Poems about colors are vibrant expressions of sensory experiences, emotions, and symbolism. They encapsulate the essence of hues in concise and evocative ways.
Each color elicits distinct moods and associations: blue may evoke tranquility or melancholy, while green can evoke nature and growth. Yellow may represent joy and sunshine, while red symbolizes passion and intensity. Colors in poetry become metaphors, conveying deeper meanings beyond their visual appearance.
‘For Anne Gregory’ is a gentle dialogue between Yeats and the youthful Anne about the realities of beauty and companionship.
The relevance of colors pertains to the list of potential alternative hair colours Anne suggests to replace her yellow hair. This poem therefore perpetuates the stereotype of blonde hair being especially attractive. The contrast between Anne's straightforward description of her hair color and Yeats' more poetic description could be a manifestation of the male gaze.
‘Stormcock in Elder’ by Ruth Pitter describes the nature of a mistle thrush which sings in close proximity to the speaker.
This piece contains a number of visual images that are meant to describe the stormcock's physical features such as its eyes, throat, bill, eyes, and plumage. In Pitter's words, one can find “Gold sequins, spots of chestnut, shower/ Of silver” in the stormcock’s feathers.
By the small door where the old roof Hangs but five feet above the ground, I groped along the shelf for bread But found celestial food instead:
‘A name trimmed with colored ribbons’ by Lyn Hejinian is a Language Poem that requires the listener to use their imagination and creativity to reconstruct and interpret the poet’s childhood fantasies.
'A name trimmed with colored ribbons' by Lyn Hejinian ties together the often confusing, shifty scenes of her childhood using the image of "colored ribbons." The young speaker sees the world in terms of colors, always moving and changing like a kaleidoscope to invoke different emotions and meanings. Ultimately, though, these colors unite to create a symbol of childish wonder: a pony.
‘The Flower School’ by Rabindranath Tagore beautifully captures nature’s energy, childhood wonder, and the joy of simple, everyday magic
The poem looks into colors in the sense that it provides picturesqueness via flowers that appear after the rain. The poem pictures flowers which are dressed in pink, yellow, and white, which gives a beautiful and vivid picture of flowers. This portrayal glorifies the fascinating variety of colors in nature, which creates a splendid spectrum inspiring the efforts to make and design.
When storm-clouds rumble in the sky and June showers come down.
The moist east wind comes marching over the heath to blow its
bagpipes among the bamboos.
Then crowds of flowers come out of a sudden, from nobody knows
‘A Triad’ by Christina Rossetti explores the loss of identity and frustrated fulfillment endured by women in their search for love.
Throughout the poem, color becomes a striking piece of Rossetti's imagery. There are the "crimson" cheeks and "yellow" hair of the first woman, which evoke her sensual passion. A few lines later, the second woman appears as "smooth as snow," alluding to her pure, otherworldly beauty. Finally, the third woman is described as being "blue with famine after love," a nod to the heartbreak that still lingers within her.
‘The Journeyman Paul Cezanne on Mont Sainte Victoire’ by Liz Lochhead discusses the lasting impression of Paul Cezanne’s art.
The way in which Cezanne used colors is mentioned in great detail in the first stanza. The poet discusses how he would mix colors together, and this also seems to hint at the emotional depths of his paintings, showing the way in which the colors can create an emotional response from those who see them.
‘A Lady’ contrasts youth’s fleeting sparkle with the profound beauty of age, likening an elderly woman’s essence to timeless art.
Color appears in quiet, layered ways throughout the poem. Words like “sun-flooded,” “half-tones,” and “blent colors” help show how the woman is not just one thing. She is a mix of shades and feelings. Color is used to talk about age and presence, not just looks. While the use of color is soft and poetic, it supports other ideas rather than being the main focus. This keeps it meaningful, though not the strongest element.
‘The Langur Coloured Night’ envisions an ethereal scene from nature, focusing on the relationship between a solitary moon and a howling primate.
The poem's title mentions color but the poem itself is colorless, everything bathed in the white light of the moon. Rather than a reference to chromatic hues the poem's title actually touches on the way the langur (and by extension the moon) dominates the evening hours. Just as the moon reigns so too does this langur, their voice "shining with moonlight" as it resounds, painting the night in otherworldly color.
‘Two Women’ by Marcus Wilcox is a thoughtful and complex poem about identity. The speaker spends the text discussing the lives of two different women.
Colors play a significant role in the poem as symbols of life and freedom. The second woman is described as full of color, representing her vibrant, free-spirited life. In contrast, the first woman is described in black and white, highlighting her repressed and colorless existence. The use of color shows the difference between living fully and merely existing.
‘Lanarkshire Girls’ by Liz Lochhead is a vibrant, exciting story of teenage girls making their way into Glasgow from their rural homes.
Colors are used in the poem to highlight the mood of the girls, as well as give a sense of the areas. In the rural areas, the colors have a sense of vitality to them. In the second stanza, the colors seem duller in the poorer area that the bus passes through. By the time the bus reaches the city, the excitement means that the colors seem vivid once more.
Carruth’s ‘The Hyacinth Garden in Brooklyn’ juxtaposes fragrant beauty with Hyacinthus’s tragic fate, evoking mortality’s intertwining with nature, myth, and memory.
This poem vividly addresses the topic of color through its depiction of the garden. The poem emphasizes the presence of flowers of "every size and color." This description creates a visual feast, inviting the reader to imagine a vibrant array of colors. The use of diverse colors reflects the beauty and variety found in nature, adding richness and depth to the sensory experience conveyed in the poem.
‘November Blue’ by Alice Meynell draws attention to the weather in November and what people do to make up for it.
This is one of the major topics of Alice Meynell's ‘November Blue.’ In November, it is windy and rainy. Then, London takes on a dreary look. This affects the people so much that they look for temporary solutions by getting lamps, and this adds a bit of color to the place. Even though the poem talks about colors, it is not the best when it comes to poems that address this topic.
‘Beauty Beyond Words’ by Gabriel Okara describes the end of a day boating in the river, observing the beauty of the sunset.
In this poem, Gabriel Okara mentions the color of the sunset as part of his description when trying to convey to the reader the beauty of nature. He describes the interactions of the colors with one another and the way that they mingle in their reflections on the river.
Angelina Weld Grimké’s ‘The Black Finger’ explores the beauty and symbolism of a black cypress tree pointing upwards.
This poem explores the topic of colors through its contrasting imagery. The poem emphasizes the color black in the description of the cypress tree, evoking a sense of mystery and intrigue. The golden sky serves as a vibrant backdrop, highlighting the contrast between light and dark. By focusing on these contrasting colors, the poem prompts readers to contemplate the symbolic significance of colors and their impact on perception and interpretation.
‘A Boy’s Dream’ is a poem that looks at the dreams of a child while wishing to escape from the realities of the waking world, focusing instead on the fantastical images.
Colors are mentioned as a way to express to the reader the sense of peace that the dream world gives to the poet. The soft hues make it seem like a gentle place and the light from the sun gives a sense of nourishment.
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