She walks in beauty- poetry project

She Walks In Beauty By Lord Bryon (George Gordon)

She walks in beauty, like the night In the first stanza, the author is comparing the Of cloudless climes and starry skies; woman’s remarkable beauty to a cloudless night And all that’s best of dark and bright full of sparkling nights. the author says And all Meet in her aspect and her eyes; that’s best of dark and bright which tells us that Thus mellowed to that tender light the author thinks that she is beautiful in the day Which heaven to gaudy day denies. and night light. One shade the more, one ray the less, In this stanza, the author is further talking about Had half impaired the nameless grace how he thinks that she is beautiful in the day and Which waves in every raven tress, night light and even “on shade more or one ray Or softly lightens o’er her face; less” would ruin the perfect balance of her beauty. Where thoughts serenely sweet express, How pure, how dear their dwelling-place. In this stanza, the author says “So soft, so calm, yet eloquent, the smiles that win.” to describe the calm And on that cheek, and o’er that brow, and happy nature of the woman. He also praises So soft, so calm, yet eloquent, her innocence and peacefulness by saying “A mind The smiles that win, the tints that glow, at peace with all below, But tell of days in goodness spent, A heart whose love is innocent!” to describe the A mind at peace with all below, woman that he completely praises. A heart whose love is innocent!

Literary Devices 1. Simile: She walks in beauty, like the night 2. Imagery: Which waves in every raven tress, Or softly lightens o’er her face; 3. Vivid diction: She walks in beauty, like the night Of cloudless climes and starry skies; 4. Oxymoron: And all that’s best of dark and bright

Sound Devices 1. Anaphora: One shade the more, one ray the less, 2. Assonance: Had half impaired (sound of a) 3. Consonance: Of cloudless climes and starry skies (sound of c) 4. Rhyme scheme: ABABAB (stanza 1), CDCDCD (stanza 2), EFEFEF (stanza 3).

Attitude 1. The attitude of this poem is heartfelt and passionate since the author is seriously attracted to this woman that he talks about. 2. The attitude of this poem is also admiration since the author seriously admires the woman’s beauty and innocence.

Shift In this poem, the shifts happen in lines 11 and 16. This is where the author shifts from talking about the physical to internal beauty of the woman.

Theme Beauty and harmony of the mind and body is one major theme of this poem where the perfect balance is necessary and even the slightest change will ruin her beauty.



When I was One and Twenty When I was one-and-twenty I heard a wise man say, “Give crowns and pounds and guineas But not your heart away; Give pearls away and rubies But keep your fancy free.” But I was one-and-twenty, No use to talk to me. When I was one-and-twenty I heard him say again, “The heart out of the bosom Was never given in vain; ’Tis paid with sighs a plenty And sold for endless rue.” And I am two-and-twenty, And oh, ’tis true, ’tis true.