Using colour to paint your poetry
The psychology of colour is a fascinating area that explores how colours are linked to emotions, perceptions, and cultural expressions.
Colours have a way of evoking emotions, memories, and associations. Metaphors and similes that involve colours add depth and vividness to our language.
So adding colour to poetic comparison devices and to your lines can really help imagery pop in poetry.
When we say something is ‘similar’ to something else we mean they are very ‘like’ each other.
We use a similar word, ‘simile’ when we are writing. Similes COMPARE two things.
If I were to say a flower was ‘like’ , or ‘similar to‘, or ‘as yellow as‘ the sun, I would be using a simile.
Other examples:
The dropped red petals like a pool of blood.
Scattered rose petals like a river of desire.
Her beautiful hair like glistening toffee.
Her skin is like lustred copper.
White feels like cotton wool and the brush of a feather.
White smells like clothes fresh and soft from the tumble dryer.
When the sea is as grey as her eyes.
If we say something IS something else, then we are using a metaphor. If I were to say the flowers are suns, I would be using a metaphor.
A metaphor is a way of comparing things to help a reader understand an idea or picture imagery in a clearer way. We say one thing is another thing. But it’s figurative,metaphors aren’t meant to be taken literally. When I say, “He’s a dormant volcano,” you know I’m speaking figuratively. He’s not actually a volcano; what I’m saying is that he’s unpredictable and can blow at any time.
Other examples:
The flowers are glowing suns in a green sky.
The accordion’s rich notes accent his sepia tones.
White is a fresh start, a clean slate.
The day is white.
He stares out the window caught in a brown-study.
Despite economic challenges, Sarah’s business managed to stay in the black throughout the year
Add an adjective to colour
A way of making colour interesting is to add an adjective to it, So colours can be nuanced according to context.
In a battle scene or a riot you might use
mercury-red blood
a bat-black sky
nickel-silver armour.
For nature you might use
an electric-blue river
a nut-brown forest
paradise-green field
the sky is a robin’s egg blue
As I looked up at the clear, robin’s egg blue sky, a sense of tranquility washed over me, and all my worries seemed to vanish.”
If I gave you a word to make more vivid how could it be achieved with interesting colour?
If you were describing lips, autumn leaves, hair or dusk you could go for an enhanced colour which makes an easy metaphor.
- Her sugar plum lips were berry-red and had a silky gloss. LIPS
- The autumn leaves were gleaming in dragon flame-red. AUTUMN LEAVES
- Her hair was brazier-red and tumbled around her swan’s neck. HAIR
- The evening sky glowed in firedrake-red, a shepherd’s delight. DUSK
Colour Psychology
Let’s explore some delightful ways Universal Colour-Emotion Associations exist.
Across different languages, people often link colours with emotions
For instance:
• English speakers say someone is “seeing red” when they are angry, or they “feel blue” when they are sad.
• French speakers use phrases like “avoir une peur bleue” (having a blue fear) to describe extreme anxiety.
• German speakers say “sehen rot” (see red) to express anger or “werden gelb vor Neid” (turn yellow with envy) to convey envy
Research shows that these colour-emotion associations appear to be universal. People from 30 countries found it easy to link colors with emotions, and the links were consistent across cultures. Similar languages had even more similar color-emotion association
Colour Metaphors in Different Languages:
Different cultures may use colours to signal different intensities of the same emotion or
use colour symbolism differently.
Here is a short list of colour implications in life and writing during the recent centuries:
green = jealousy, rebirth, money
purple = royalty, enlightenment, fantasy
pink = happiness
brown = earthly qualities
orange = curiosity, wisdom
gray = depression, defeat, monotony, boredom
gold – happiness, wealth
red = anger, danger, war, seduction, passion
black = sorrow or death, lack of light, can also be associated with financial success. The account is in the black.
white = purity but also death (implied from shroud)
blue= sadness, also calmness, serenity
Using colour infuses our language with vivid imagery, making our expressions more engaging and relatable. So next time you describe someone’s personality or mood, consider using the rich palette of colours to paint a more colourful picture. Think of making colours more arresting by adding an adjective and get a whole new dimension to your writing. Explore the cultural and general symbolism of colour and find new spice to sprinkle on your lines. Happy writing