Violets are blue,
Sugar is sweet;
And so are you."
This is the stereotypical poem. Its origins are unknown, but may, according to Wikipedia, be traced to these lines from Sir Edmund Spenser's The Faerie Queene:
When Titan faire his beames did display,
In a fresh fountaine, farre from all mens vew,
She bath'd her brest, the boyling heat t'allay;
She bath'd with roses red, and violets blew,
And all the sweetest flowres, that in the forrest grew."
"Blew" is an old spelling of "blue". Both roses and violets exist in varieties of many colours. Viola sororia and Viola odorata are the bluest violets; red roses are hybrid teas of the genus Rosa.
It has often been parodied.
Variants:
Violets are blue,
I really can't rhyme
Microwave!
Violets are blue
He/she's for me
Not for you
If by chance
You take my place
I'll take my fist
And smash your face
Violets are blue
I've got a knife
Get in the van.
Violets are blue
What line comes next?
I haven't a clue.
My feet are green
It's Valentine's Day
So let's get obscene.
Violets are violet,
Blah blah blah,
Let's shag.
Violets are yellow.
This doesn't rhyme,
And I'm color-blind.
Violets are blue
I have V.D.
Now you have it too.
Violets are blue
Sugar is sweet
And so are you
But the roses are wilting
The violets are dead
The sugar bowl's empty
And so is your head.
Violets are blue
Sexual hormones
Are why I love you
Daffodils are yellow
I'd rather have rabies
Than be your fellow
Corpses are blue
When this poem rhymes,
You'll be one as well.
Unicorns are fridge
This poem makes no sense
Toaster.
My name is Dave
This poem makes no sense
Microwave
Nothing I've seen is sweeter than you
Let's plant a seed of love that can bloom
Withstanding all, all the time shining true
Violets are blue, roses are red
And one day all that we know will be dead
So let's plant the seed and let love be true
Till the day roses wither and I'll be without you
Daffodils are yellow, all of this is true
Let's just be happy, no one wants to be blue
'Cause roses are red and violets are blue
Violets are Blue
Chicken shit stinks
And so do you
Dead ones are black
Why is your chest
As flat as your back?
Roses are red
I hate you
I wish you were dead.
Violets are blue
This line doesn't rhyme
And neither does this one
Violets are not blue
The color's in the name!
Hmph, never mind
Violets are blue
Wait... then my flowerbed is purple...
YAAAAAAYY!!!
——
Roses are yellow
Grandpa's teeth
Are lost in the Jell-o!
——
And roses are blue
If you use Photoshop
To mess with the hue.
——
Roses are red
Hitman is cool
But is bad at poems.
——-
That much is true
Violets are violet
Not fucking blue
——-
Violets are blue,
Kiss my ass
And fuck you, too!
——
And the violets are crimson
I've killed the gardener
And you're coming next.
——
Violets are blue
Vodka is cheaper
Than dinner for two
——
Violets are blue
Does this rag
Smell like chloroform to you?
Violets are blue
I suck at poetry
Show me your tits
Violets are grey
Everything's grey
Because I'm a dog
Violets are blue
I have a gun!
Get in the van!
Variants in media:
- The Adventures of Captain Jack:
Roses are red
Lemons do pucker
Prisoners escape
When the guard is a sucker!
A deep crimson hue,
When you got in trouble,
You sure were too! Ha! Ha! note
Violets are blue
If something smells bad
it's gotta be you.
Emeralds are green
You must weigh more
Than a washing machine.
tomatoes are too
If I had one now
I'd throw it at you.
Like a big fiery comet
Your face would make even
Quasimodo vomit.
Daffodils gold
You might look better
If you scraped off that mold.
Looming huge to the ant;
I wish you would drown
In a waste treatment plant
Violets are blue.
At least, that's what they tell me,
Because I am blind.
— The Far Side
- Calvin & Hobbes: The Series:
- Roses Are Red (Teen Titans fanfiction):
Roses are red
Stems are green
You're the prettiest half-demon
I've ever seen
violets are blue ...
I'm about to fuck up.
So what else is new?
— Colin, Greenfingers
Sir violets are blue,
Sir sugar is sweet,
Sir so are you.
— Baravelli on the symptoms of cirrhosis, Horse Feathers
Violets are blue,
I wanna poke your fucking eyes out with my dick, you fuck
— Charles Randall, Righteous Kill
and how do you do?
Drink four of these,
and woob-woob-woob-woob!
— Curly, No Census, No Feeling
Sonic is blue.
Earth needs a hero.
A hedgehog will do!
— One of several taglines for Sonic the Hedgehog (2020), which was released on a Valentine's Day.
- The Fighting Fantasy gamebook, Eye of the Dragon had a trap where players walks into a dead end bearing this message:
Violets are blue.
A face like yours.
Belong in a zoo.
(Cue inescapable portcullis sealing the only way in, leaving the reader permanently trapped if they do not have a necessary item)
And ready for plucking;
You are sixteen
And ready for high school.
— Breakfast of Champions
Joues gare et suite, un sot voyou.
— Mots d'Heures: Gousses, Ramesnote
Corpses are blue,
On Valentine's day
You'll die too!
— R. L. Stine, "Broken Hearts"
Angels in heaven know I love you
Pacifica's blood is blue,
I read what you crossed out,
I'm on to you!
Start combing your hair, Brother!
— Mabel Pines, Gravity Falls: Journal 3 Blacklight Edition
Roses are red
My sons were right
Go soak your head
— Carey Martin, The Suite Life of Zack & Cody
Violets are blue
Have sex in the Corps
And I'll break your neck
— Deacon Jones, G Vs E
Violets are fickle
When I'm done with you
All you'll have left is this nickel
— Maris Crane, Frasier
poppies are red,
the grass is all red,
SHIT THE GARDEN'S ON FIRE!
— Holly Walsh on Mock the Week
Roses are red,
Violets are blue,
Your cards are shit,
And your channel is too.
— Chris Addison on Mock the Week
Violets are blue,
I'm locked up in Broadmoor,
And thinking of you.
— Hugh Dennis on Mock the Week
violets are blue
pansies are poets, Will
tell me it isn't true.
violets are blue
Jazz and I are black
but Carlton, what are you?
—Carlton Banks and Will Smith, respectively, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
You killed Elliott and I could have killed you.
- A.D.
And violets are blue,
These aren’t flowers
And so I’ll fire you.
— Lord Sugar upon hearing that a team wasted their time looking for what they thought were flowers, The Apprentice (U.K. version)
We can learn a lot from you... NOT!
— Tommy and Zack, reciting a poem to Bulk and Skull, Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers
Violets are blue,
A trip to the Pie Pod
Is waiting for you.
— Instruction card on What Would You Do? (Nickelodeon)
Violets are blue,
I fucked and killed your mother,
But I really didn't mean to.
— Trying to apologize to Empress Catherine on The Great
I looked for both, but they never grew.
Roses are red, yes, and that stands for lust —
The other's for innocence; for that, I'm not fussed.
— Zoe's Adventures Under Ground, "River Rise Over"
Violets are purple,
Sugar is sweet,
And so's maple surple.
— Roger Miller, "Dang Me"
And time is beginning to crawl
I just might have to come see you
Where teardrops fall
— Bob Dylan (no, really), "Where Teardrops Fall"
Violets are blue.
Sugar is sweet, my love.
But not as sweet as you.
Then I went far away and you found someone new.
I read your letter dear, and I wrote back to you:
"Roses are red, my love.
Violets are blue.
Sugar is sweet, my love.
Good luck, may God bless you."
— Bobby Vinton, "Roses Are Red (My Love)"
And violets are blue
Honey is sweet
But not as sweet as you
— Aqua, "Roses Are Red" (Different song, same title.)
Roses are red
Daisies are yellow
The flowers are dead.
— Lil Wayne, "I Feel Like Dying"
Violets are blue,
Sugar's sweet;
Sweetie, so are you!
— George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin & Gus Kahn, "So Are You"
Violets are blue
Until I met Psalty
I was blue, too.
— Psaltina, Kids Praise 3: Funtastic Family!
Poison is blue
Strychnine is good
For what's ailin' you
— The Sonics, "Strychnine"
And violets are blue
You chase me
And so will I
Burma-Shave...
— Roger Miller, "Burma Shave"
The hoisery's nude
This dress is heinous
Your stylist should be sued
— Bullseye, Entertainment Weekly, Issue #1197
Violets are blue.
Bricks are heavy,
And L7 is too.
And roses are red.
Go get L7
For a shot of street cred.
— Bricks Are Heavy Review, Entertainment Weekly, Issue #123
Violets are blue
We make our bread
On clods like you!
— MAD, "A Valentine to all our readers", #133
Violets are blue
I'm a man for all seasons
So what else is new?
— MAD, the first of a Running Gag from the "Quiz Show" movie parody.
Violets are blue
That's nothing a son
of mine should do
— MAD, also from the Quiz Show parody, when Charles's father finds out about him getting the answers.
Violets are blue
Just call the network
and tell them you're through
— MAD, yet another one from the Quiz Show parody, when Charles is wondering what to do next.
Pumpkins are orange
I wish I had
A great big borange
— MAD, a final one from the Quiz Show parody, when Charles gives a Freudian Excuse about being unable to impress his father through poetry. In the next panel, his father starts on another, but is told to shut up.
Violets are blue,
This game is stupid
— Review header for Yu-Gi-Oh! The Duelists of the Roses, Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine, April 2003, page 98
Larry Hart's laying low
The rose is red
The violet's blue
The sugar's sweet
And so are you
That's as deep as we go
— Forbidden Broadway's parody of Miss Saigon, "You Are Hallmark, I Postcard"
Losers can be keepers
Roses can be red
Violets can be blue
Some lyrics rhyme
Some don't
— Jitter, The Musical of Musicals: The Musical!, "Stay with Me"
— G3 My Little Pony, Alphabittle's backcard story
Violets are gray
I'm dead and color-blind.
— Forsaken male /silly emote, World of Warcraft
Roses are red
We're coming aboard
Prepare to eat lead
— A book of pirate poems, Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge
Zombies are blue
But my face is whitenote
So you know I'm true
— Eriko, Revelations Persona
Violets are blue
You suck
— Graffiti written below an over-the-top poem in Left 4 Dead
Violets are blue
I'm stuck on the eastern front
AND SO ARE FUCKING YOU!!
— Wehrmacht Grenadier, Company of Heroes
Spices is yellow
But old Jack-of-Smiles
Is a murderous fellow
— A message the player can receive during the Feast of the Exceptional Rose in Fallen London
Violets are blue
Your loaning rights are revoked
Due to books overdue
— Library notice, The Darkside Detective
Pillows are white,
Get our special bundle
And stay up all night!
$50 Valentine's special at Fancy Nancy Flowers sponsored by Pillowtronics!
— Fading advertisement on the Nickel News bulletin outside, Thimbleweed Park
Violet is Blue
Flag is Win
Baba is You
— Rules for the appropriately-named "Poem" level, Baba is You
Violets are blue
You control the news
And they control you
— Unknown letter at the office desk, Headliner: NoviNews
Violets are blue
One day we'll cruise
Down Blood Gulch Avenue
— First verse of the Red vs. Blue theme
Violets; they're blue,
Jimmy Stewart is awesome;
Doo dee doo dee doo.
— Jimmy Stewart (supposedly), How It Should Have Ended: It's a Wonderful Life
Violets are blue,
Your house is covered
In piles of excrement
— Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw, reviewing Saints Row 2
Violets are blue,
You're really hot,
Let's fuck.
— Sven Bianchi, Questionable Content #1189
Violence be bloody,
Littleton kid went
Killing with his buddy.
Una-bomber! Oklahoma!
Fire down ho!
Sharks in da gene pool,
North of Kosovo!
Everyone's packing,
So I'll pack my nickel bag,
Gonna get my peace on and offer yas a drag.
— Monique, Sinfest [1]
Violets are violet.
Here's the Zorgon spies,
Yo momma's a harlot.
— Lodoze (parody of Lobo), Sluggy Freelance (22 June 2001)
I give them to mom
She makes me cookies
Nommy nom noms
— Cinna the Poet, Hark! A Vagrant ([2])
Roses are red
Green is the grass
I'm sorry I hurt you
I'm a horse's ass.
If you need a haiku, just remember "peace-shattering moron" is six syllables.
— Fred Macintire (advising Lisa), Something*Positive
Daisies are yellow
(she's briefly interrupted)
I am in love with
A nerdy young fellow.
— Fuchsia, Sinfest 2009-05-18: Love Poetry
violets = '#0000ff';
find ~ -name base -exec chown -R you {} \;
— Chaos Computer Club
The Crisseagrim's blue
You're a miserable pile of secrets
But enough talk, have at you!
— Anonymous'
Violets are blue,
Check out this new car!
I'm staring at you.
— One of the "love letters" Fiat delivered to "Isabel" in hopes of choosing her as a lucky winner, Cracked
Sollux has honey,
Stop writing poems,
They're not fucking funny!
— Homestucks on YouTube
My jacket is blue,
You may think you're not pretty,
But I love all of you.
No matter your body,
No matter your scars,
Nobody is perfect,
Just be who you are.
— Undertale Trash on YouTube
But usually pink.
Violets aren't blue,
At least I don't think.
They're more sort of purple,
It's so hard to tell.
It's a bit complicated,
But love is as well.
— Mitch Benn on Twitter
Violets are blue.
Roses and Violets get +2/+2.
— A clever "Valentine" card design from Magic: The Gathering's Custom Magic reddit
Many examples from the Waterstone's Blog, including:
Violets are blue,
Many years have gone by,
Since I met you.
Roses are also,
Yellow and pink,
The passing of time,
It makes you think.
Violets are violet,
If truth be told,
Once we were young,
But now we were old.
Violets are blue,
Roses are red,
The only alternative's,
Being DEAD.
— Paul Stewart
and
Werewolves are fluffy
Bollocks to Twilight
I still love Buffy.
— Christopher Brookmyre
- An attempt at finding a rhyme for purple to make the poem more accurate results in this:
Roses are red,
violets are purple,
My boner for you
has caused me to hirplenote . - A fairly common internet joke, with the details changing between the telling:
- The reddit sub /r/boottoobig is devoted to parodies. The source poem:
Sugar is sweet
He Boot Too Big
For He Gotdamn Feet
Violets are blue
I have a gun
And I don't think you do.
— Tribe Twelve, "November 11th"
Violets are blue.
Poems are hard-
So am I.
— Said by Rob Dyke in one of Mr Repzion's videos
Violets are blue,
I suck at poems,
Bewbs.
— The Honest Trailers voice guy, reading a YouTube comment
Violets are blue.
Boudreau chokes
On that Game Seven barbeque.
— UrinatingTree, "Bruce Boudreau: A Legacy of Failure"
Violets is blue,
Misery loves company,
That's why we're here with you!
— Burger Beagle, DuckTales (1987), "The Bride Wore Stripes"
That's what they say, but it just isn't true.
Roses are red, and apples are too,
But violets are violet. Violets aren't blue.
An orange is orange, but Greenland's not green
And a pinky's not pink. So what does it mean?
To call something blue when it's not, we defile it.
But ah, what the heck: it's hard to rhyme "violet".
— Dot Warner, Animaniacs
If I had your face, I'd be in a zoo.
— Roy Rooster, Garfield and Friends
Here comes creamed spinach, right on your head!
— Roy Rooster again before dumping creamed spinach on Orson, Garfield and Friends
Weirdoes are blue
You'd better start running
'CAUSE I'M GONNA FIX YOOOOOOUUUU!!!!!!
— Piggy, Muppet Babies (1984)
Pickles are blue
Have a nice banana
You live at the zoo.
Do not pass Go, do not collect $200
— Scooter's computer, Muppet Babies (1984)
Violets are red
I have to go to the bathroom
*Eats writing*
— Patrick Star, SpongeBob SquarePants
Violets are blue,
Sugar is sweet,
[belches] THIS BELCH IS FOR YOUUUU!!!
— Heffer Wolfe, Rocko's Modern Life
The TV is black
The horses are running
Please bring me some food
— Heinz Doofenshmirtz, Phineas and Ferb
Roses R Blue
It's time for Poet's Corner!
Yahoo!
— Intro to the poetry segment of Cartoon Planet
Violets are blue
If skunks had a college,
They'd call it P.U.
— Looney Tunes, "Hollywood Canine Canteen"(1946)
Violets are pink,
Flowers smell good,
But you sure sCENSORED!
— Telegram delivered by Bugs Bunny, "Buckaroo Bugs" (Bugs then finished the line by shouting it in the recipient's face. The final word is of course, STINK!)
Violets are blue
Your feathers are black
And mine are, too.
— A bear, to Daffy Duck, wearing some of the duck's black feathers, in "Suppressed Duck"
Posies are green,
Sorry about Denmark,
I was too mean.
— Hans, The Penguins of Madagascar
Roses are red,
Violets are blue
Mice are nice
But, OH YOU KID
— Tom, in a love letter to Toots in the Tom and Jerry cartoon "The Zoot Cat"
But Morton is blue.
Boo hoo hoo hoo
(face into typewriter)
— Mr. Morton, Schoolhouse Rock!
Violets have high.
Cindy is unable to express these values in Angstrom units,
'Cause she's not as smart as I.
— "Ode to Cindy", The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius, "Return of the Nanobots"
Alfalfa is sneezy;
The minute I met her,
I loved my Breezie.
— Sonic the Hedgehog, in his love letter/poem parody to Breezie, Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog
Chocolate Chip Cookies are blue;
Chocolate Chip Cookies are sweet
And so are you!
Happy Valentine’s Day
— Another one from Snoopy, A Charlie Brown Valentine
Violets are blue,
You're not made of junk,
But I still love you!
— Buckwheat's TV Head Robot in The Little Rascals episode "Science Fair and Foul", after Darla asked it to recite a romantic poem
Violets are blue,
Gimme the ball,
I'm comin' through!
— Bluto in the Popeye short, "The Football Toucher Downer".
Pac-Man is yella
Let's open wide
And chomp on that fella!
— Sue, Clyde, Pinky, and Inky (respectively) in the 1982 Pac-Man animated series
Violets are blue
Goldfish will open
The vault for you
— Cadbury in Hanna-Barbera's Richie Rich series
Violets are blue
Sugar is sweet
And you guys have been nominated for outstanding godparenting at this year's Zappy Awards!
— Messenger Fairy in one of The Fairly OddParents! shorts on Oh Yeah! Cartoons
Violets are bluenote
You can make a bridge
When you have 2
— Written on two spools at Deserted Playhouse Island, Craig of the Creek
My heart is blue
I'll stuff you with rags
And sew you up, too
— Kelsey, a Loony Fan of Trent, "Aftermath II: Forgive and for Gwen", Total Drama Action
Manure is brown
GET OUT OF MY FACE!
— Sugar in response to Ella's poetry, "A Blast From the Past", Total Drama Pahkitew Island
Bruises Are Blue
— Jasmine's name for the flower shop and cage-fighting school she wants to open, "Sky Fall", Total Drama Pahkitew Island
Waldorf And violets are blue.
Statler: This page wasn't funny.
Waldorf: But what else is new?
Both: Do-ho-ho-ho-hoh!