WHAT IS RED?

Red is a sunset
Blazing and bright.
Red is feeling brave
With all your might.
Red is a sunburn
Spot on your nose.
Sometimes red
Is a red red rose.
Red squiggles out
When you cut your hand.
Red is a brick
And the sound of a band.
Red is hotness
You get inside
When you’re embarrassed
And want to hide.
Fire-cracker, fire-engine
Fire-flicker red-
And when you’re angry
Red runs through your head.
Red is an Indian,
A Valentine heart.
The trimmings on
A circus cart.
Red is a lipstick
Red is a shout
Red is a signal
That says: “Watch out!”
Red is a great big
Rubber ball.
Red is the giantest
Colour of all.
Red is a show-off,
No doubt about it –
But can you imagine
Living without it?

Mary O’Neill

PRE-LESSON

Click on the link below and fill in the chart.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bFox6H9ZQzbpt5zDUkboV4Ig43SiC3MZ/view?usp=sharing

CLASSROOM ACTIVITY

1. Create a 2 stanza poem using any other colours :
   Example: ‘What is Blue?’ / ‘What is Yellow?’ etc.

WHAT IS RED? with pictures

NOW GO THROUGH THE NOTES GIVEN AND ANSWER THE QUESTIONS

MEANING OF THE POEM

The persona of the poem writes about red colour as seen in certain things natural and manmade. The sunset is describe as blazing and bright. The sun can cause a red sunburn on one’s nose. Red is
associated with the feelings of being brave, shy and anger. In entertainment world, the sound of a band and trimming of a circus cart are describe as red. It maybe a colour of show off but it’s hard to imagine living without it.

LINE 1 – 6

The poem explores the colour red in various forms. First it connects with nature found in the sunset, next it is an emotion. Then it describes physical attributes like a sunburn or a spot on the nose.

LINE 7 – 12

The writer goes on to point out the signature red of a rose and the colour of blood. Red can also be found in materials like bricks. Red is used to describe the sound of music from a band, indicating maybe it is rowdy, adrenaline-pumping or fast paced

LINE 13 – 18

Red sometimes imply certain emotions like when you’re feeling shy and you blush. The red of fire-crackers convey an explosive outcome. Afire-engine red symbolises alert and action and fire red embodies intense heat.

LINE 19 – 24

The writer describes a different emotion in connection with red again. This time it is anger. Red was also used to describe a group of people, the Red Indians. Hearts in red for Valentines convey romance and love. The colour of a circus cart is painted red to appear more attractive.

LINE 25 – 30

Sometimes red can imply attraction like the red of a lipstick. Red also describes the volume of sound which is loud and roaring. Red is most commonly used to signal danger and instructing one to be cautious. But red can also be literally the colour of an inconsequential object.

LINE 31 – 36

The writer concludes all the different usages of red by saying that the colour stands out and is garish and flashy but yet we still need red in our lives because the world would be a dull place without it.

THEMES

1. Colour red
   The word ‘red’ itself is in the title and it is the first word of the poem. A lot of lines in the poem also starts with the word red. Red can be found throughout the poem but just described differently.
   
2. Nature
   Red is used to describe certain colour nature has to offer from the topography to plants
   
3. People
   Red is used to characterised certain physical and emotional traits of humans; like anger, blood, sunburn, a pimple, embarrassment and bravery.
   
4. Objects
   Red can be found in many inconsequential objects like a brick or a ball.
   
5. Signs
   Red is illustrated as a sign to indicate danger or to warn the viewer to be cautious. The red in the fire engine also tells urgency

MORAL VALUES AND MESSAGES

Gratitude (Appreciating the colour red)

The writer gives loads of examples as to the usage of red. It is an essential colour. At the end of the poem, the writer emphasises that the world would be a very dull place if there is no red in it.

TONE AND MOOD

1. Appreciative
2. Factual
3. Fascination

STRUCTURE AND STYLE

1. 1 stanza with 36 lines. It has about 2-6 words in one line.
2. It’s a repeat-a-word poem with rhyming pattern of a-b-c-b
3. Point of view: Second person point of view
4. Poem uses simple language and words so it’s easy to understand for the reader.

LITERARY DEVICES

IMAGERY
Red is sunset, blazing and bright – give an image of fiery and striking
Red is the giantest – red is widely used and seen that wherever you turn, you will always see red

SYMBOL
Red– things in nature and things people use and human feelings

RHETORICAL QUESTION
But can you imagine,
Living without it?

PERSONIFICATION
Red squiggles out is like someone who is hidden squeezes out of his hiding place as it flows out when one cuts one’s hand
Red runs through your head personifies the feeling of anger like a person runs around

REPETITION
The word red is repeated throughout the poem

IRONY
The colour of red is full of contrast and challenging but it has to be valued as we cannot do without it.

ALLITERATION
A red red rose
A circus cart

EXERCISE:

CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING BY ANSWERING THESE QUESTIONS:

1. Why is the feeling of ‘being brave with all your might’ said to be red?
2. The persona says a valentine heart is red. What is the meaning of Valentine heart? Why do you think it is red?
3. How are circus carts normally decorated and what is the purpose of that?
4. Which natural phenomenon is described as red?
5. Warning signs, ‘Watch Out’ placed at stretches of roads where there may be dangers are usually written in red. Why is this so?
6. What happens when one is angry and which results in one’s face turning red?
7. Based on the poem, how would one feel when one listens to the sound of a band? Why is this so?
8. Why does the persona say ‘Red is an Indian’?

Sources:

1. Selected Poems, Short Story & Drama Form 2 (Pelangi Publisher)
2. OMGR 1S Selected Poems, Short Story, Play & Novel Form 1, 2, 3 (Myteach Sdn. Bhd)

With love,
Teacher Tasha