She Walks in Beauty : Poem Anthology

“She walks…”

“She walks in beauty, like the night.”

“She” is used to suggest anonymity of the woman - we don’t know who she is and purely hear of her beauty.

The fact she walks in her beauty suggests everything about her is beautiful.

Her darkness and mysteriousness make her visually alluring to the writer.

She contrasts typical beauty standards and compels the poet toward her.

“Of cloudless climes…”

“Of cloudless climes and starry skies; and all thats best of dark and bright.”

Alliteration = shows her subtle beauty.

Draws on her mysteriousness and beautiful nature.

She is perfect but inaccessible as is the sky.

A natural and perfect beauty.

Darkness ands light that usually contrast come together to create her making her perfect.

She is a harmonious balance of effortless beauty.

As dark and light juxtapose she juxtaposes typical beauty.

“Raven… [..] where thoughts..”

“Raven tress [..] where thoughts sweet express.”

Raven hair goes against typical light features of the time.

Magnifies that she stands out due to her compelling and contrasting features.

She breaks the conventions of beauty making her even more perfect.

Due to her beautiful and harmonious outward appearance the poet also believes her thoughts must be beautiful.

He is infatuated and believes beauty encompasses her.

Believed at the time that beautiful and pure thoughts made a persons physical beauty clear.

“And on that.. [..] yet, …”

“And on that cheek and o’er that brow [..] yet, eloquent.”

He is portraying her inside beauty, face, emotions and thoughts.

Her beauty engulfs his mind to an extreme standpoint.

She is not angry “frown” but a perfect harmonious balance, he sees her as charming mentally and physically.

“Eloquent” magnifies her beauty as sophisticated and clear for everyone to see just as eloquent speak is easy to follow.

“Goodness […] a heart..”

“Goodness spent [..] a heart whose love is innocent!’

He is inferring that she is pure ands goods and kind.

Making assumptions of her based on her outward appearance showing his superficial mindset.

He is stating her innocence and purity make her even more beautiful.

He only uses love after talking of her appearance suggesting a superficial attraction toward her.

Could also be inferred that by writing the poem the speaker is affirming and realising how much she loves her.

He is infatuated by her to an extreme extent.

How is structure used?

The poem uses a regular and sophisticated structure to show how while why he loves her may not be convention and she defies the beauty standard, he loves her traditionally and romantically.

Rhyming couplets are used to show the consistent perfection of her beauty - a reflection of her appearance.

Enjambment is sued to show the beauty of her movements and how his love for her and her allure is never ending - he continues to be compelled by it every when he does not see her.