An online friend posted this poem as special to them, and I enjoyed reading it very much because it tells us, a little more about our friend, and hopefully shows people, metaphorically, some new horizons. Here is more information about Byron's She Walks in Beauty and please read on........(my favourate lines are italicised)
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!
I like this poem very much, How about you? but I am disappointed too! because I feel that it speaks about a Women's need to be desirable and at the same time, to be forbidden or taboo as well. Of course the author and I are both males projecting feelings about what we see, not what is real?
As an engagement of, She Walks in Beauty, What do you think of William Shakespeare's, Sonnet 130? Shakespeare wrote this as a parody or criticism of his society's obsession with female attributes. What I like, and I think it is a signature of his work, is the rhyming couplet at the end of the verse, which appears, to me to be, the true message of the sonnet?
Sonnet 130
My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun;
Coral is far more red than her lips' red;
If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun;
If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head.
I have seen roses damask'd, red and white,
But no such roses see I in her cheeks;
And in some perfumes is there more delight
Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks.
I love to hear her speak, yet well I know
That music hath a far more pleasing sound;
I grant I never saw a goddess go;
My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground:
And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare
As any she belied with false compare.
What is your favourate poem and Why?
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!
I like this poem very much, How about you? but I am disappointed too! because I feel that it speaks about a Women's need to be desirable and at the same time, to be forbidden or taboo as well. Of course the author and I are both males projecting feelings about what we see, not what is real?
As an engagement of, She Walks in Beauty, What do you think of William Shakespeare's, Sonnet 130? Shakespeare wrote this as a parody or criticism of his society's obsession with female attributes. What I like, and I think it is a signature of his work, is the rhyming couplet at the end of the verse, which appears, to me to be, the true message of the sonnet?
Sonnet 130
My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun;
Coral is far more red than her lips' red;
If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun;
If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head.
I have seen roses damask'd, red and white,
But no such roses see I in her cheeks;
And in some perfumes is there more delight
Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks.
I love to hear her speak, yet well I know
That music hath a far more pleasing sound;
I grant I never saw a goddess go;
My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground:
And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare
As any she belied with false compare.
What is your favourate poem and Why?
8 comments:
You quoted two of my favorite lines in that poem, Nigel. The last stanza is my favorite part, though.
I never really took this poem as being only about her physical beauty. I always thought it was addressing the fact that she was beautiful inside and out and that the inner beauty was more important.
That's the lovely thing about a great deal of poetry. It touches each of us in a different way :)
Hello Lady Julia,
Thank you so much for your insight.
I re-read the last stanza and Yes, I can see that it alludes to inner beauty. But most of the poem has so many "visual cues," as adjectives, that I cannot help wonder if Byron is being superficial?
I need to think about this more.
Hi Nige.
Sadly, I am not sophisticated enough to have a favourite poem (although I have a couple of favourite Shakespeare soliloquys).
Cheers
I forgot that I do have one poem that I always remembered. It was on a headstone in a cemetary in Basildon, Essex. The grave belonged to a girl who had died prematurely in some kind of accident (there were flowers and notes on the grave where this became apparent). Anyway, on one card a male had written the above verse and I always remembered it and recall it when I am feeling low in spirits. It tends to give a voice to my melancholy rather than relieve it but I like it nonetheless. I don't know who the author is but the language used suggests 20th century.
Here it is:
.................................
Sitting silent ‘pon Death’s Door
Downward spiral evermore
Blackness beckons darkness deep
Promises of Eternal Sleep
Melancholy mad despair
Fortells my journey netherwhere
Drifting dreaming fading light
Cold embrace the long goodnight
...............................
That's all I got!!
Cheers
The above is a bit confusing - the verse was on the paper NOT on the headstone (thats what comes of trying to write a post when people are interrupting you...)
Its cool Mark,
Very nice.
You do not have to be sophisticated to have a favourate poem!
What is Lei's favourate poem?
Have you written her one?
Lei does not have a favourite poem but I have written her several (too personal to include in a post) and she likes those very much. I favour a simple iambic pentameter as I find it easier to construct that way. As I say - not very sophisticated. One of my favourite poems when I was a kid was "Ernie - The Fastest Milkman In The West" by the immortal Benny Hill and I knew it by heart :) Oooooppps! I think I just got banned from the thread...what can I say? I am a simple man...
Cheers
I've posted my favorite. Enjoy!
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