She Walks in Beauty

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She Walks in Beauty

• By
• Lord Byron (George Gordon)
• 1788-1824

2
Introduction

• Inspiration
• Poem was inspired by the poets first meeting
  with his cousin by marriage, Lady Wilmot Horton
• The occasion of their meeting was an evening
  party at which she appeared in a black dress with
  spangles

3
Introduction

• Structure of the Poem
• 3 stanzas
• Rhyme Scheme
• ababab cdcdcd efefef

4
Introduction

• Meter
• ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
• She walks in beauty, like the night
• Iambic Tetrameter

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Stanza 1

• She walks in beauty, like the night/ Of
  cloudless climes and starry skies (1-2)
• Simile
• Comparing her to a star filled night
• Suggests that she is beautiful, delicate and
  radiant

6
Stanza 1

• Imagery
• Nature Imagery
• Romantic Poem
• Alliteration
• cloudless climes and starry skies

7
Stanza 1

• And all thats best of dark and bright/ Meet in
  her aspect and her eyes (3-4)
• The most beautiful elements of night are found in
  her facial expression and her eyes

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Stanza 1

• Imagery
• dark and bright
• Contrasting images of dark and light
• Purpose?
• Creates a balance
• Suggests serenity, beauty and perfection

9
Stanza 1

• Thus mellowed to that tender light/ Which heaven
  to gaudy day denies. (5-6)
• gaudy day
• Negative Tone
• The light of day hides the beauty of the night

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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
  oer her face (6-10)

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Stanza 2

• Vocabulary
• Raven
• Black and shiny
• Tress
• A lock of hair

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Stanza 2

• Once again, notice the contrasting images of dark
  and light.
• Dark
• shade
• raven tress
• Light
• ray
• softly lightens
• Continues to provide a balance
• Suggests serenity, beauty and perfection

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Stanza 2

• Where thoughts serenely sweet express/ How pure,
  how dear their dwelling place. (11-12)
• Diction
• The dwelling place is pure and dear
• Dwelling place
• The woman
• pure and dear
• Suggests innocence and perfection

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Stanza 3

• And on that cheek, and oer 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! (13-18)

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Stanza 3

• Diction
• soft calmeloquentgoodnesspeaceinno
  cent
• Diction influences the tone
• Tone
• Serene
• Peaceful

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Stanza 3

• the tints that glow
• The woman blushes often
• Suggests her innocence and modesty

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(No Transcript)