Baby Blue

Blue is a color used in “The Masque of the Red Death” by Edgar Allen Poe to symbolize birth. It is the color of the first, most eastern room in Prince Prospero’s castle. Prince Prospero first sees the intruder in this room and this is where the chase begins. This sanctuary of cerulean and azure represents the start of life and the welcoming of a new being into the world.

            The color blue can mean many different things, but it often stands for freshness and new life.  True blue makes one think of a clear sky first thing in the morning, a stream bubbling on its way to the open ocean, and buds of flowers, such as delphiniums and irises. The ebony clock is the quietest in this room, since is the farthest from the source of the sound, yet you can still hear it chime on the hour.  Blue is a primary color and therefore a building block for many other colors. From it sprouts green, a color of energy that comes with being young, and purple, a pigment that represents youth and playfulness. Blue epitomizes beginnings and the water essential to life. It is a calm color meant to sooth restless and wailing souls. It tells of loyalty and trust, faith and sincerity. It is a pure shade that exemplifies innocence and truth.

            Blue is the color of a newborn baby’s eyes. I know this because I was at the birth of my little sister, Chloe. She was a mess in her first few moments of life. She was scrawny, naked, and covered in shiny, white goo that made her look unnaturally pale. She had only taken a few breaths, so there was not enough oxygen in her small appendages making them appear slightly blue. In the next few hours she would be cleaned up, washed off, and swaddled in a blanket—making her rosy and clean without the marks of birth on her. Blue is very important to “The Masque of the Red Death” because without this color or that particular room, the Prince and The Red Death would have no starting point and the events of the story might not have happened. The blue embodies the beginning of life and newness. I experienced the role blue plays in birth, when I met my younger sister for the first time. It does not matter if its cobalt, indigo, aqua, or sapphire, blue represents life and bringing fresh souls into the world.