Snaith//She walks in beauty

The whole poem is about Byron immediately falling in love with the woman, but takes time to admit it. The word 'love' finally appears at the end of the poem. Byron is starstruck with the woman's beauty, and constantly talks about this throughout the poem.

She walks in beauty, like the night

night = Ambiguity of the colour black, like her dress

Of cloudless climes and starry skies

starry skies = Simile, comparing her beauty to something vast and unimaginable

And all that's best of dark and bright

dark and bright = Oxymoron, contrast between lightness and darkness

Meet in her aspect and her eyes:

eyes = Like the jewels of the sun

In both these lines they include features of ligth and dark (oxymoron) which meet to form something which is greater than her beauty. This is especially noticeable in her eyes.

Thus mellowed to that tender light

light = She is the light, purest and the most beautiful woman

Which Heaven to gaudy day denies.

Heaven = She's an angel from Heaven because she is so pure and beautiful, no normal woman could be that beautiful if they were not an angel.

One shade the more, one ray the less,

ray = She is like a ray of sunshine, becuase of beautiful she is

Had half impaired the nameless grace

1) The balance of beauty was seen as perfect                                                                               

2) One thing could change her beauty + egually balanced half are equal numbers of words and syllables + oxymoron 'shade/ray'                                                                                                 

3) It is not a pure as it seems (may be not be true) + 'impair'd' and 'nameless' are negatively toned

Which waves in every raven tress,

1) Her hair is black the same as the bird, but aslo the same as her mounring dress                                                                                                                 

2) Traditional opposing the assossciation with dark omen of the bird, contrasting with the girl

Or softly lightens o'er her face;

Where thoughts serenely sweet express,

How pure, how dear their dwelling place

pure = Purity, virginity, holy

And on that cheek, and o'er that brow,

And on that cheek = Woman's characteristics that he is referring to of the woman

So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,

So soft, so calm, yet eloquent = Her smile is kind

The smiles that win, the tints that glow,

the tints that glow = 1) Meaning she has an inner glow, which makes her so beautiful                  

2) The poet describes her characteristics

3) The light enhances her physical beauty

4) She has an inner beauty/glow, that is pure

But tell of days in goodness spent,

A mind at peace with al below,

A heart whose love is innocent!

innocent = Links to purity once again

love = This is the first time that love is mentioned in the whole poem, therefore shows that his love is only about her besuty rather than her personality. It also shows that love he has for her is pure

• Celebrating female beauty
• Describes her physical appearance and inner goodness
• She is pure
• Never declares he loves her, until the end
• Written in 1914
• Concentrates on her inner goodness

Language features

• 3 stanzas, 6 lines, rhyme ABAB
• Consistant rhyme scheme, similar to the woman's perfect figure
• Enjambment, against the rythme, the theme continues through each line, following on from each other
• Cannot pause for breath for her beauty
• Juxtapostion throughout the play, as she is wearing black (linked to seductive), but Byron frequently states she is pure and holy
• Oxymoron, throughout each stanza, there are many different oxymorons, for example 'shade/ray'

C- Byron talks abotu a woman, who he met but never spoke to. He frequently refers to her as beautiful, but never actually states that he loves her. Throughout the play there is a frequent romantic theme.

A- Stunned by her beauty; Admriring how she carries herself; Innocent, chast, pure; The mourning dress looks elegant; Refers to her as the light; Structure of the poem is perfect like the woman (AB, AB ryhme)

M- Hyperbole, exxageration, romance

E- Love, attraction, embarrassment (woman), innocent (woman), perfect/admiration, excitement, mystery

L- Enjambment (carries the theme through each line); Simile (raven); 3 stanzas, 6 lines, ryhme scheme ABAB regular (similar to her perfection; Juxtaposition; Oxymoron; Hyperbole; Plan and fan with 3 ideas expanded

S- Personal view on the poem The poet seems very obsessed with the woman's beauty, Rather than actually getting to know her personality, he concludes that she is pure and has no bad intentions for anything. Additionally, the poet does not love the woman, it is like a love at first sight rather than a long lasting relationship to marriage love.