В статье рассматриваются женские образы, представленные цветовой символикой в поэзии Р. Саути. Приводится анализ двух его стихотворений, посвященных женщинам. Автор пытается раскрыть неоднозначность колоративов, которые часто могут быть неверно истолкованы.
Ключевые слова: цветовой символизм, концепты, феминность, поэзия, поэты «Озёрного края», Р. Саути.
The phenomenon of colour is complex and mysterious. We perceive it from birth along with other kinds of visual information, yet we are unaware how it is stored in our memory, what associations we make with it, what is the connection between the perception of colour, human cognitive processes and language. Psychologists examined various colour patterns that evoke different emotions in us, which proves that emotional reaction and colour comprehension are interrelated at some extent. The perception of colour can vary. For example, the way English-speaking people see blue is different from the way Russian-speaking people see it [7, p. 7784].
Another way of explaining the notion of colour is given in the arts. Paradoxically, literature, which is one of the categories of the arts that isn’t based on the visual performance, has made colour a special subject of emotional-expressive means, using the colour words [4, p. 21], the units of language referring to a particular colour, a hue or their qualities. Another term for these units is colour nominations , which are the words naming a particular colour. The significance of these words might be seen in the use of colours and colour nominations as symbols, which is called colour symbolism . The examples of this phenomenon can be the poetry of the Silver Age, where it turns into a secret code, and the Medieval literature, where colour symbolism carried the positive and negative evaluation. [1, p. 138].
According to the research conducted by I. Jung and Yu. Griber, the consepts of femininity and masculinity are can be represented by colour associations in the languages [2, p. 254]. Colour symbolism is often used as a literary means of expression in poetry. Though we may observe the standard similes and epithets in folklore (red lips, white skin, gold locks), the English Romantic poetry reveals a curious use of colour symbolism in order to cover some subtle ideas. One of the representative of the English Romantism and of the Lake School is Robert Southey, whose two poems are under investigation in the article as they are characterized by a big number of colour words.
Symbolism is claimed to be one of the main criteria characterizing Romanticism as well as imagination, glorification of nature, sensibility. Cognitive mechanisms are the key to the understanding of Romantic poetry as James Engell defined another concept, “the concept of the imagination” as “the quintessence of Romanticism.” The combination of these means leads to the core definition ow what Romantic poetry is. Rene Wellek provides the principles identifying this poetic style: “imagination for the view of poetry, nature for the view of the world, and symbol and myth for poetic style” [6, p. 326].
“To Mary Wollstonecraft” by R. Southey.
The first lines of the poem foreground the only colour terms ‘lily’ and ‘purple’: “The lilly cheek, the «purple light of love»,”. The spelling of the first colour term is spelt not in its usual form to accentuate this notion. This literary device is used in the English Romantic poetry quite widely. The poem starts with “the lilly cheek” and this metaphor serves not only the purpose to convey the pretty appearance of the woman, but may also symbolize purity, as lily is a symbol of purity and virginity, and a flower of the Queen of Heaven [3, p. 33]. This idea is conveyed by the images of “Maid of Arc” and Corde’s angel later. This symbol represents ‘royalty’ which is imprinted in the images of Joan of Arc, Roland and Caesar as well. This way a mighty, regal and pure female image is created by means of ‘lily’ colour (and its reference on the flower) and historical figures compared.
The second colour term is used in quotation marks — “the purple light of love” . The colour term doesn’t convey the actual property of the object in this case, the function of ‘purple’ in this quote is emotional-expressive and referential as it refers a reader to the other piece of poetry, where this colour was a characteristic of Aphrodite. Thomas Gray, an English Romantic poet [5], takes the phrase from the ode “The Progress of Poesy”:
“With arms sublime, that float upon the air,
In gliding state she wins her easy way:
O'er her warm cheek, and rising bosom, move
The bloom of young Desire and purple light of Love”.
The quote praises the sensitive and emotional parts of femininity. The poem asserts female strength and uniqueness claiming that for these qualities, for Love, Sensuality, Beauty “did Woman triumph”. Despite the fact, the part of appearance is foregrounded, the main part of the poem admires Mary’s accomplishments and respect her social work directed on the feminist movement and fight for the women rights.
“The Triumph Of Woman” by R. Southey.
The poem starts with the opposing the ugly side of human world, including griefs and calamities of people in different countries, to beauty of women and their natural talents and gifts that make the world a better place. It establishes two main types of power — the Monarch's might, and Women's Beauty assisting it. The description of the Woman Power contains also two colour terms — “roseate” and “golden”. “Roseate wreaths” are decorations serving the purpose looking prettier that supplements the concept of Beauty and “golden throne” denotes the supreme power that is close to God nature of a Woman. First of all, it reveals itself in love as later the narrator demonstrates the power of concubines over the powerful men.
In the 13 th stanza the bard mentions colours of purple and gold/golden as signs of a high status and power: “purple robe”,“cup of gold”,“A golden couch” . These colours terms are also a biblical reference: “No gold nor purple swaddling bands. Nor royal shining things” (Hymn 4 part 1; Luke 2:10ff). The meaning of the colour terms “purple” and “gold” is deciphered in the reference on the Bible — royalty. The colour terms appear when Woman’s charms as an influence on a ruler are mentioned.
The basic colour term ‘red’ is used in the 17 th stanza. This passage describes the horrors of the war “with gore and wounds shall clog his scythed car” and “the red flash” fulfills the picture of destruction, adding a definite colour as a visual source and making an accent. The prize for the Victory that finishes any war for one side is always a number of deaths. This conclusion is enhanced by a line containing “white” colour term: “See their white bones then blanched by many a winter sky”.
Next time “red” colour term is used as a metaphor of love embarrassment as a “cheek so red” is a reaction evoked by affection, not war. But these two notions are connected together, because it is evoked in a Warrior [5]:
“Why is the Warrior's cheek so red?
<…>
The Warrior fears because he loves.”
The story comes to the repetition of the symbols of royalty. The might of the king is revealed through his power over other countries as well. The “purple” colour term stands for might and kingship, “gold” colour term sustains this idea and adds a notion of wealth in combination with “purple”. The notion of richness, which is embodied in the nominalized colour term, meaning that even being godlike powerful, kings are still not almighty as they are mortal. The motif of death is introduced by a metaphor with a colour component “black” [5]:
Yes, King of Persia, thou art blest;
But not because the sparkling bowl
To rapture lifts thy waken'd soul,
But not because of Power possest,
Not that the Nations dread thy nod,
And Princes reverence thee their earthly God.
Even on a Monarch's solitude
Care the black Spectre will intrude,
The bowl brief pleasure can bestow
The Purple cannot shield from Woe.
But King of Persia thou art blest,
For Heaven who rais'd thee thus the world above
Has made thee happy in Apame's love!
The end of the poem repeats the lines with the symbols of power and royalty — “the purple robe of state”, “cup of gold”, “the golden couch”. But the main gift for a king is Woman’s love, that is so mighty that can set free the whole nation due to the plot of the poem. From the point of view of colour symbolism, the poem is framed.
References:
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- Jung I., Griber Yu. Colour associations for the words feminine and masculine in nine different countries, 2019. [Online source] URL: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/342212170_Colour_associations_for_the_words_feminine_and_masculine_in_nine_different_countries (accessed 07/11/2025).
- Lehner E., Lehner J. Folklore and Symbolism of flowers, plants and trees. New York: Tudor Publishing Company, 1960. — 128 p.
- McNeill N. B. Colour and colour terminology // Journal of Linguistics, 1972. — 8(01). — PP. 21–33.
- Southey R. Electronic library “All poetry” [Online source] URL: https://allpoetry.com/Robert-Southey (accessed 07.11.2025).
- Wellek R. Concepts of Criticism. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1963. — 403.
- Winawer, J., Witthoft, N., Frank, M. C., Wu, L., Wade, A. R., Boroditsky, L. Russian blues reveal effects of language on color discrimination. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2007. — 104(19). PP. — 7780–7785.
