“Poets use colors to paint pictures with words, allowing readers to visualize scenes and emotions” [source]

After my last MTB look at the Ubi Sunt motif, I’m continuing with the concept of the motif in poetry. For some of us, it might be helpful to learn more of this literary device, for others, practice makes perfect! So first to definitions:
“motif” comes from French and means a pattern. Unlike big ideas called themes, motifs are specific details, concepts, or structures that show up over and over again in a literary work, adding layers of meaning…” [source]

Often cited as example are the repeating greens in Fitzgerald’s novel “The Great Gatsby“. The green of the harbour light, the green cards of invitation, the green car of the accident, whereby “greenness” is the motif which reinforces the broader theme of the unattainability of the American dream as well as the symbolism of jealousy.

Thus the motif is the tangible element that gives feeling and meaning to the more amorphous theme as well as having symbolic significance.

The Imagists use these tangible motifs in their poetry precisely because it fits their rules for directness, economy of language, and avoidance of generalities. And despite Lowell being derided as one of them by her contemporaries, her 5 sectioned “Towns in Colour” goes full colour motif mode:

“Red slippers in a shop-window, and outside in the street, flaws of grey, windy sleet!

Behind the polished glass, the slippers hang in long threads of red, festooning from the ceiling like stalactites of blood, flooding the eyes of passers-by with dripping colour, jamming their crimson reflections ….screaming their claret and salmon into the teeth of the sleet, plopping their little round maroon lights upon the tops of umbrellas…”

IV – Afternoon rain in State Street
“Cross-hatchings of rain against grey walls,
Slant lines of black rain 
In front of the up and down, wet stone sides of buildings. 
Below, 
Greasy, shiny, black, horizontal, 
The street. 
And over it, umbrellas, 
Black polished dots 
Struck to white…”

By now you’ve guessed that today’s MTB prompt is poetry with a colour motif:

• take one or more literal colours (not a fancy colour name)
• repeat the colour word(s) throughout the poem (e.g. refrain; anaphora, epistrophe)
• use colour synonyms
• employ colour with its specific meaning to the poem’s theme
• let your colour motif(s) also become symbolic

Your poetry style is optional but you may want to experiment with Imagism. If so these are the guidelines:

• Use language of common speech. direct and economical, using common words and phrases.
• Embrace free verse. Disregard poetic meter but rather, focus on the rhythm of your phrases
• Your choice of subject should reflect real life

Some Useful Links:

1. Lit Charts – Motif
2. What Colour is Poetry
3. Colours and Emotions in Poetry: The Poet’s palette
4. Preface to Some Imagists Poets (Amy Lowell)

Once you have written and posted your poem, according to the guidelines above, do add it to Mr Linky below then go visiting and reading other contributors as that is half the fun of our dVerse gatherings.
Please also TAG dVerse in your post, or include a link at the end of your poem that leads readers back to this dVerse prompt

[N.B. Mr Linky closes Saturday 3 p.m. EST]