“The Rainbow”

Since the times of the ancients rainbows have inspired a sense of wonder in many people.

The rainbow,  is a natural phenomenon noted for its beauty and mystical appearance.  Usually, we see only one bow, but very occasionally double rainbows appear where the first arc is thought to symbolise the material world and the second arc, the spiritual world of course, rainbows are actually “rain circles” - but we normally only see half!

So a  rainbow is a natural physical event in a  meteorological setting , caused by reflection, refraction and dispersion of light in water droplets resulting in a spectrum of light appearing in the sky as an arc. The white light of the sun is split into the seven colours of Red, orange, yellow, green, blue indigo and violet.

Rainbows are part of the myths of many cultures around the world.

In the Abrahamic traditions, and therefore the Christian tradition, the  rainbow , or simply bow,  it is recorded as a sign of the covenant with God not to destroy the world by means of floodwater.  This is described in the story of Noah in the Old Testament. 

Rainbows are frequently represented in Western art and culture, as a sign of hope and promise of better times to come. 

Not surprisingly the rainbow has attracted the interest of writers and artists throughout the centuries and I just want to briefly explore two very short poems, both of which use the Rainbow as their title. 

One is by William Wordsworth and the other is Christina Rossetti.

William Wordsworth (7 April 1770 - 23 April 1850)
Last year William Wordsworth and nine other poets were celebrated in a commemorative series of postage stamps   His poem  “The Rainbow” was one of those stamps.

William Wordsworth was born on April 7th, 1770, at Cockermouth, in Cumberland and spent much of his life in the Lake District. He is considered a pioneer of Romanticism and one of the greatest poets in English literature, launching the Romantic Age in English literature with the publication of Lyrical Ballads in 1798. He was appointed Poet Laureate of Britain in 1843.

Although this poem is generally referred to as The Rainbow it is also known by its evocative opening line; “My Heart Leaps Up When I Behold”.

In the version of Wordsworth’s works I possess * it is recorded as follows:

“MY HEART LEAPS UP WHEN I BEHOLD.
Written at Town-end, Grasmere"

My heart leaps up when I behold
A Rainbow in the sky:
So was it when my life began:
So is it now I am a man;
So be it when I shall grow old,
Or let me die!
The Child is father of the Man;
And I could wish my days to be
Bound each to each by natural piety.

Wordsworth was trying to express that whenever he sees a rainbow his excitement rises and his heart becomes so happy at seeing it in the sky.

It was the same in his childhood days, the same at the present time  and will give the same happiness in the future. So, whilst the phrase, “ the child is the father of man” is a paradox it justifies on the basis that childhood day's views and activities shape a person’s future and remains with them forever.

This complete poem is a reflection of love and affection towards nature and its beauty and our childhood experiences become the foundation for all adult experiences.

Interesting to note that the poem has seven lines – the number of colours in the rainbow! I wonder whether that was deliberate?

* THE POETICAL WORKS OF WILLIAM WORDSWORTH. LONDON, SPCK, 1902

Christina Rossetti (5 December 1830 – 29 December 1894)
Christina Georgina Rossetti was an English poet who wrote romantic, devotional and children’s poems. She is well-known for carols such as, “ In the bleak mid-winter”. She was born in London to Gabriele Rossetti, a poet and political exile from Italy.  

The Rainbow **

Boats sail on the rivers,
And ships sail on the seas;
But clouds that sail across the sky
Are prettier far than these.

There are bridges on the rivers,
As pretty as you please;
But the bow that bridges heaven,
And overtops the trees,
And builds a road from earth to sky,
Is prettier far than these.

This  short poem by Christina Rossetti talks about the superior beauty of clouds and rainbows in comparison to ships and bridges, i.e. the superiority of nature over man-made creations. They are all beautiful and they all sail, but the clouds, which sail across the sky, win by far. The rainbow is an eternal bridge in the sky.

**Source: https://www.familyfriendpoems.com/poem/the-rainbow-by-christina-rossetti

Let me conclude with a brief inspirational rainbow quote from Dr Maya Angelou. 

“Try to be a rainbow in someone else’s cloud”

(Maya Angelou (2010). “Letter To My Daughter”)

Two poems to read, reflect on and hopefully enjoy! 

Submitted by Roger Verrall, March 12, 2021