She Walks in Beauty: Text of the Poem



She Walks in BeautyIn A NutshellGeorge Gordon, Lord Byron, was an English poet who wrote during the early nineteenth century. Today, he's mostly associated with the movement we refer to as "Romanticism." The Romantic period wasn't just about sappy love poems (although you'll find a few) – it was a political and social movement, as well. The Romantics were reacting against an eighteenth-century obsession with order, rationality, and scientific precision. (If you want an example, just check out Benjamin Franklin's Autobiography – the man made a graph of his personal virtues!) Romantic-era writers and thinkers believed that these Enlightenment-era philosophers and writers (like Franklin) totally missed the boat when it came to understanding human nature. How can you summarize your own personality in a graph? So Romanticism is partly a reaction against the rationalism of the eighteenth century. That's why it's called "Romanticism" – not because the literature is all about love (it's not), but because "Romanticism" contrasts so strongly with rationalism.When we talk about Romantic-era poets, we usually focus on six principal figures. William Blake, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and William Wordsworth were the oldest, and are generally credited with kicking off this literary movement. The younger generation of poets includes John Keats, Percy Bysshe Shelley, and Lord Byron. Byron was something of a rock star in his own day – he was wildly popular, but his lavish, decadent lifestyle and loose morals made Lady Caroline Lamb famously describe him as "mad, bad, and dangerous to know."In fact, Byron was considered so "dangerous to know" that he eventually left Great Britain for continental Europe, where people were less uptight and judgmental about his tumultuous love life. He decided to leave Britain after his wife filed for an official separation in 1816. This separation was a much bigger deal in 1816 than it would be nowadays, when divorces are relatively common things. There were rumors that Byron abused his wife, that he had affairs with various actresses, that he was bisexual, and even that he had an incestuous affair with his half-sister, August Leigh. The jury's still out on a lot of those rumors, and we may never know the whole truth about Byron's love life. Suffice it to say, though, that there was a sufficient hullabaloo over his personal affairs in England that he thought he'd better move out of the country, at least for a while.Byron ended up settling down near Geneva, in Switzerland. That's where he met poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, and Shelley's soon-to-be wife, Mary Godwin (a.k.a. Mary Shelley, the author of Frankenstein). Byron's love affairs didn't cease when he left England – he ended up having an affair with Mary Shelley's stepsister, Claire Clairmont, and had an illegitimate daughter with her.Byron continued to produce poetry until the end of his life in 1824. He was only 36 when he died – he caught a fever when he was in Greece, helping to fight for Greek independence from Turkey. Although his name was mud in England for a while after he died (those rumors about his half-sister and his other affairs were hard to squelch), he was eventually celebrated as a freedom fighter as well as one of the Romantic period's greatest poets."She Walks in Beauty" is an eighteen-line poem, much shorter than Byron's famous narrative poems, like Childe Harold's Pilgrimage or Don Juan. But despite its relative brevity, "She Walks in Beauty" has become one of the most well-known and easily recognized poems written by Byron. It was penned in 1814 (before the furor over the breakup of his marriage made him leave England), and published in 1815 in a volume of poems called Hebrew Melodies. As the name of the volume suggests, the poems in that volume were written to be set to music. They were originally set to traditional Jewish tunes by composer Isaac Nathan, but several other composers have attempted it since then as well. Check out the "Best of the Web" section for a few examples.? Why Should I Care? Before you go any further, we should warn you: "She Walks in Beauty" is not a love poem. Sure, it's a celebration of a woman's beauty, but the speaker never says he's in love with her. He just thinks she's really, really gorgeous.So, what is so special about this particular poem? There are plenty of songs out there about beautiful women, from The Beatles to Oren Lavie. But Byron did it first, and did a pretty awesome job. Next time you find yourself sitting in a coffee shop, trying to find the right words to describe that beautiful individual you can't get out of your mind, chances are you'll find yourself haunted by the words of Byron, the father of all emo poets.She Walks in Beauty: Text of the 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 graceWhich 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 Summary The poem is about an unnamed woman. She's really quite striking, and the speaker compares her to lots of beautiful, but dark, things, like "night" and "starry skies." The second stanza continues to use the contrast between light and dark, day and night, to describe her beauty. We also learn that her face is really "pure" and "sweet." The third stanza wraps it all up – she's not just beautiful, she's "good" and "innocent," to boot.Lines 1-2She walks in beauty, like the night Of cloudless climes and starry skies;An unnamed woman "walks in beauty." This is an odd way of saying that she's beautiful, isn't it? "Walk[ing] in beauty" makes her beauty seem more dynamic – as though it's partly her movement and the spring in her step that make her beautiful. She's not just a pretty face in a portrait; it's the whole living, breathing, "walk[ing]" woman that's beautiful.Her beauty is compared to "night." This seems strange – night is dark, right? Aren't beautiful women usually compared to "a summer's day"? (That would be Shakespeare's Sonnet 18, in case you were wondering).But the featured woman isn't just compared to any "night," she's compared to a night in a place where there are no clouds and lots of stars. We suppose that means she has a very clear and lovely complexion? Or perhaps being "cloudless" has more to do with her personality – her conscience might be as clear as a "cloudless" sky.You see "starry skies" at night, but the brightness of the stars relieves the darkness of the night. This is the first hint of a contrast between light and dark in the poem.There's some pretty sweet alliteration in these lines. You might want to head over to the "Symbols" section for more on that before moving forward.Lines 3-4And all that's best of dark and bright Meet in her aspect and her eyes:The contrast between light and dark that was first brought up by the "starry skies" in line 2 is repeated and developed in line 3.Everything that is great about both "dark" and "bright" come together in this woman. Essentially, she's got the best of both.Her "aspect" can mean both her facial expression and her overall appearance.So her whole appearance and especially her "eyes" create some kind of harmony between "dark" and "bright."If this seems weird to you, think of a really beautiful person who has dark eyes that always seem to sparkle – or someone whose eye color contrasts with his or her hair color in an attractive way. That's what Byron's talking about – contrast that creates beauty and harmony.Byron's setting up a binary, or opposition, between "bright" and "dark," but it's important to realize that neither is considered better or worse than the other. Both have aspects that are "best."Lines 5-6Thus mellowed to that tender light Which heaven to gaudy day denies.Everything that's great about both "dark and bright" (line 3) is "mellow'd," or toned down to something that's more "tender" and less intense than the light you get during the day.Since Byron has been talking about night, try thinking about starlight or moonlight – that would be a "tender light" that is less "gaudy," or bright and blinding, than the light you get during the day.tanza 2 SummaryGet out the microscope, because we’re going through this poem line-by-line.Lines 7-10One shade the more, one ray the less, Had half impaired the nameless graceWhich waves in every raven tress, Or softly lightens o'er her face;The balance between "shade" and light in the lady's beauty is so perfect that if you added one more "shade," or took away a single "ray" of light, you'd mess everything up.Fiddling with that balance at all would "half impair," or partially damage, the woman's beauty.Her beauty and "grace" are so hard to define that they're "nameless." The poet can't quite put his finger on what makes her so "grace[ful]," but he'll give it a try. After all, that's what the poem is doing – attempting to put sentiments into words.This "nameless grace" is visible in every lock of her black hair ("every raven tress") and it "lightens" her face.Look – more about the contrast of light and dark. The balance between light and dark that creates her "nameless grace" is apparent in both her dark hair and in the expression that "lightens" her face.Lines 11-12Where thoughts serenely sweet express How pure, how dear their dwelling place.The expression on the woman's face shows how "serenely sweet" her "thoughts" are.Her "sweet" expression, the speaker reasons, is an accurate reflection of what's going on inside her mind, which is the "dwelling place" of her thoughts.Here we have another binary, or set of contrasts, to keep track of: her exterior expression, and her interior thoughts.The "sweet[ness]" of this lady's expression suggests that her mind is "pure" and innocent."Dear," in this context (and in British English generally), means both precious and valuable.Stanza 3 SummaryGet out the microscope, because we’re going through this poem line-by-line.Lines 13-15And on that cheek, and o'er that brow, So soft, so calm, yet eloquent, The smiles that win, the tints that glow, The woman's smiles and her healthy blushes ("tints") that "glow" on her "cheek" and "brow" are serene and "calm." ("Brow" is just a poetic way of saying forehead.)In other words, she's quiet and rather elegant – she doesn't joke and laugh a lot; she seems to be more of the lovely and regal type.But even though she's quiet and "calm," her "smiles" and blushes are "eloquent" Her face is very expressive, even if she doesn't say much out loud.Lines 16-18But tell of days in goodness spent, A mind at peace with all below, A heart whose love is innocent!But what, exactly, do those "smiles" express? We're so glad you asked: Byron tells us that they reflect all the time that the woman has spent doing good deeds.She's certainly not just a pretty face – she's also kind and good, which is why she's able to look so "calm" and serene: her conscience is at rest.The woman's serenity and "smiles" also reflect the calmness of her mind. Because she's a good person, her "mind" is at "peace with all below" (everyone on earth).Not only that, but her "love is innocent." This could mean that she's not in love with anyone, or it could mean that she is, but that her love is pure and "innocent" – in other words, that it's not a sexual love.She Walks in Beauty Analysis HYPERLINK "" \o "Symbols, Imagery, Wordplay" Symbols, Imagery, WordplayWelcome to the land of symbols, imagery, and wordplay. Before you travel any further, please know that there may be some thorny academic terminology ahead. Never fear, Shmoop is here. Check out our... HYPERLINK "" \o "Form and Meter" Form and MeterABABAB Iambic TetrameterThe poem is divided into three stanzas of six lines each, with an ABABAB rhyme scheme. The rhyme scheme is pretty tidy, but what's up with the meter? The "meter" of a poem r... HYPERLINK "" \o "Speaker" SpeakerThe speaker of "She Walks in Beauty" admires the effortless harmony of a woman's beauty, and tells us that it's all about the perfect balance of light and dark in her whole face and figure. He neve... HYPERLINK "" \o "Setting" SettingThe setting of the poem is never made explicit – the woman is compared, in the opening lines, to "night" and "starry skies," so we imagine the entire poem taking place during the night. It's... HYPERLINK "" \o "Sound Check" Sound Check"She Walks in Beauty" has such a regular meter and rhyme scheme that you almost find yourself swaying along with the rhythm as you read it. The sound of the poem is mesmerizing and melodic. Take th... HYPERLINK "" \o "What's Up With the 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 p... HYPERLINK "" \o "Calling Card" Calling CardThe father of all emo rockersThat's right, you heard it here first: Byron is the father of all angst-ridden poets and emo singers and songwriters. Unattainable beauty, unrequited love, forbidden lo... HYPERLINK "" \o "Tough-O-Meter" Tough-O-Meter(4) Base Camp This is a pretty accessible poem, even for beginning readers of poetry. The trickiest thing about it is the syntax: the structure of the sentences doesn't always match up with the str... HYPERLINK "" \o "Brain Snacks" Brain SnacksByron is known for transgressing the conventional moral codes of his day. After a scandalous separation from his wife, Annabella, Byron left England to live in continental Europe, in order to escap... HYPERLINK "" \o "Sex Rating" Sex RatingPGThere's not a lot of sex going on in this poem. Not that we think the speaker would object to it, mind you, but the unnamed lady is too "innocent" for any of that. If you want steaminess in a Byr... HYPERLINK "" \o "Shout Outs" Shout OutsLiterary and Philosophical ReferencesWilliam Shakespeare, Sonnet 18 (lines 1-2). The opening simile of the poem, which compares the beautiful woman to "the night / of cloudless climes and starry sk...She Walks in Beauty Themes Little Words, Big Ideas HYPERLINK "" \o "Appearances" AppearancesWe know that appearances are going to be important in "She Walks in Beauty" from line 1 – after all, the fourth word of the poem is "beauty." The entire poem is one long description of a woma...She Walks in Beauty QuestionsBring on the tough stuff - there’s not just one right answer.Why do so many people think of this as a love poem, when the speaker never once mentions being in love?Why does the poet compare the woman to "night" instead of to "day"?The poem emphasizes that the woman's beauty has to do with the harmonious blending of light and dark in her features. Does the speaker believe one better than the other? Why or why not, and how can you tell? What do you think?Most critics believe that the woman described in this poem is Byron's cousin by marriage, Lady Wilmot Horton, whom he met at a party the night before writing this piece. If that's true, why doesn't he mention his subject by name? Does your interpretation of the poem change, knowing that it may have been inspired by a specific woman? How so? HYPERLINK "" \o "Principles" PrinciplesWe're talking about the unnamed lady's principles here, not the speaker's. We're guessing – partly based on the poem itself, and partly based on Byron's reputation – that, given the opp... HYPERLINK "" \o "Women and Femininity" Women and Femininity"She Walks in Beauty" is completely focused on one woman. But, as you may have noticed, the woman doesn't ever to get speak for herself. Instead, she is totally objectified by the speaker. He actua... HYPERLINK "" \o "Awe and Amazement" Awe and AmazementBecause of the way the unnamed woman in "She Walks in Beauty" is described, the speaker almost seems to be worshipping her. He idolizes her beauty and compares it to things that are so vast and uni... ................
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