So, Goethe, you felt you made your mark
more in your theory of colours than in your poetry.
Your observations between light and dark
in shadowy spectral zones were masterly.
You went far beyond the scientific when
Assigning colours various attributes;
The poet could not be denied his need to pen
The names of qualities each colour suits.
Noble for orange, Useful for green,
red Beautiful or zierlich,
yellow Good, while blue is Mean.
Violet you reckoned unnötig –
Unnecessary, or superfluous!
A challenging conceit, but signifying
a colour only valuable to those like us;
imaginative souls whose versifying
works to turn worthlessness to worth,
immortalise a trembling violet’s birth.

In Goethe’s Theory of Colours he assigned attributes such as Noble, Good, Useful to different colours, and for violet, Unnecessary – apparently meaning the concern of fantasy/imagination.