She Walks in Beauty was written by Lord Byron, also known as George
Gordon. He was an English poet of the early 19th century and belonged to
the Romanticism Era. When we talk about Romanticism, we know William
Wordsworth, Blake, and Coleridge were old Romantic poets, and
Byron was a young poet. This poem was written in 1814 and later on
published in 1815. She Walks in Beauty is one of Byron’s
poems that is considered famous, popular, and one of the easiest poems that can
be recognized easily.
This very poem is a celebration of beauty, both inner and outer.
There are so many poems regarding beauty, but it has regard to be the first
one.
Brief Summary of the Poem:
This poem starts with a line addressed to an unnamed lady, and
her beauty is described. She is compared with many universal things. Then there
is the contrast between light and dark. And it is also told that she is not
only beautiful, but she is pure and innocent from the inside, and her love is
innocent.
Stanza Wise Explanation:
Stanza 1:
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.
Here the beauty is compared with the darkness, although in some
poems it is compared with the brightness. In Shakespeare's poem, it is
compared with the day of summer. The night described here is light full of
stars and cloudless. It is bright but not brighter than a day. Here the
contrast between day and night is drawn, and it is continued further in the
poem. Every great thing of darkness and brightness is here in this woman and
shows all aspects of beauty, both facial and inner, in her personality.
Stanza 2:
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.
In these lines, we see a significant and extreme balance drawn
between bright and dark. And this balance is like if one thing goes down, all
the things and balance of the poem will mess up, and the rhythm will not be
there. The beauty is so much that there are no words to describe it. The
description given here is inner feelings tried to portray in words. There is a
grace that is there in her every lock and which brightens her face. Her face
and inside are so pure that her every thought can be read by her face. Her
expressions are as true as her inside, showing how pure and innocent she is.
Stanza 3:
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!
Her smile is so precious and pretty that it blushes on her
cheeks and forehead. Her smile shows that her expressions are true, which are
shown on her face, and can easily be judged. Her expressions show how quiet and
calm she is. This calm smile shows that she spends her life on good deeds,
which is why she is so calm. All of this leads her mind to peace and rest. The
last line of this poem tells that her love is purely innocent, not for any
sexual desire.
Analysis of the Poem:
This poem is set at night, cloudless, where some stars are full
of light. This light is compared with the beauty of a woman and is in contrast
with the daylight. It is told that this very beauty is so much pure and
innocent. And in this poem, external beauty is defined, but with this, the
inner beauty is portrayed and told that she is pure, kind, and innocent from
the inside, which is why she looks so beautiful and gorgeous from the outside.
The poem is in musical rhythm, and one can feel the music in it while reading.
Long vowel sounds are used so that they can be pronounced loud and clear during
musical reading. The poem’s meter is iambic tetrameter. There are four
syllables in each line of the poem. Stressed syllables follow unstressed
syllables. The rhyming scheme of this poem is ABABABCDCDCDEFEFEF.
Literary Devices Used in the Poem:
· The simile is used in the poem, and there is a comparison of beauty
and night. And this very thing is started from line one and is an example of a
simile.
· Enjambments: This means some lines are joined with the other lines without
pause.
· In the word cloudless climes, the
repetition of the cl sound is an alliteration.
· The repetition of the s sound is
some lines in sibilance.
· The use of synesthesia is
also there. By using the word, tender and light senses, are mixed up how the
blur is like bright light.
· Personification is there. Heaven is personified in the sixth line, and
then smiles, tints, and blushes are also personified when they are called
eloquent and told about her good deeds. Thoughts are personified also.
· By describing the mind as a place
of dwelling the poet has used metaphor.
Themes of the Poem:
Appearances:
Appearance is very significant in the whole poem as with
appearance the beauty of a woman is described in many ways with the comparison
of night and day.
Principles:
Those principles are meant that are of that unnamed woman. By
following these principles she is pure and innocent from the inside. And
because of this purity, she looks exceptionally gorgeous from the outside.
Women and Femininity:
Only one woman is focused on here, though all are addressed
because the element of beauty is similar in all women. Women do not tell about
themselves. Usually, they are objectified by other people. Here poet tells
about the beauty of this unnamed woman, describing her different moments and
expressions, and says that he can also read her thoughts.
Awe and Amazement:
The way of describing the beauty shows the poet is worshiping
her. She is idolized, and he compares beauty to those vast things that are
universal. And by doing this her beauty seems almost supernatural.
She Walks in Beauty is described above in all
aspects.
