1. “She walks in beauty, like the night”
Who could be the subject of this line?
What do you think of the speaker’s tone of voice? (feelings)
What do you expect from the speaker’s attitude towards her?
What do you think this line means?

2. She Walks in Beauty
Lord Byron

3. Put the stanzas in order.
She walks in beauty, like the night
   Of cloudless climes and starry skies;
And all that’s best of dark and bright
   Meet in her aspect and her eyes;
Thus mellowed to that tender light
   Which heaven to gaudy day denies.
One shade the more, one ray the less,
   Had half impaired the nameless grace
Which waves in every raven tress,
   Or softly lightens o’er her face;
Where thoughts serenely sweet express,
   How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.
And on that cheek, and o’er 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!
Think about what we are told first and what we are told last. What is the effect of this?
What’s the main topic of this poem?
She almost seems to be unobtainable and, to some extent, we may sympathise with the poet’s sense of longing.

4. What could the term ‘Romanticism’ mean?
A movement in styles of writing away from the scientific and in favour of emotion and the sublime.
Romanticism was characterized by its emphasis on emotion and individualism as well as glorification of all the past and nature.
This scientific rationalization of nature was something people weren’t used to. Before now, people wrote poetry to educate and portray things like farming processes.
The movement emphasized intense emotion as an authentic source of aesthetic experience, placing new emphasis on such emotions as apprehension, horror and terror, and awe—especially that experienced in the sublimity and beauty of nature.
Find examples of where Byron exemplifies the following words. Use a dictionary if you’re unsure of what any of them mean.
Beauty:
Sublime:
Apprehension:
Awe:

5. Lord Byron

6. Look at the first two lines of the poem
Look at the first two lines of the poem. What do you notice about Byron’s use of opposites?
“walks in beauty, like the night Of cloudless climes and starry skies” Find another example of where he uses a contrast in the poem. Explain the effects of these contrasts.

7. What else could you add to develop this response?
Example Answer
Straightaway the light of stars and the shadow of night are contrasted, which foreshadows the further contrasts the poet notices regarding this beautiful woman. Noticing her eyes, Byron states that in her face “all that’s best of dark and bright”. Her beauty is contrasted to the “gaudy” daylight.
What else could you add to develop this response?
Why the writer is using contrasts
What these contrasts suggest about his feelings
CHALLENGE: How this links to relevant contexts (How it proves Byron’s an advocate of Romanticism)

8. Themes
Use the table to help explore the themes of aesthetics, light, and a sense of wonder.

9. Theme
Evidence
Analysis
Appearance: Byron avoids conventional symbols to describe the subject’s beauty, eg flowers or a sunny summer’s day. It is a less conventional appearance that is described.
‘the nameless grace/ Which waves in every raven tress’
The woman is a raven-haired beauty. The word ‘raven’ perhaps gives her a darker aspect as it is traditionally associated with a bird of bad omen.
Light: there are several references to day- and night-time, to aspects of the natural world which create light (stars) and to an inner light or radiance.
‘And all that’s best of dark and bright/ Meet in her aspect and her eyes’
The best features of light and its antithesis (opposite), darkness, meet to form something even greater in the subject’s extraordinary beauty. It is especially noticeable in her eyes.
A sense of wonder: the speaker’s sense of wonder is not directly expressed but comes from the nature of the comparisons he makes between the woman and aspects of the natural world.
'She walks in beauty, like the night/ Of cloudless climes and starry skies'
In the opening two lines the poet uses a simile (a comparison using ‘like’ or ‘as’ to create a vivid image) to compare the subject’s beauty to something vast, uncontained and almost unimaginable.

10. How does Byron demonstrate the power of the woman’s beauty?
EXAMPLE RESPONSE: The whole poem is fixated exclusively on this one person right from the opening word, “She”. Nothing factual is revealed about the woman (her name, her age) As a result, she has a sense of mystery about her which enhances her attractiveness. Byron uses strong contrasting images of light and darkness to convey extremes of emotion. The light presents connotations of her beauty to being heavenly, angelic and awe-inspiring. While the darkness emphasises the woman as only identifiable by her beauty. It’s the predominant aspect of her to the speaker until the final line when he references a deeper effect of how her beauty has affected him, “A heart whose love is innocent!”. When he personifies her heart as vulnerable and pure, it is in the last line when he finally goes beyond her physicality and links his feelings of love as stemming from the aesthetic eventually to something internal.

11. Interpreting meanings in the poem
Read the two interpretations of the whole poem and add one of your own with a reason.
Interpretation
Reason for interpretation
The speaker immediately falls in love with the woman he sees but takes some time to admit it.
The word ‘love’ finally appears in the last line of the poem.
The speaker is physically attracted to the woman he sees although he does not fall in love.
The speaker’s actual feelings are not directly described. He seems more aware of her physical good looks than anything else.

12. Reason for interpretation
Interpretation of the lines: ‘And on that cheek, and o’er that brow, So soft, so calm, yet eloquent, The smiles that win, the tints that glow‘ Read the two interpretations of the whole poem and add one of your own with a reason.
Interpretation
Reason for interpretation
The poet describes the woman’s physical appearance.
The poet is describing how the light highlights the woman’s cheek and forehead and enhances her physical beauty.
The poet describes the woman’s inner character.
The poet thinks the woman’s smiles and blushes are a result of her inner goodness and modesty.

13. Language: Specifically how do Byron’s words create an idea of beauty?
Devices to comment on: Alliteration Simile Imagery Assonance Antithesis
Annotate your poem to explore this first.

14. Language: Specifically how do Byron’s words create an idea of beauty
Language: Specifically how do Byron’s words create an idea of beauty? Try to make reference to the words which show contrasts that we looked at previously too.
EXAMPLE RESPONSE: The poet uses rich and varied language which draws attention to itself through literary devices such as alliteration and assonance. For instance, in the first stanza there are two examples of alliteration in the second line (‘Of cloudless climes and starry skies’) while a pattern of assonance weaves around this (the ‘i’ sounds of: ‘night’, ‘climes’, ‘skies’, ‘bright’, 'eyes', ‘light’ and ‘denies’). All but one of these words is brought to the reader’s attention by being placed at the ends of the lines. Antithesis is also used on a number of occasions eg ‘One shade the more, one ray the less’. In this line 'shade' is contrasted with 'ray' and 'more' with 'less'. This repeated use of opposites may highlight the confusion in the speaker’s mind as he tries to come to terms with trying to describe the woman’s overpowering attractiveness – something which is basically beyond words.

15. Annotate your poem to explore this first.
Structure: How can any of the following emphasise any meanings in the poem?
Amount of stanzas Rhyme scheme (regular or irregular?) Rhythm Enjambment The poem has three stanzas, each consisting of six lines. The rhyme scheme is regular and follows the pattern ababab. The rhythm of the poem is highly regular. This consistent rhythm emphasises the regularity of the subject’s walk but also her faultless perfection. Working against this rhythm, Byron makes much use of enjambment. It is almost as though the speaker cannot pause for breath in trying to tell the reader about how beautiful this woman is. What effects could these ideas have on the audience?
Annotate your poem to explore this first.