P E M WHAT IS RED? VIDEO PERSONA POEM THEMES BIOGRAPHY OF POET E M POEM THEMES BIOGRAPHY OF POET WHAT IS RED? MORAL VALUES SYNOPSIS LITERAL DEVICES VOCABULARY TONE AND MOOD BACKGROUND OF TITLE EXERCISE SETTING

VIDEO

POEM

Red is a sunset Blazing and bright. Red is feeling brave With all your might. Red is a sunburn 5 Spot on your nose. Sometimes red Is a red red rose. Red squiggles out When you cut your hand. 10 Red is a brick And the sound of a band. Red is hotness You get inside When you’re embarrassed 15

And want to hide. Fire-cracker, fire-engine Fire-flicker red – And when you’re angry Red runs through your head. 20 Red is an Indian, A Valentine heart. The trimmings on A circus cart. Red is a lipstick 25 Red is a shout Red is a signal That says: ‘Watch out!’ Red is a great big Rubber ball. 30

Red is the giantest Colour of all. Red is a show-off, No doubt about it – But can you imagine 35 Living without it?

BIOGRAPHY OF POET

Biography of Mary O’Neil Born in New York in 1906. Began her career as an advertising copywriter. An American playwright and children’s book author. Her most popular book, Hailstones And Halibut Bones: Adventures in Colour, is a work of poetry published in 1961 by Doubleday. It is about the colours of the spectrum. What Is Red? Is part of the compilation of colours. Died of heart failure in 1990 at the age of 84.

SYNOPSIS

Line 1-8 Red is a sunset Blazing and bright. Red is feeling brave The persona describes red as a sunset which is bright and blazing because of its colour. Red gives a feeling of bravery that comes within you. Red is described as a sunburn spot which appears in red; caused through the exposure of sunlight. Red is also signified as the colour of a beautiful rose which is red in colour. Line 1-8 Red is a sunset Blazing and bright. Red is feeling brave With all your might. Red is a sunburn 5 Spot on your nose. Sometimes red Is a red red rose.

Line 9-12 Red squiggles out When you cut your hand. 10 Red is a brick The persona describes red as blood that seeps out from a cut. Red is also a brick which is red in colour and it is the sound of a band. Line 9-12 Red squiggles out When you cut your hand. 10 Red is a brick And the sound of a band.

Line 13-18 Red is hotness You get inside When you’re embarrassed 15 Red is the colour given to signify the feeling of hotness and embarrassment. Other objects listed by the persona that are red include fire- cracker, fire engine and the flicker of a red flame. Line 13-18 Red is hotness You get inside When you’re embarrassed 15 And want to hide. Fire-cracker, fire-engine Fire-flicker red –

Line 19-24 And when you’re angry Red runs through your head. 20 Red is associated with anger and bravery (the Red Indian is always seen as a brave clan). Red is also a romantic colour because it is widely used to signify love (a Valentine heart). The persona depicts red the ornaments at the edge of a circus cart. Line 19-24 And when you’re angry Red runs through your head. 20 Red is an Indian, A Valentine heart. The trimmings on A circus cart.

Line 25-30 Red is a lipstick 25 Red is a shout Red is a signal The persona signifies red as a lipstick that most women love to apply on their lips and a loud cry (to show a strong emotion). Warnings are generally presented in red which indicate of danger (to be on the look-out/to be alert) Red is described as a big rubber ball (small children are always attracted to a red ball). Line 25-30 Red is a lipstick 25 Red is a shout Red is a signal That says: ‘Watch out!’ Red is a great big Rubber ball. 30

Line 31-36 Red is the giantest Colour of all. Red is a show-off, Hence, red is the grandest colour of all and the most widely seen colour around us/the colour that we will notice immediately around because of its brightness. The personality of the color is bold and vibrant. Red does everything it can to attract people's attention, and its impact is to make people stop and cast their eyes on the colour red. The colour red causes us to react to what we see and feel. Its power is felt daily in our lives, so much so that the poet invites us to imagine what it would be like to live without it. Line 31-36 Red is the giantest Colour of all. Red is a show-off, No doubt about it – But can you imagine 35 Living without it?

BACKGROUND OF TITLE

BACKGROUND OF TITLE What Is Red? is a poem about the colour red. The persona is in awe with the colour. The colour red represents certain objects, special days, and some significant feelings and values.

VOCABULARY

squiggles flicker trimmings blazing might

liquid that slowly seeps out

decoration; ornaments used on borders or edges

great force or power

unsteady movements of a flame that causes variations in brightness

burning brightly; very hot

SETTING

SETTING The poem is set broadly in an every day environment. No specific place or time frame is mentioned.

PERSONA

PERSONA The persona is a child. However, the gender of the persona is not mentioned. The persona talks about various items that are red in colour.

TONE AND MOOD

TONE AND MOOD TONE The tone is wonder and amazement. There is also a note of appreciation of the significance of things that symbolise red.

TONE AND MOOD MODE The mood is jovial. There is an admiration for the many uses of the colour red. There is a childlike attraction for things that are associated with the colour red.

THEMES

THEMES The colour red Red means different things to different people at different times. According to the persona, the colour red is the greatest colour of all and how life will be without the colour red.

THEMES Colours Colours bring flavour to the world. Each colour is significant. Colours are used for many objects and to describe positive and negative emotions.

MORAL VALUES

MORAL VALUES We must appreciate the colours that exist in our life. Without colours, our world will be very dull. We must value our environment and nature. We should not take things for granted.

LITERAL DEVICES

PERSONIFICATION ASSONANCE IMAGERY POETIC LICENSE METAPHOR ALLITERATION REPETITION

VISUAL SMELL AUDITORY KINEASTHETIC

Red is a sunset Blazing and bright Red squiggles out When you cut your hand.

Red is a lipstick

Fire cracker Fire engine

Red is a shout

Fire cracker Red red rose

Red squiggles out When you cut your hand.

PERSONAFICATION The colour red is personified in the poem. The poet has given human qualities to the colour red.

PERSONAFICATION ‘Red is feeling brave’ (S1, L3) ‘Red squiggles out’ (S1, L9) ‘Red run through your head’ (S2, L20) ‘Red is an Indian’ (S2, L21) ‘Red is a shout’ (S3, L26)

METAPHOR ‘Red is a sunset’ (S1, L1) ‘Red is a sunburn spot on the nose’ (S1, L6) ‘Red is a brick and the sound of a band’ (S1, L12) ‘The hotness you experience when you feel humiliated’ (S2, L13-L15) ‘Red is a valentine heart’ (S2, L22)

METAPHOR ‘The trimmings on a circus cart’ (S2, L23-24) ‘Red is a lipstick’ (S3, L25) ‘Red is a signal that says watch out’ (S3, L27-L28) ‘Red is a great big rubber ball’ (S3, L29-L30) ‘Red is a show-off’ (S3, L33)

REPITITION ‘Red’

ALLITERATION Red is a sunset Blazing and bright. (S1, L1-L2) Red is feeling brave With all your might. (S1, L3) Red is a sunburn Spot on your nose. (S1, L5-L6) Sometimes red Is a red red rose. (S1, L7-L8) Red is a brick And the sound of a band. (S1, L11-L12)

ALLITERATION Fire-cracker, fire-engine Fire-flicker red – (S2, L17-L18) A circus cart (S2, L24)

ASONANCE Red is a sunset Blazing and bright. (S1, L2) Red is a sunburn Spot on your nose. (S1, L5-L6) Sometimes red Is a red red rose. (S1, L7-L8)

POETIC LICENCE Some words used by poets in certain poems do not exist in the English Language. The poet has the ‘license’ to create a word to describe or explain a mood or a particular feeling. For example: Red is the giantest – The word ‘giant’ is a noun. There is no such word as ‘giantest’. The actual word is ‘largest’.

EXCERCISE

Analyse the poem above and answer the questions below. What is the persona fascinated with? From the poem above, list down four (4) positive examples of red. What is the meaning of ‘with all your might’?

What squiggles out of the hand when you accidentally cut it? In your opinion, what is the persona’s favourite colour? Support your answer with evidence from the poem. What is your favourite colour? Why do you say so? (HOTS)