Poetry - She Walks In Beauty
What are the themes?
Awe / admiration
"So soft, so calm, yet eloquent"
Repetition of "so" - the speaker is becoming quite emphatic and overwhelmed. Adjective "eloquent" - her face speaks volumes about the kind of person she is.
"All that's best of dark and bright meet in her aspect and her eyes"
Superlative "best" - she possesses superior qualities. Juxtaposition of "dark" and "bright" - she has achieved the ideal marriage of light and dark to create an extraordinary beauty. Attributing different shades to her character implies that she has depth.
What period was it written in?
The Romantic Period.
What are the 9 quotes?
"She walks in beauty, like the night of cloudless climes and starry skies" "All that's best of dark and bright meet in her aspect and her eyes" "Mellowed to that tender light which heaven to gaudy day denies" "One shade more, one ray the less, had half impaired the nameless grace" "Waves in every raven trees" "Thoughts serenely express, how pure, how dear their dwelling-place" "So soft, so calm, yet eloquent" "The smiles that win, the tints that glow" "A mind at peace with all below, a heart whose love is innocent!"
When was it written?
1814.
"Waves in every raven trees"
Adjective "raven" - used to describe her black hair. Gives the woman a darker quality as ravens are birds that are traditionally associated with bad omens. As an unconventional character himself, it's perhaps unsurprising that Byron finds himself infatuated with this mysterious woman.
"She walks in beauty, like the night of cloudless climes and starry skies"
An unusual simile - the writer compares her to the "night", but most poets commonly use light imagery. Suggests that hers in an unconventional beauty. Natural imagery - conveys the woman's beauty. He compares her to vast, uncontainable entities like "climes" and "skies", suggesting that her beauty is immeasurable and almost unimaginable. Alliterative phrases - add to the sense of balanced perfection that, according to the speaker, the woman exemplifies. Adjective "cloudless" - she has no flaws. She embodies faultless perfection. Noun phrase "starry skies" - this image is often read as a reference to her spangled mourning dress.
Who wrote it?
Lord Byron.
What is the form and structure of the poem?
Lyric form - a type of poetry which expresses personal emotions and feelings. It could be set to music. Regular rhythm and rhyme - reflects the steady rhythm of her walk that's smooth and serene. Enjambement - conveys his breathless enthusiasm as he describes the subject of his infatuation. Juxtaposition - shows her unusual beauty, which combines elements of light and dark - radiance and mystery. Patterning - conveys her finely balanced perfection.
"Thoughts serenely express, how pure, how dear their dwelling-place"
Noun "thoughts" - he turns his attention from external features like her eyes, hair and face to her internal attributes. Sibilance - a gentle hush and calm demeanour. Metaphor "dwelling-place" - hers is the natural home for pure thoughts. Adjectives "sweet" and "pure" - associated with feminine ideals.
"A mind at peace with all below, a heart whose love is innocent!"
Nouns "mind" and "heart" - the poem ends with a focus on her internal qualities. He isn't simply objectifying her as something beautiful to look at. Adverb "below" - the woman occupies an elevated position. She is unearthly and he looks up to her in awe. Exclamatory - helps to convey his tone of breathless wonder.
"The smiles that win, the tints that glow"
She has a positive effect on others. Noun "tints" - refers to blushes which the poet believes are a result of her inner goodness and modesty.
What is the full poem?
She walks in beauty, like the night Of cloudless climes and starry skies; And all that's best of dark and bright Meet in her aspect and her eyes; Thus mellowed to that tender light Which heaven to gaudy day denies. One shade the more, one ray the less, Had half impaired the nameless grace Which waves in every raven tress, Or softly lightens o'er her face; Where thoughts serenely sweet express, How pure, how dear their dwelling-place. And on that cheek, and o'er that brow, So soft, so calm, yet eloquent, The smiles that win, the tints that glow, But tell of days in goodness spent, A mind at peace with all below, A heart whose love is innocent!
"One shade more, one ray the less, had half impaired the nameless grace"
The balance of the woman's beauty is so delicate that one tiny change could ruin the perfection. This is further illustrated by the patterning / parallelism that's used to create a line that's exactly balanced. Adjective "nameless" - her beauty is beyond words. Abstract noun "grace" - refers to the smoothness and elegance of her movement, but also her goodness.
"Mellowed to that tender light which heaven to gaudy day denies"
Verb "mellowed" and adjective "tender" - she possesses a beauty more subtle than that of others. In comparison, others seem "gaudy" and ostentatious. Noun "heaven" - she has a celestial, unearthly quality about her. This further adds to the sense that she is obtainable.
What is the context?
Written in the Romantic period, the poem reflects the turning away from the rationality of the 18th century by placing greater emphasis on emotions and the importance of individual thoughts. The whole poem is focused on a single moment in time when Byron was awestruck by the unusual beauty of a woman he met at a ball. He had a notorious reputation because of his wild behaviour and unconventional lifestyle. It's perhaps no surprise that it's a more exotic beauty that transfixes him. The object of his admiration was in mourning and wearing a black dress set with glistening spangles that caught Byron's attention and inspired him to write the poem. It reflects 19th century ideas about female beauty being intrinsically linked to feminine qualities, like purity and kindness. This is alien to modern readers who live in a society which judges female beauty almost entirely on physical appearance.
