1. “What Is Pink?” and “What Are Heavy?” by Christina Rossetti
Descriptive Poems
“What Is Pink?” and “What Are Heavy?”
by Christina Rossetti

2. Descriptive Poem A descriptive poem can describe:
A person, place, or thing - real or imaginary.
An experience. (ie., playing in the rain)
A feeling. (ie., security)
An idea. (ie., patriotism)
A natural occurrence. (ie., weather or seasons)

3. Descriptive Poem A good descriptive poem:
Produces vivid mental imagery.
Engages the mind.
Seeks to be understood through a closer look.
Stirs deeper feelings and connections to the subject.
Leaves the reader with something to think about.

4. Meet the Poet: Christina Rossetti

5. Meet the Poet: Christina Rossetti
Born in London
Educated by her parents
Had a close and interesting family.
Her two brothers and a sister were all artists or writers.

6. Meet the Poet: Christina Rossetti
Dictated her first story to her mother before she learned how to write
Read classic literature and visited famous places in London:
Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum.
London Zoo.
Regent’s Park.
Became a well-known Victorian poet in her lifetime.

7. Meet the Poet: Christina Rossetti
Victorians – people in England in the mid- 1800’s, during the reign of Queen Victoria
Many Victorians viewed nature idealistically and spiritually.
They even capitalized the word, Nature.
Nature was seen as God’s divine creation.
Rossetti was a religious woman who shared this point of view.

8. Meet the Poet: Christina Rossetti
Published several books of illustrated poetry, including:
Goblin Market and Other Poems.
Sing-Song: A Nursery Rhyme Book.
Had a wide circle of creative friends.
Wrote the poem, “In the Bleak Midwinter,” which was put to music as a Christmas carol.

9. Meet the Poet: Christina Rossetti
Family suffered financial hardships and health problems.
Passed away in from cancer.
Is still widely read and studied today.
Regarded as a feminist and a poetic genius.
Painting by Dante Rossetti, her brother

10. Student Learning Goal for Reading
Today you will ask and answer questions about poems by Christina Rossetti in order to understand their meaning and the poet’s craft.

11. “What Is Pink?” by Christina Rossetti
What is pink? a rose is pink
By a fountain's brink.
What is red? a poppy's red
In its barley bed.
What is blue? the sky is blue
Where the clouds float through.
What is white? a swan is white
Sailing in the light.
What is yellow? pears are yellow,
Rich and ripe and mellow.
What is green? the grass is green,
With small flowers between.
What is violet? clouds are violet
In the summer twilight.
What is orange? Why, an orange,
Just an orange!
Public Domain – Christina Rossetti. “What Is Pink?” Celebration of Women Writers. Mary Mark. Web. April 2014.
Public Domain – Christina Rossetti. “What Is Pink?” Celebration of Women Writers. Mary Mark. Web. April 2014.

12. Preparing for Reading
The poet, Georgia Heard, recommends that readers take stock of the poem before reading.
Type of poem.
Subject.
Look at how the poem is arranged on the page.
Configuration.
Number of stanzas. (if present)
“Taking stock” may be done in whole group. Students may jot down notes in their Reader Response Log(s).

13. Poetry Words
Stanza
A stanza is a grouping of words, phrases, or lines within a poem
Similar to a paragraph in a story, a stanza shows an organization of thoughts and ideas.
How many stanzas are in “What Is Pink?”

14. Structure, Rhyme, and Language
Structure - How is the poem organized?
Rhyme - Is there a pattern to the rhyming words?
Language –
What part of speech are color words?
What part of speech are the words that provide examples of the colors?
How are all the nouns related?

15. Poet’s Craft
How is “What Is Pink?” different from most descriptive poems?
Most descriptive poems begin with the subjects – nouns – and then embellish them with words that describe – adjectives.
Christina Rossetti does just the opposite; she begins with the adjectives and then provides nouns as examples.

16. Word Choice and Vocabulary
Analyze the poem line by line to determine the meaning of unknown words through context.
Discuss the mental images they bring to mind.

17. What is pink? a rose is pink By a fountain's brink.
Public Domain – Christina Rossetti. “What Is Pink?” Celebration of Women Writers. Mary Mark. Web. April 2014.

18. What is red? a poppy's red In its barley bed.
Public Domain – Christina Rossetti. “What Is Pink?” Celebration of Women Writers. Mary Mark. Web. April 2014.

19. What is blue? the sky is blue Where the clouds float through.
Public Domain – Christina Rossetti. “What Is Pink?” Celebration of Women Writers. Mary Mark. Web. April 2014.

20. What is white? a swan is white Sailing in the light.
Public Domain – Christina Rossetti. “What Is Pink?” Celebration of Women Writers. Mary Mark. Web. April 2014.

21. What is yellow? pears are yellow, Rich and ripe and mellow.
Public Domain – Christina Rossetti. “What Is Pink?” Celebration of Women Writers. Mary Mark. Web. April 2014.

22. What is green? the grass is green, With small flowers between.
Public Domain – Christina Rossetti. “What Is Pink?” Celebration of Women Writers. Mary Mark. Web. April 2014.

23. What is violet? clouds are violet In the summer twilight.
Public Domain – Christina Rossetti. “What Is Pink?” Celebration of Women Writers. Mary Mark. Web. April 2014.

24. What is orange? Why, an orange, Just an orange!
Public Domain – Christina Rossetti. “What Is Pink?” Celebration of Women Writers. Mary Mark. Web. April 2014.

25. Poetry Words Rhythm
Rhythm – having a beat, a tempo, or a cadence to the words
Rhythm can be related to the number of syllables in each line.
What is the rhythm pattern in the poem?
(Wonders Reading-Writing Workshop, page 317) Partner work

26. Readers Response Log(s) Select one
“What Is Pink?” is one of Christina Rossetti’s best known poems. Why do you think it has been popular for over a hundred years? What makes it a classic?
What does the poet want the reader to know and understand?
A good descriptive poem produces vivid mental pictures. Does Rossetti produce them in “What is Pink?” Explain, using details from the poem.

27. Student Learning Goal for Writing
Today you will write a
descriptive poem about colors
in the style of Christina Rossetti.
(This will occur in collaborative groups.)

28. Directions for Color Poems
Write a color poem about nature, changing the color words.
Write a color poem about a different theme/topic, using the same or different color words.
Follow the question and answer pattern.
Follow the rhyme pattern.
Follow one of the rhythm patterns from the master poem. (slight variations)
Groups should write their completed poems on chart paper, or alternatively type them to project digitally.

29. pink red blue white yellow green violet orange Color Words
Words That Rhyme
pink
red
blue
white
yellow
green
violet
orange

30. pink red blue white yellow green violet orange Color Words
Color Synonyms
Words that Rhyme
pink
red
blue
white
yellow
green
violet
orange

31. Writer’s Workshop Collaborative group work
Write color poems in the style of Christina Rossetti.
Share color poems with the class.

32. What Are Heavy? By Christina Rossetti
What are heavy? Sea-sand and sorrow: 
What are brief? To-day and to-morrow: 
What are frail? Spring blossoms and youth: 
What are deep? The ocean and truth.
Public Domain – Christina Rossetti. “What Are Heavy?” Celebration of Women Writers. Mary Mark. Web. April 2014.
Public Domain – Christina Rossetti. “What Are Heavy?” Celebration of Women Writers. Mary Mark. Web. April 2014.

33. What Are Heavy? By Christina Rossetti Read the poem to yourself.
Listen to the poem read aloud.
Compare “What Are Heavy?” to “What Is Pink?” How are the two poems alike?
What are the different types of nouns?
How do the nouns relate to the corresponding adjectives?

34. Read More Rossetti “Who Has Seen The Wind?” “Hurt No Living Thing”
“Caterpillar”
“How Many?”
“Riddle”
“Flint”