Red and White in The Rape of Lucrece

Red (alone):

White (alone): “love’s modest snow white weed” [196];

Red and White: “To praise that clear unmatched red and white which triumphed in that sky of his delight” [11-12]; “But beauty, in that white entituled from Venus’ doves, doth challenge that fair field. Then virtue claims from beauty beauty’s red, which virtue gave the golden age to gild their silver cheeks, and called it then their shield, teaching them thus to use it in the fight, when shame assailed, the red should fence the white” [57-63]; “beauty’s red and virtue’s white” [65];

Red things with white things: lilies and roses [71-77]; lily hand, rosy cheeks [386];

Green and white: “on the green coverlet, whose perfect white show’d like an April daisy on the grass” [394];

White and blue: “her breasts like ivory globes circles with blue, a pair of maiden worlds unconquered” [407];

Silver: “silver melting dew” [24]; “silver cheeks” [61]; “silver moon” [371];

Silver white: “when beauty boasted blushes, in despite Virtue would stain that o’er with silver white” [56]

Gold: “golden splendor of the sun” [25]; virtue has given golden age beauty’s red, [60]; Hair like golden threads, [400];

Pale: “and to Collatium bears the lightless fire, which, in pale embers hid, lurks to aspire” [5-6]; “pale with fear” [183];

Black: “blackest sin is cleared with absolution” [354];

Color: [92]; “why hunt I then for color or excuses?” [267];