The Analysis of the Poem “What is Pink” by Christina Rossetti

This poem was written by Christina Rossetti and the name of it is ‘What is pink?’. It is basically about colours but on a deeper level, showing us the positive side of it. There is unity in this poem and no stanzas . In lines 1-4, the poet uses the words “pink” and “red”, these colours have a connection with flowers, which the poet refers to as the “rose” and “poppy”

The poem’s beginning is grounded with softness and comfort as the poet uses colours that represent romance and hearts. There is tenderness inferred in lines 1-2 and something comforting in lines 3-4. In lines 5-8, the poet uses the word “blue” which is rather morose and “white” which is rather bland. It is less romantic and now more inspirational as the poet represents these colours with beautiful entities such as the “sky” and “swan” which refer to extending up. Reaching for dreams and sailing into a world that is wonderful and majestic are represented by “The sky” and “Sailing”.

Although it isn’t as positive as the first four lines and colours that represent morose and blandness are used, “clouds” and “swan” is added to change the morose and blandness to something beautiful and breath-taking In lines 9-12, colours are crossed to find similarities when the poet says; “pears” are “yellow” representing warmth (as well as “red” in line 3) and “grass is green” representing coolness (as well as “blue” in line 5). There is beauty in the lines 10 and 12 where the poet uses the words “Rich and rip and mellow” and “With small flowers between”. The similarity continues to extend from lines 1-4 as the idea of plants has returned where “rose” and “poppy” are more akin to “pear” and “grass” than “sky” and “swan” . In lines 13-16, the poet has once again continued the similarity, but this time, with lines 5-8 reminding us of the “sky” and “swan” as the word “clouds” has been used instead of a flower or plant to represent “violet”

The connection between plants and the sky can now be noticed as we can now see the links and jumps in the ideas for this poem. The colour that offsets this similarity is “orange”, it seems as if it isn’t given much thought as the other colours – that is what the poet wants us to think, but what the poet wants the poem to reveal to us is that as we saw the good and positive in the other colours, we must always look past trivial and look deeper to continue to see the good and positive, that is how we will see somethings possibility and true beauty.