FLowers ARe REd. by Harry Chapin. How Does this Poem Make You Feel?

Flowers are Red

by Harry Chapin



The little boy went first day of school

He got some crayons and started to draw

He put colors all over the paper

For colors was what he saw

And the teacher said.. What you doin' young man

I'm paintin' flowers he said

She said... It's not the time for art young man

And anyway flowers are green and red

There's a time for everything young man

And a way it should be done

You've got to show concern for everyone else

For you're not the only one

And she said...

Flowers are red young man

Green leaves are green

There's no need to see flowers any other way

Than they way they always have been seen



But the little boy said...

There are so many colors in the rainbow

So many colors in the morning sun

So many colors in the flower and I see every one



Well the teacher said.. You're sassy

There's ways that things should be

And you'll paint flowers the way they are

So repeat after me.....



And she said...

Flowers are red young man

Green leaves are green

There's no need to see flowers any other way

Than they way they always have been seen



But the little boy said...

There are so many colors in the rainbow

So many colors in the morning sun

So many colors in the flower and I see every one



The teacher put him in a corner

She said.. It's for your own good..

And you won't come out 'til you get it right

And all responding like you should

Well finally he got lonely

Frightened thoughts filled his head

And he went up to the teacher

And this is what he said.. and he said



Flowers are red, green leaves are green

There's no need to see flowers any other way

Than the way they always have been seen



Time went by like it always does

And they moved to another town

And the little boy went to another school

And this is what he found

The teacher there was smilin'

She said...Painting should be fun

And there are so many colors in a flower

So let's use every one



But that little boy painted flowers

In neat rows of green and red

And when the teacher asked him why

This is what he said.. and he said



Flowers are red, green leaves are green

There's no need to see flowers any other way

Than the way they always have been seen.

FLowers ARe REd. by Harry Chapin. How Does this Poem Make You Feel?
The poem describes the experience of so mnay children - not with their teachers (although it does happen) but with their parents. It's not that their parents are stupid or unimaginative or intentionally cruel - but they miss the beauty and creativity that the child brings and the child comes to believe that it's not OK to be fully themselves. So they create a 'false self', a child who will get it right and be who they have thought the adults wanted them to be. And it works.... and so they stick with it because it is seriously scarey to do it any other way - they fear they will be rejected and unloved, although all this is on an unconscious level. And then they arrive in my consulting room, or that of any other psychotherapist or counsellor, as adults, feeling that their relationships never work, that they are unfulfilled, that life has been a real disappointment. It takes a lot of courage for someone to begin to let themselves know about, let alone talk about, the inner child who saw all the colours...... but if everything conspires to make it possible, there is a beautiful healing and the child glows again in the adult.
Reply:it really is an amazing poem. it realy describes so much more than just flowers. it shows how not just teachers, but people want to mold others into what they believe is right. and how they force them to see things how they see it and it is not alwasy a better way. hmm. anothe example is how children have to take writing tests and they are graded. i think it is sometimes rediculous that writing is graded. it is purely an opinion.
Reply:First of all, Harry Chapin was one of the MOST amazing song-writers of the world. He was so concerned with the problems of the world and his music and songs portrayed this.



It was a shame that the world lost him so early in his life.



This song is about accepting differences in people.



This song, shows us that children are influenced by the important people in their lives and that this influence is great. This child was first taught to draw something a certain way and was punished for being different. When he finally conformed to the way "things should have been," he was accepted and allowed to join in with the other children.



The feeling that he was different was carried through until he met another teacher who accepted his differences and allowed him to be himself.



Amazing Harry Chapin......Thank you