She Walks In Beauty Flashcards

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1
Q

Who wrote She Walks in Beauty?

A

Lord Byron

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2
Q

What is the story behind the inspiration for She Walks In Beauty?

A

Lord Byron saw a mysterious woman dressed in black at a party
Momentarily infatuated with her

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3
Q

What were Lord Byron’s life dates?

A

1788-1824

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4
Q

What era of literature was She Walks in Beauty written as part of?

A

Romanticism

2nd gen

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5
Q

What was Byron’s public image?

A
-cultivated carefully
Scandalous
Hyperbolic
Archetype of romantic lifestyle
'mad, bad and dangerous to know'
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6
Q

What was Byron’s background?

Did he conform to this?

A

Wealthy
Inherited title at 10
Educated at Cambridge and Harrow
Famous overnight

No
-left England in 1816 after failed marriage, extensive debts and affairs

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7
Q

What was Byron’s private life like?

A

1814-illegitimate daughter w/ sister Augusta
1815-Married Anabella- had daughter
1816-separated
Left England
Spent time at Lake Geneva w/ the Shelleys
-Had a daughter w/ mary’s sister
Italy- wrote most famous works
1823-Joined Greek insurgents fighting for freedom from the Ottoman Empire
1824- Died of fever

(fever=feverous life?)

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8
Q

What was the response to Byron’s death?

A

Widely mourned

Laid to rest in England

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9
Q

What is the image of a Byronic hero?

A
Melancholic
Dark
Broody
Rebellious
Social wanderer
-->Became a highly sought after role model

(think affect Effy has had-SKINS)

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10
Q

What were expectations of women in the 19th century?

A
Pure 
Chaste
Submissive
Property of fathers or husbands
Less intelligent
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11
Q

Why are Lord Byron’s views on woman that are presented in She Walks in Beauty ironic?

A

Romanticism- believed in giving the marginalised a voice
HOWEVER
Poem reflects wide spread attitudes to women at the time

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12
Q

What is the structure of SWIB?

What effect does this have?

A

Triptych
Regular, simple rhyme scheme
Iambic tetrameter

-Traditional structure contrasts with mystery associated w/ this woman

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13
Q

What is the significance of the use of iambic tetrameter in SWIB?

How does this link to Romanticism?

A

Considered rhythm that naturally fits w/ our bodies
–>In the poem Byron is succuming to his desires

Recognition of the influence of senses
–>TROPE OF ROMANTICS

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14
Q

What does the use of impersonal pronouns throughout the poem, including ‘She…’ in line 1 suggest?

Link with context

A

Anonymity of woman he is admiring
–>Characterless-mysterious
=ALL physical attraction

CONTEXT:
Byron had a scandalous relationship w/ women
-->lack of care for her personally
ALSO
women expected to be submissive

> Suggest Byron’s traditional orthodox attitudes to the role of woman>contradicting views of Romantics

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15
Q

What does the unconventional simile ‘She walks in beauty, like the night’ suggest in line 1?

A

Unconventional quality to women
–>Her beauty surrounded her as she socialises
Lack of relationship between two–> night=mysterious?

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16
Q

What does the synesthetic image of ‘Thus mellowed to that tender light’ in line 5 suggest about the woman’s beauty?

A

Overwhelming narrator

  • All encompassing
  • ->floods senses
17
Q

What is the effect of the unconventional metaphor ‘Which waves in every raven tress’ in line 9?

A

Ravens usually associated w/ death
19th century:
Fair=beauty

HOWEVER
Greek mythology:
raven=sign of hope

–>women may seem unconventional with seductive nature (CONTEXT OF WOMEN) but attracts him nonetheless
–>mystery adds to appeal
(Also suggests the scandalousness of Bryon’s personal life? Unorthodox)

18
Q

What does the use of abundant soft sibilance throughout the poem such as ‘But tell of days in goodness spent’ in line 16 evoke?

A

Expectations of purity for women in the 19th century

ALL CONTEXT

19
Q

What does the emphatic adjectival ending of ‘A heart whose love is innocent!’ suggests?

A

Byron’s pleasure at perceived purity of woman he is admiring

20
Q

What could the tone of the poem be?

Negative

A

Slightly leering appreciation of an unknown woman’s beauty and perceived uncorrupted purity

21
Q

What does line 15 ‘The smiles that win, the tints that glow’ refer ambiguously to?

What does this evoke?
Link this to romanticism

A

Signifier of arousal

Narrator’s desires for passion
–>sensual imagery creates a sense of THE SUBLIME
TROPE OF ROMANTICISM

22
Q

How does She Walks In Beauty clearly fit into the genre of ROMANTICISM?

A

Recognition of influence of senses throughout
-his attraction to her

Sensual imagery evokes a sense of the sublime

23
Q

What are the themes of She Walks In Beauty?

A
Lust
obsession
love
control
power
Natures power over us
24
Q

What can She Walks In Beauty be linked to? How?

A
Ozymandias
-natures power 
Valentine 
-subverts ideals of love 
Sonnet 43
-provides ideals of love