She walks in beauty Flashcards
What is the content?
Written from the perspective of a persona admiring a woman’s dark yet dazzling attractiveness which he considers to signify inner as well as outer beauty in a stately and restrained manner.
Nature inspires his metaphors
Who wrote the poem?
Lord Byron
Context about Lord Byron? [3]
- Renowned in his day for the many lovers he had
- Second-generation Romantic
- Poem said to be written about his cousins wife , Anne Beatrix Wilmot
Form and structure of the poem? How does this impact the poem? [3]
ABABAB - regular rhyme schem, formal and restrained, mimetic of her movement
Iambic Tetrameter - Short/long stresses of syllables, adds to the sense of movement and song-like quality
3 stanzas
What is the aim of the poem?
Byrons aims to convey the sense of awe that the vision inspires
What is the tone of the poem?
Enamoured, wonder and captivation
Quote that describe her beauty in the first stanza?
’ All that’s best of dark and bright meet in aspect and her eyes: thus mellow’d to that tender light / which heaven to gaudy days denies.’
’ All that’s best of dark and bright meet in aspect and her eyes: thus mellow’d to that tender light / which heaven to guady days denies.’
What techniques are used to suggest her how beautiful she is? [5]
- Antithesis of light and dark which emphasises how her beauty stands out
- Evokes a sense of subtlety and mystery to her due to her gentle light
- Enjambent = smooth movement as the speaker watches in admiration
- Pauses for breath at the end which could show he is overwhelmed with her beauty and needs to take a breath to be able to take it all in
- Last sentence = she is more special than daylight as she has this beauty that is not granted to the day. Gives her a holy sense
Quote that represents how he thinks she is perfect?
‘One shade the more, one ray the less, Had half impair’d the nameless grace’
Quote where he is decribing her feautures?
’ (Nameless grace) Which waves in every raven tress, or softly lightens o’er her face; where thoughts serenely sweet express’
Quotes that imply she thinks her mind/personality is beautiful as well? [3]
- ‘How pure, how dear their dwelling place’
- ‘But tell of days in goodness spent’
- ‘A heart whose love is innocent’
Tequniques and their impact in ‘ (Nameless grace) Which waves in every raven tress. or softly lightens o’er her face; where thoughts serenelt sweet express’
[3]
Assonance ‘waves’ and ‘raven’ suggest her gace due to the smoothness of that line
‘Raven’ associated with natural beauty
‘Raven trees’ describes her dark hair
‘ Lightens o’er her face’ describes a fair complexion
‘How pure, how dear their dwelling place’
What does the quote imply?
Techniques used?
[2]
Repition of ‘how’ suggests an excalamatory tone of wonder as he can scarcely believe how beacutiful she is
Caesura after ‘how pure’ fuurther suggests an intake of breath and disbelief
Quote that gives a sense that her beauty is gentle but can be powerful? What does this quote suggest? [3]
‘So soft, so calm, yet eloquent, the smiles that win’
Her looks are persuasive alone, she does not even have to talk. Implies that he can tell her beauty is so powerful it speaks to him.
Heavy use of caesuras gives a sense that he is overwhelmed by her beaty and has to pause to take it all in
What types of language is used throughout the poem? [2]
Semantic field of religion suggest that her beaty is holy and other-worldly.
Light reference in every stanza. Highly attractive image
