Charlotte Barr and the Color of God

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Recommended: Religion in contemporary society

Charlotte Barr and the Color of God

In many of her poems, the contemporary poet Charlotte Barr provides insight into the relationship between God and man. "A Complaint to Her Lord in Her Loneliness," "Black and White," and "Color" all use the colors black, white, and red to explore the relationship between their speakers and God. The poems' speakers see these colors as indicators of their love for God. Through each of the poems, the use of color allows each speaker to come to a better understanding of her relationship with God. From a broader view, many of the things the speakers learn can be applied to the relationship between God and the ordinary man.

In "A Complaint to Her Lord in Her Loneliness," the speaker uses red and white to embody passion and purity. The two extremes are never reconciled, and, by the end of the poem, juxtaposed in their meanings. As the poem begins, the speaker prays to God, saying, "There is a rosebud on your altar / Which waits unopened. / Who knows if it is red or white?" (ll. 1-3) Here, the speaker's sexual side, c...

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