Its shelf life is 12 months or longer if stored properly.

In an absolute of Narcissus poeticus from the French Massif central, α-terpineol (23.7%), methyl (E)-isoeugenol (20.0%) and benzyl benzoate (19.4%) were the major components. In a hexane extract of fresh flowers from Rocca di Mezzo, cinnamyl alcohol (29.91 μg/g), methyl isoeugenol (28.07 μg/g), isoeugenol (23.12 μg/g), methyl eugenol (20.72 μg/g) and α-terpineol (20.31 μg/g) were the main components. Benzyl benzoate and benzyl alcohol have been reported in high amounts in the absolutes of hexane extracts of Narcissus poeticus from Italy. In supercritical CO2 extracts of the flowers, 116 volatile compounds were identified, and they were divided into 20 groups. Aromatic compounds are the most important group of volatiles in these extracts, led by benzyl benzoate (9.44-10.22%), benzyl linoleate (1.72-2.17%) and benzyl alcohol (0.18-1.00%). Benzyl alcohol has been characterised as possessing sweet, flower odour notes.

All narcissi are poisonous when eaten, and poet's daffodil is more dangerous than others, acting as a strong emetic and irritant. Its scent can be powerful enough to cause headache and vomiting if a large quantity is kept in a closed room. Narcissus poeticus contains about 0.12 g of narciclasine per kg of fresh bulbs.

Narcissus poeticus is frequently identified as the narcissus of ancient times and is often associated with the Greek legend of Narcissus. The earliest mention of poet's daffodil is likely in the Historia Plantarum, the main botanical writing of Theophrastus, who wrote about a spring-blooming narcissus that the Loeb Classical Library editors identify as Narcissus poeticus. Carl Linnaeus first described Narcissus poeticus in his Species Plantarum in 1753. Linnaeus, who gave the flower its name, quite possibly did so because he believed it was the one that inspired the tale of Narcissus. The scent of narcissi has been an important ingredient of perfumes throughout history. Narcissus poeticus was introduced to America by the late 18th century.

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