Premium Essay

She Walks in Beauty

In:

Submitted By dminnis
Words 1074
Pages 5
Poetic Greatness
“Poetry is when an emotion has found its thought and the thought has found words”
(Frost 1-3). This poem by famous poet, Robert Frost, says through the emotion people feel, we can use words to explain them. This is how poetry has been created over the years. This saying, many poems are due to the emotions one creates throughout their words. Every person in the world has a different frame of mind and will all think differently in some ways. With this in mind, what would then truly be the “best poem in the world”? As a whole community, with each individual thinking differently, cannot be answered. Although, many may agree that the poem,
“She Walks in Beauty” by Lord Bryon, is considered to be one of the “best poems in the world”.
The poem effectively uses literary devices to create a sense of the beautiful woman he talks about. Lord Bryon uses strong imagery and symbolism to depict the women; lovely form and meter creating a melodic feel through the words of the poem and similes and personification explain further comparisons to the beauty of the girl.
Lord Bryon creates beautiful creations in reader’s minds with the use of imagery and symbolism. Throughout the poem, there is a recurrence of the contrasting ideas of night and day, and dark and light. Bryon changes reader’s perceptions when the beauty of the woman is compared to the “night”. In most poems, a woman’s beauty is compared to “summer’s days”, such as in Shakespeare’s sonnet 18. In “She Walks in Beauty” harmony is formed between two contrasting ideas. This symbolism of “night” creates a major theme throughout the poem which is harmony and peace. One of the most startling parts of the entire poem is that the woman
Bryon talks about has brunette hair. In the line, “Which waves in every raven tress, or softly lightens o’er her face” (Bryon 9-10) the poet tells that her

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Comparing 'She Walks In Beauty And Coast Of Maine'

...two poems, "She Walks in Beauty" by George Gordon (Lord Byron) and the poem I wrote, "Coast of Maine", the rhyming structure and main idea of natural beauty are very similar in comparison. First and foremost, both of these poems use the same structure to...

Words: 768 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Examine the View That ‘She Walks in Beauty’ Depicts a Speaker More Concerned with Virtue Than Beauty.

...Byron’s poem ‘She walks in beauty’ describes a beautiful women as being like a “cloudless”, starry night sky. She encapsulates a sense of harmony and beneath her fine face lie serene thoughts. Her expressions are not only pleasing,they also suggest goodness and purity. Byron lists the beautiful things about her such as her “cheek” , “brow”, and “smiles” however Byron’s final thoughts are not about the features of the body, they are of the “heart”, the women’s outward beauty is the result of inner goddess and purity. Her beautiful features “tell of days in goodness spent”, she has no guilty conscience, her “mind” is “at peace” and the love she feels is either chaste or she is not in love at all. Byron’s use of “How pure” when talking about her thoughts suggests that he is concerned more with her virtue then her beauty. The main sources of the lady’s beauty are her mind which is “at peace with all below” and her “heart whose love is innocent”. By having a peaceful mind and innocent heart, the lady can bring the beauty of both darkness and light out together without contradiction, her purity softens the edges of the contrasts. This suggests that Byron is more concerned with virtue than beauty The rhyme scheme is regular throughout the poem and there is a steady iambic tetrameter that creates a regular up and down rhythm, the rhythm changes for only one line in the first stanza which begins with a stressed syllable on “meet” this draws attention to the beauty of the women...

Words: 451 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Image of Beauty

...Image of Beauty Nicholas J. Landt ENG 125 March 19, 2012 Dr. Murphy An Image of Beauty Elements of poetry can vary how a reader interprets them to be interesting an engaging. A good author envelops the reader with excellent use of literary elements. In “She Walks in Beauty” by Lord Byron, the reader’s attention is held by superb use of rhythm, rhyme, meter, simile, and theme. The poet mixes together images of darkness and light painting a vibrant picture of loveliness. Lord Byron weaves his words in such a way that he leaves behind a clear and concise image of beauty. Lord Byron uses rhythm, rhyme and meter to make the poem interesting and engaging. “She Walks in Beauty” is a poem made of three stanzas. It is an eighteen-line poem of three six-line stanzas, and the rhyme is ABABAB, CDCDCD, EFEFEF (Cummings, 2008). The rhyming words of the first stanza are night/light/bright and skies/eyes/denies. The rhyme pattern is consonant rhyme among the odd lines and among the even lines (Cummings, 2008). The rhyming pattern is repeated throughout the rest of the poem. The meter is iambic tetrameter, a meter comprising four feet per line, in which the predominant kind of foot is the iamb of unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable (Cummings, 2008). Lord Byron ties these literary elements into a smooth, flowing poem which is best demonstrated when the poem is read aloud. The effect on the reader is an easy to follow and enjoyable poem to read. “She Walks in Beauty” uses...

Words: 751 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Byron

...She Walks In Beauty By: Lord Byron (George Gordon) 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! "She Walks in Beauty" is a poem written in 1814 by Lord Byron. One of Lord Byron’s most famous, it is a lyric poem that describes a woman of much beauty and elegance. TITLE: What’s Up With the Title? We usually refer to this poem simply by its first line, "She Walks in Beauty." But the first line does more than introduce the subject of the poem – a beautiful woman. The first line of the poem (and therefore the title) is an apparently conscious echo of the famous sonnet by William Shakespeare, "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day" (Sonnet 18). Except, of course, instead of comparing the beautiful woman to a "summer's day," Byron compares her to "night." So he's not just setting up a contrast between night and day, he's also setting up a contrast between himself...

Words: 3846 - Pages: 16

Free Essay

Beauty Within

...Sydney Roberts Mrs. Williams English IV- 1 10 November 2011 Beauty Within Throughout history, emotions, and events have been reflected in the arts. No matter the time period artists have used their works to convey a meaning to the audience. The arts are used to communicate feelings in a way that impacts the viewer. Literature, music, and artwork are all genres that artists use to express their feelings and thoughts. Beauty is often used as a theme in each of these genres. Beauty can be illustrated in many different ways, and not everyone sees beauty the same way. Poets use their works to express a mental state. By using specific literary elements and words the reader can determine what they are feeling. Musicians use musical notes and beats as well as words, which allow them to express themselves. Artists use visual elements to represent a particular theme or emotion. Although all of these genres are different, they each contain a message and a theme. Beauty as a theme can be found in the eighteenth century poem “She Walks in Beauty” by Lord Byron, in the twentieth century song “The Most Beautiful Girl in the World” by Prince, and in the fifteenth century painting The Birth of Venus by Botticelli. Lord Byron is famous for his works in literature, especially his poetry. His journey to fame was full of obstacles. “Byron was born in London to a poor but noble family” (“Prepare to Read”). He used his writing as a way to express his feelings. At first his works were not accepted...

Words: 1455 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Beauty

...Beauty "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder." This quote explains how beauty is merely interpreted by the individual seeking it. Although some may say beauty conveys specific guidelines, it cannot be judged by one individual. Beauty does, however, come in several different forms. The inner beauty of an individual, the outer appearance a person displays, and the beauty surrounding a person are just three ways that it is portrayed in society. Inner beauty is found within one's self. It can define a person’s heart and personality; it can describe an inspiring view, or it can explain a person’s actions. The beauty a person has on the inside is seen with the heart, not with the eyes. Inner beauty is who a person is made to be. It is not shown on the surface, but below the appearance. The best beauty hides deep inside, and you may never see it. Beauty is like a treasure chest. The most important part of it is what it holds inside. A woman discovers she has breast cancer. As the chemotherapy begins, she starts to lose her hair along with her strength. She notices she is too tired to be involved with her children after work and cannot go the day without needing a full night's rest. Although the cancer is changing her appearance, she is still the same woman on the inside. The love of her family remains the same, and her personality is never changing. Physical beauty is what an individual appears to be to other people. Today's society has begun to put more emphasis...

Words: 805 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Phenomenal Woman Analysis

...traits for a woman to become ‘phenomenal.’ Maya shows the reader despite what society tells her she still feels great about herself. She believes that it is your inner beauty that makes the woman “phenomenal” instead of your outer beauty. Throughout the poem Maya illustrates how no one seems to understand what it is that makes her attractive because she is not considered to be physically beautiful by society’s standards. So what exactly makes this woman phenomenal? The woman in the poem is appealing to others because of her internal beauty and how she feels about herself. What makes her so phenomenal is that she does not care how others view her society, as well as the opposite sex. Even other woman try to understand what it is about this woman that makes her so attractive, because she does not portray what is considered beautiful by society standards when you look at her. The poem opens up by saying “Pretty women wonder where my secret lies. I’m not cute or built to suit a fashion model’s size” She tells the reader in the beginning that it is not her physical attributes that make her attractive. “Men themselves have wondered what they see in me. They try so much but they can’t touch my inner mystery.” This line illustrates that it is not an actual feature that makes her attractive to men it is something that cannot be seen or touched it is something that comes from within. “I walk into a room just as cool as you please, and to a man the fellows stand or fall on their knees...

Words: 1168 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

Essay

...fashion model’s size,” (2). She goes on to use several quotes like such. “Phenomenal Woman” uses various literary effects to express to women that it isn’t genetic beauty which is important; rather, it is inner beauty and confidence which makes a woman beautiful and the poem’s repetition of the phrase “phenomenal woman” creates an effect in the poem which emphasizes what it means to be a woman. The first stanza in “Phenomenal Woman” begins with Angelou expressing the curiosity which “pretty women” (1) have with her “beauty.” Pretty women don’t see physical beauty in her, yet they see another type of beauty portrayed and question her as to what it may be. Angelou tells them, “It’s in the reach of my arms/the span of my hips/the stride of my step/the curl of my lip/I’m a woman/phenomenally/phenomenal woman” (6-12). Through the use of metaphorical phrases, the author is expressing to the women that she has confidence and it is displayed in how she expresses her femininity. For example, in the way she walks and talks. These things make her beautiful, or a phenomenal woman. In the second stanza of the poem, Angelou depicts herself walking into a room full of men, who all bow to her upon her entrance. “I walk into a room/just as cool as you please/and to a man/the fellows stand or/fall down to their knees/then they swarm around me/a hive of honey bees” (14-20). Angelou describes how when she enters a room, she does not have to do much to show her beauty, yet it is expressed in...

Words: 977 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Sonnet 130

...__________________________________________________________________________ SONNET 130 WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun; Coral is far more red than her lips’ red; If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun; If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head. I have seen roses damask’d, red and white, But no such roses see I in her cheeks; And in some perfumes is there more delight Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks. I love to hear her speak, yet well I know That music hath a far more pleasing sound; I grant I never saw a goddess go; My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground: And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare As any she belied with false compare. ANALYSIS The renaissance poet worries about finding new ways for expressing the beauty, but also to renew the themes of his works. In this period the poet wants to create a new world of beauty throughout a simple world. An important style of Renaissance Poetry was epic style, and sonnets (Shakespeare). Characteristics include: Rhyme, intensity in feelings, repetition, meter, iambic pentameter. The Renaissance poems came in many languages, commonly Latin, Italian and Greek. Some are translated and being used today as a historical and religious sources. The topics of the poems varied from religion to heroes. Most of the Christian poems talk about how they survived the fall of the Holy Roman Empire. Poems about heroes-heroines were very popular, the most successful is Beowulf...

Words: 1215 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Beauty on Display

..."The pursuit of beauty and of its attendant features, fashion and dress, has more than any other factor bound together women of different classes, regions, and ethnic groups and constituted a key element in women's separate experience of life."-Lois W. Banner. The world lives in a generation where the image that society places upon women is crucial. The image of perfection is based on the coke bottle appearance and gorgeous plastic face. Women already feel the need to gain as much power as they can due to the lack of gender equality. Body image is very hard to ignore in this barbaric and self indulgent culture. An easy solution to fulfill the empowerment thrive, is to compete in beauty pageants. Our society teaches both women, those who compete and those who do not, that being tenaciously empowered is by looking good and appealing to the eye of the human male. The purpose of this paper is to explore the objectification of women in general; with an emphasis on beauty pageants and how the media interpretation of beauty has changed the woman's body image. Finding an exact definition of beauty is highly impossible, considering beauty is said to be have seen in the eye of the beholder. Unfortunately, in this metaphoric glass fish bowl life style; media, men, art, and fashion are the foremost most important holder. As customs, traditions and American habits expand, so does the true meaning of the word beauty. According to webster dictionary, beauty is defined as the quality or aggregate...

Words: 1686 - Pages: 7

Free Essay

What Is Vietnam

...answer is succinct: Vietnam is the Sleeping Beauty. You will find out why, just let the story begin. 1. Beauty Once upon a time, there formed in the Southeast Asia, a little but extremely beautiful Princess called Vietnam. Mother Nature was excessively fond of her and gave her the most wonderful gifts that make her a desirable beauty. Indeed, she was placed in a favorable geographic position alongside 3000 km spectacular coastlines and busy sea lanes which open many opportunities to develop tourism and international trading. She has plenty of stunning landscape and picturesque destinations, to name but a few: Saigon (the Pearl of the Far East), Ha Long Bay (world natural heritage), Son Doong Cave (World’s Largest Cave). Plus, Vietnam was generously given a wide variety of natural resources, e.g. minerals, fertile soil, diversified ecosystem… In addition to natural endowments, Vietnam has resourceful human capital: a 90-million population with favorable demographic structure. The working-age population is accounted for more than a half of the whole. Literacy rates are high and Vietnamese are appreciated for their diligence as well as their quick learning ability and high adaptability. The youth, mobility and strong basic skills of the labor force make Vietnam an attractive destination for investors. Furthermore, Vietnamese people share a strong sense of solidarity and a fierce patriotism that help us not only successfully protect our Beauty from foreign invasion but also maintain...

Words: 552 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Audrey Hepburn

...child run his or her fingers through it once a day. 
For poise, walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone.”– Audrey Hepburn. I quote Audrey Hepburn; Audrey Hepburn’s words are words to live by. Her words are a reminder that true beauty comes from within. Thesis Statement Audrey Hepburn was an elegant spirit whose life has inspired millions of people and many generations to come. Preview Audrey Hepburn is one of the most recognized Hollywood actresses’ in the world. Audrey Hepburn was an iconic actress, a humanitarian, and a humble human being. Body I. Audrey Hepburn is considered to be one of the best actresses of all time. Audrey Hepburn’s acting abilities made her an iconic starlet. Her first starring role was in the 1953 romance film “Roman Holiday” this film made her an instant star. She played a princess who runs away and falls in love with a journalist. Many audiences were enchanted with her elegance, grace and sincerity. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress for that role. Her most famous role of course was in Breakfast at Tiffany’s when she played a sophisticated hurt soul, Holly Golightly. Audrey’s charming acting skills made Breakfast at Tiffany’s the classic film it is today. Throughout her career she played a young woman with Cinderella like transformations. However, she also had the ability to play more dramatic roles, like in “A Nun’s Story” in which she won an Oscar nomination for. With all these great films and awards...

Words: 717 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Sonet 130

...unpleasant feeling of the speaker as he goes to touch his mistress' hair. There is a definite appeal to olfactory in the fragrance that the mistress exudes, as the "breath that from my mistress reeks" An auditory image is captured in the sound of her speech, "music hath a far more pleasing sound." And a kinesthetic image is captured in the movement of her walk, “when she walk, treads on the ground” Thus we can see that this poem successfully appeals to a number of the senses to create excellent imagery. 2. In this poem, the poet compares his “mistress” to a conventional beautiful woman. Describe how a conventional beautiful woman looks like and how the poet’s mistress looks like. * The speaker is honest about his love, and describes her as an average person.  He says her eyes are "not like the sun" - meaning they are not overly bright.  He says that her is black - "black wires grow on her head".  He says that her breasts "are dun", meaning that they are not pure white but a more faded and average skin tone. He explains that her breath is not like perfume, and her voice is not like music. He is saying that she is not perfect. The compares used by the other poets suggest that the woman are...

Words: 464 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Tone Of Shakespeare Sonnet 130

...determination and certainty about how beauty isn’t just on the outside. In his sonnet 130, Shakespeare writes about how the speaker feels uncertain, yet certain at the same time. Shakespeare uses a critical tone and comparative language to portray the idea that his love for his mistress is rare even though her physical looks aren’t the best in the world. In sonnet 130, Shakespeare uses a tone of criticism to show that her physical beauty may not be the best but he still loves her. For example, in the second quatrain it says, “ And in some perfumes is there more delight, / Than in her breath that from my mistress reeks.” (lines 7-8). The speaker finds himself insecure because he says things like that to describe her true beauty and to prove that he still loves her. In the third quatrain the speaker says, “ I love to hear her speak, yet well I know, / That music hath a far more pleasing sound:” (lines 9-10). Shakespeare is saying that compared to her speaking music has a better sound but he still likes to hear her talk. Shakespeare writes this to point out that real beauty is on the inside not the outside....

Words: 443 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

The Beauty and Majesty of the Natural World and Spirituality

...The Beauty and Majesty of the Natural World and Spirituality Alexandra Batchelor Keiser University Abstract Whenever there is a tragic event, a needless death, we become bombarded by various religious officials preaching to us. Telling us how we need God in our lives so we have a better respect for our fellow man, woman or child. And while there are environmental activists screaming at their top of their lungs at people; their voices do not invoke change. What they do cause is for people to changes the channel or walk past them at a faster pace. However, if nature was revered for its gifts like God through scripture and praise the reaction of people would be different. There could be a unified voice telling others of nature’s beauty. How people should have a better respect for the land, oceans and animals within it. Perhaps that is what people need, to have a spiritual connection to teach them to appreciate the beauty around them and without this connection to a greater power people don’t see the beauty surrounding them. The Beauty and Majesty of the Natural World and Spirituality Through praise people are supposed to gain understanding. This is how other religions promote God and the messages he has sent down through the ages. It is the claim of spiritual leaders that through their guidance we will have a better understanding of faith. All a person has to do is spend some time in the local church of any denomination sit down listen to the reverend, preacher, minister...

Words: 1400 - Pages: 6