She Walks in Beauty

by Lord Byron · 1815 · 1 min di lettura · 18 righe

In breve

“She Walks in Beauty” by Lord Byron is a poem about a woman’s beauty and the inner goodness the speaker sees in it. It begins by comparing her to a clear, star-filled night, where darkness and brightness come together in her appearance and eyes. Her beauty is gentle rather than dazzling, unlike the harsh brightness of day. The second stanza presents this balance as delicate: another shade or one fewer ray would lessen her grace. Her black hair and softly lit face lead the speaker toward thoughts of purity. In the final stanza, her cheek, brow, smiles, and glowing color become signs of a life spent doing good. The poem ends with the speaker imagining a peaceful mind and innocent love.

She walks in Beauty, like the nightOf cloudless climes and starry skies;And all that’s best of dark and brightMeet in her aspect and her eyes:Thus mellowed to that tender lightWhich Heaven to gaudy day denies.

One shade the more, one ray the less,Had half impaired the nameless graceWhich 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!

Il significato, riga per riga

Righe da 1 a 6: The speaker compares the woman to a cloudless night full of stars. Darkness and light meet in her face and eyes, creating a gentle beauty. The contrast with showy daylight makes her appearance seem softer and more balanced, rather than simply bright.

Righe da 7 a 12: The balance is so exact that a slight change in shade or light would diminish her grace. The speaker notices her black hair and the light across her face, then reads her expression as evidence of sweet thoughts. Her outward appearance becomes a way of imagining her inner purity.

Righe da 13 a 18: The speaker turns to her cheek, brow, smiles, and color. Though calm and quiet, these features seem to communicate goodness. The ending moves fully from physical beauty to moral character, presenting her expression as a sign of peaceful thoughts, good actions, and innocent love.

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Tre domande su cui riflettere

How does the comparison with a starry night shape the poem’s picture of beauty?
What does the imagined change in shade or light suggest about the woman’s grace?
How does the speaker move from describing the woman’s appearance to making claims about her character?

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200.000+ classici. Ogni formato, gratis per iniziare.

eBook e riassunti di 15 minuti, e qualsiasi libro stampato al costo di produzione, anche a caratteri grandi.

Inizia gratisSi rinnova ogni anno · Disdici quando vuoi

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