Blue (poem)
Stanza 1
She was born pink and soft with all of her toes
She had my eyes and her mothers nose
She cried for a moment and then settled down
The angel of my life with hair of brown
Paraphrase: She was born delicate and complete. She had features from both parents. She cried briefly, then calmed, and became the beloved little angel of my life.
Questions:
What is the tone of this stanza? Answer: The tone is tender and loving.
Which poetic device is used in “the angel of my life”? Answer: Metaphor.
What does the poet describe in this stanza? Answer: The poet describes the birth of his daughter.
Stanza 2
Months went by and we watched her grow
Something was wrong and we had to know
The doctor called with concern on his mind
And told me my angel had been born blind
Paraphrase: As time passed and she grew, we noticed something unusual. The doctor confirmed that my precious daughter had been born blind.
Questions:
What emotional change occurs in this stanza? Answer: The tone shifts from joy to concern.
What is the central theme here? Answer: The discovery of the child's blindness.
What does "angel" signify in this stanza? Answer: It signifies the poet's deep affection for his daughter.
Stanza 3
I cried for a while and then I got mad
This was not my idea of being a dad
So from that day forward I started a plight
To be her eyes in life and her heart of sight
Paraphrase: I was initially heartbroken and angry, but then I resolved to be her guide—her eyes in the world and her vision through love.
Questions:
What poetic device is used in "heart of sight"? Answer: Metaphor.
What theme does this stanza convey? Answer: Parental dedication and love.
How does the poet react to his daughter’s condition? Answer: He becomes determined to support her.
Stanza 4
As the years passed by she started to grow
Into a beautiful child with a need to know
Each day was spent teaching all that I knew
Until one day when she asked about blue
Paraphrase: As she grew older, she became curious about the world. I taught her everything I could until the day she asked me what "blue" was.
Questions:
What does the question about “blue” signify? Answer: A barrier between her inner world and the sighted world.
What poetic device is present in “need to know”? Answer: Alliteration.
What does the father’s effort reflect? Answer: His dedication to his daughter’s understanding.
Stanza 5
I tried to define it but my efforts were in vain
Only sighted descriptions were the way to explain
She had no way of knowing what I was trying to say
And for the very first time I failed her that day
Paraphrase: I tried to explain the color, but I couldn't. My explanations depended on sight, which she lacked. That day, I felt I had failed her for the first time.
Questions:
What theme is central to this stanza? Answer: Limitations of language and perception.
What emotion dominates the speaker’s tone? Answer: Helplessness and regret.
What does “my efforts were in vain” signify? Answer: His inability to bridge the gap between blindness and visual experience.
Stanza 6
Life went on and as she grew
She formed her thoughts on what is blue
Wanting to know just what others could see
Inside her mind it became reality
Paraphrase: She continued to grow and imagined what "blue" might be. Though she could not see, she made it real in her thoughts.
Questions:
What poetic device is used in “inside her mind it became reality”? Answer: Imagery and metaphor.
What does the child’s imagination reflect? Answer: Her resilience and creativity.
What is the tone of this stanza? Answer: Hopeful and imaginative.
Stanza 7
On her sixteenth birthday our lives got better
We received good news from a doctor's letter
He said he could help and that this just might
Give the eyes of my angel the gift of sight
Paraphrase: On her 16th birthday, we received hopeful news. A doctor said he might be able to give my angel the gift of sight.
Questions:
What theme emerges here? Answer: Hope and possibility.
What tone is used in this stanza? Answer: Optimistic and joyful.
What does “gift of sight” symbolize? Answer: A miraculous opportunity and life-changing transformation.
Stanza 8
I will never forget what she asked to see
When she opened her eyes and first saw me
She looked at me with her eyes of new
And asked me to show her the color of blue
Paraphrase: I will always remember what she asked after seeing for the first time. She looked at me with her new eyes and asked me to show her blue.
Questions:
What poetic device is in “eyes of new”?
Answer: Metaphor.
What emotion does this stanza convey?
Answer: Awe, love, and anticipation.
What is the significance of “color of blue”?
Answer: It represents longing, mystery, and connection.
Stanza 9
I said, Look at my eyes, for they are blue
The day you were born they watched over you
All through the years they never looked away
They will always be with you and will never stray
Paraphrase:
I told her to look at my eyes, which are blue. From her birth, they watched her with love and never turned away. They would always stay with her, faithfully.
Questions:
What is the symbolic meaning of “blue eyes”?
Answer: Love, protection, and constant care.
What poetic device is in “they never looked away”?
Answer: Hyperbole.
What does this stanza reveal about the father-daughter bond?
Answer: It shows deep love and emotional attachment.
Stanza 10
She smiled at me and said that she always knew
About what the meaning was of the color blue
Through out her life she could always see
With the eyes of her heart instilled from me
Paraphrase: She smiled and said she always knew what blue meant. She had always seen, not with her eyes, but with the heart I helped shape.
Questions:
What theme is emphasized in this stanza?
Answer: Emotional vision surpasses physical sight.
What is the poetic device in “eyes of her heart”?
Answer: Metaphor.
What does her response reveal about her growth?
Answer: It shows emotional maturity and inner understanding.
Stanza 11
To her the color had a meaning more than just
sight
Blue had a feeling that gave her an insight
Throughout the years as both our hearts grew
She told me that Love was the color Blue
Paraphrase: For her, blue was more than a color—it was a feeling that brought her deep understanding. Over the years, as our hearts matured, she revealed that to her, blue meant love.
Questions:
What does "blue" symbolize in the final stanza?
Answer: It symbolizes love and emotional depth.
Which poetic device is used in “blue had a feeling”?
Answer: Personification.
What does the growth of both hearts signify?
Answer: The emotional bond and mutual development between father and daughter.
Summary of the Poem
The poem "Love Was the Color Blue" by Brian A. Haycock narrates the heartfelt journey of a father whose daughter was born blind. Despite the initial shock and grief, he dedicates his life to being her guide and teacher. When she asks about the color blue, he struggles to define it. Years later, after a medical miracle grants her sight, she asks to see the color blue—and he tells her to look into his blue eyes, which watched over her since birth. She responds that she already knew what blue meant, as she had always seen through the eyes of her heart—taught by love. The poem conveys themes of unconditional love, emotional vision, and the power of parental devotion, using gentle metaphors and a deeply sentimental tone throughout.