She Walks in Beauty Analysis by Lord ByronSummary
in Poetry and Writing by Abhishek Dey on June 08, 2012
This article provides She walks in beauty analysis by Lord Byron. Byron has been one of
those poets who have left an everlasting mark in the history of English literature poetry. She
walks in beauty by Lord Byron is an ode to a lady which the poet saw at an evening party
and was mesmerized by her startling beauty to such an extent that he wrote this piece of
poetry for her. It is believed by many critics that the lady in question here was Lord Byron’s
cousin in marriage Mrs. Wilmot whom he had first seen in a beautiful black gown with silver
spangles on it. The arresting beauty of her presence inspired the poet to pen this beautiful
poem. This summary of She walks in beauty will help the readers discover the beauty of
using contrasts in a poem. It will also help them realize the importance of inner beauty which
adds arresting prettiness to a face.
Lord Byron she walks in beauty analysis - Stanza One
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.
The poet says that his muse bathes in beauty which is as enthralling as that of a cloudless
starry night. A cloudless starry night is a kind of poetic machinery which is employed by
poets to add capacity of wonder and a hint of mysticism to something. When the poet looks at
his muse it seems to him as if the shimmering beauty of a clear night sky decorated with stars
has been transferred to her. The poet next fuses brightness and darkness together in his next
attempt to describe the woman’s beauty. He says that his muse’s beauty carries with it the
best of both worlds of brightness and darkness which emanates from her eyes. This mixing of
darkness and brightness reproduces a very special tender light which is so heavenly that the
mortal world only strives to get a glimpse of it. This fusing of contrasts in the first stanza
increases the beauty of the poem by leaps and bounds.
She Walks in Beauty Explanation- Stanza Two
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.
As we move to the second stanza, this she walks in beauty analysis will shed light upon the
level of perfection which the poet’s muse’s beauty had been gifted with. The poet says that
the balance of shade and light which his object of attraction’s beauty unfolds is so perfect that
even if it is tampered with a little, it will reduce his muse’s grace by half. He defines his
muse’s grace as nameless which means that he cannot find an adjective that could sufficiently
explain the splendor which the woman showers around her. The poet moves to a very
interesting minute detail of his muse’s face. He says that when strands of hair softly brush her
face they look as alluring as leaves of raven tress when wind flows through them. His muse
has one of those tranquil faces which tell of sweet thoughts and a precious pure mind.
She walks in beauty theme- Stanza Three
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!
In she walks in beauty analysis of the third stanza we discover that the poet’s muse’s face
has intricacies which are capable of winning anyone’s heart. When the woman smiled, a soft
blush spread across her cheeks and brow which was calm yet full of expression. The smile of
the woman combined with her blush produced an effect on the poet which enchanted him.
They made him see the inner beauty of his muse. Her pretty face with its smiles and blush
were windows to a beautiful mind and an innocent heart. They gave the poet an impression
that the lady’s days were spent doing good deeds which had a deep impact on the poet.
She Walks in Beauty by
George Gordon, Lord
Byron
1. The dramatic situation is the beauty of a woman and the appreciation of it.
2. The poem is structured in three stanzas, each with 6 lines in them, lines rhyming as ABABAB.
Each verse has 8 syllables.
3. The theme of the poem is exceptional beauty, found within a woman. The poem proceeds to
explain different aspects of her beauty.
4. The grammar seems of another era, for we typically don't write sentences like "And all that's best
of dark and bright/ Meet in her aspect and her eyes:", especially with that punctuation (or lack of) and
long sentences. The syntax and diction themselves are unique to present day, with words like "climes"
and "o'er". The meaning of the poem is that a woman walked in utmost beauty with beautiful aspects
to her eyes, grace, face, smile, cheek, and brow.
5. Imagery is included throughout the poem when describing the woman. For example, "Which waves
in every raven tress/ Or softly lightens o'er her face:...". Figures of speech include the title and the
first four words of te poem, "She walks in beauty", for one can't literally walk in beauty.
6. Important words from the poem include "beauty", "love", and "pure" because they contain strong
meaning.
7. The tone of the poem is sweet and a bit sappy, for the author(s) seem to be idolizing this woman a
bit.
8. Literary devices:
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Alliteration: "of cloudless climes and starry skies"
Simile: "She walks in beauty, like the night of cloudless climes and starry skies."
Metaphor: the light on the woman's face is the softness of her beauty.
Diction: the vocabulary is clear and comprehensible.
9. Prosody: The shortness of the poem allows the author to keep it simple. The flow of the poem
allowed the reader to understand how her characteristics were appreciated and that time passed.
She Walks In Beauty
By George Gordan,, Lord Byron
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!
The first couple of lines can be confusing if not read properly. Too often readers stop at the end of the first line where
there is no punctuation. This is an enjambed line, meaning that it continues without pause onto the second line. That she
walks in beauty like the night may not make sense, as night represents darkness. However, as the line continues, the night
is a cloudless one with bright stars to create a beautiful mellow glow. The second line is an end-stopped line, meaning it
has a terminal punctuation mark. This creates a stopping effect so that the two lines indicate a complete statement.
The remaining lines of the first verse employ another set of enjambed lines that tell us that her face and eyes combine all
that’s best of dark and bright. Notice that no mention is made here or elsewhere in the poem of any other physical
features of the lady.
The second verse tells us that the glow of the lady’s face is nearly perfect. The shades and rays are in just the right
proportion, and because they are, the lady possesses a nameless grace. This conveys the romantic idea that her inner
beauty is mirrored by her outer beauty.
The last verse is split between three lines of physical description and three lines that describe the lady’s moral character.
Here soft, calm glow reflects a life of peace and goodness. This is a repetition, an emphasis of the theme that the lady’s
physical beauty is a reflection of her inner beauty.