Write  an  appreciation  of  the  poem  ‘She  Walks  in  Beauty’

Ans: George Gordon Byron known simply as Lord Byron was a famous English Romantic poet and also a satirist. (व्यंगकार) At the age of 21, he started a tour of Europe and the Orient (East) after which he composed ‘Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage’ which made him very popular in England.

‘She Walks in Beauty’ is a short lyrical poem celebrating female beauty. The poet describes an unnamed woman who is exceptionally striking. The poet describes not only her external appearance but also her inner goodness. Byron compares her to the night sky describing her serene (calm) and perfect beauty.    

      The theme of the poem is beauty, the outer beauty and inner beauty. The woman’s eyes, her black tresses, her soft cheek, her clam brow and the lovely colour of skin describe outer beauty.    The peaceful mind, winning smile, loving heart, and glowing tint describe inner beauty. Using the word heaven he gave a divine touch to a beauty.

       The poet uses here many poetic devices like simile, alliteration, metaphor, personification,  antithesis, inversion, repetition, tautology etc. There is rhyme scheme ababab used in all the stanzas. Imagery such as, “night”; “starry sky”; “cloudless climes”; glowing tint “cheek” and “brow.” make the poem effective and beautiful.

      The poem “She Walks in Beauty” is a short lyrical poem consisting of three stanzas of six lines each which has a steady rhythm and the language is rich with poetic devices. Though the poet does not name the woman, or give any details of her age, it does not affect the poem.

    This poem gives us a message about the importance of inner beauty, which is almost a divine thing that will make external beauty possible because if a person is sinless his mind is pure and clam.

     I like this poem because it makes us realize that one should look inner beauty than just outer appearance.