She Walks in Beauty Flashcards
Who wrote ‘She Walks in Beauty’?
Lord Byron
What is the context for ‘She Walks in Beauty’?
Byron was a Romantic poet, involved in sex scandals, travelled Europe and became a celebrity, involved in literary circles
What does the title ‘She Walks in Beauty’ suggest?
‘Walks’ - present tense verb shows her beauty is happening right now, it is continuous and permanent
‘like the _____/Of _________ climes and ______ skies’
‘like the night/Of cloudless climes and starry skies’
simile - comparing her to the night, mystery, he doesn’t know her, unconventional comparison
‘Which ______ to _____ day ______’
‘Which Heaven to gaudy day denies’
‘gaudy’ - criticising day for being too bright, challenging the conventions of love and literature, shows Byron’s unconventional view of love and his sexuality
‘Where thoughts ________ sweet _______,/How pure, how dear their ________-_____’
‘Where thoughts serenely sweet express,/How pure, how dear their dwelling place’
Her outward beauty reflects her inner beauty - she is a good person
What does sibilance in the last stanza of ‘She Walks in Beauty’ suggest?
A calm and soothing mood, like the woman’s thoughts
What do the symbols of light and dark represent in ‘She Walks in Beauty’?
Light = beauty of the woman
Dark = Rejection of traditional ideas of beauty
What is the meaning, mood, and motivation of ‘She Walks in Beauty’?
Meaning - Describes seeing a beautiful woman and shows her inner and outer beauty
Mood - Celebratory, of the woman’s inner and outer beauty
Motivation - Byron celebrates a woman’s beauty, glorifies her, evoking his status as a Romantic poet and showing immense feelings unconventionally
What poem should you compare ‘She Walks in Beauty’ to?
Sonnet 43
‘dark and bright’
‘raven tress’
‘How pure, how dear their dwelling-place’
‘A heart who’s love is innocent!’
