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!
Notes
In June, 1814, Lord Byron attended a party at Lady Sitwell's. While at the party, Lord Byron was inspired by the sight of his cousin, the beautiful Mrs. Wilmot, who was wearing a black spangled mourning dress. Lord Byron was struck by his cousin’s dark hair and fair face, the mingling of various lights and shades. This became the essence of his poem about her.
According to his friend, James W. Webster, "I did take him to Lady Sitwell’s party in Seymour Road. He there for the first time saw his cousin, the beautiful Mrs. Wilmot. When we returned to his rooms in Albany, he said little, but desired Fletcher to give him a tumbler of brandy, which he drank at once to Mrs. Wilmot's health, then retired to rest, and was, I heard afterwards, in a sad state all night. The next day he wrote those charming lines upon her--She walks in Beauty like the Night…"
The poem was published in 1815.
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From guest Jerimiah S. (contact)
My all time favorite poem. Exactly how I feel about my girlfriend...only a lighter version of it. Words cannot describe what I feel towards her. -
From guest Alicia aka MsWizard (contact)
I so love this poem. It's beauty is never ending...I had a man recite this to me once...needless to say, he won my heart... -
He met the lady the night before and this poem, a direct result of their meeting has certainly stood the test of time. It is lovely, has a serene quality to it and is timeless.
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My comment.
I admire the supurb form in which poets of those long past days were able to express their feelings, ideas, opinions and their soul. This is to me a true example of understandable and yet graceful poetry. -
The Subject of Night
From guest Will (contact)
Lord Byron does not simply compare her beauty to night, but rather to the night of cloudless climes and starry skies. This second line is meant to be read continuous with the first so as to brighten the dark image. This idea is played throughout the poem: the conjunction of light and dark. Her ability to contain polar opposites in perfect proportion is what gives inspiration to the poem. -
Aw
This is pure passion..I enjoyed reading it. He wrote a incredible love poem and thanks for the info included.
Kari -
love it
very tender and admiring great poem -
Romantic and Obsessive but still Lovely
This poem is 'lovely' but in my case slightly hopeless. His choice of walking in beauty, which is like night just confuses me is he saying the night is beautiful or that her beauty is casual like night? It just makes me feel he needs a break from romanticism before it engulfs his entire humanity (not that he had any to start with). -
Mark of the Romanticism
This poem unite the very meaning of the Romantic Period, the personification of the night´s beauty in the woman and, at the same time, the woman´s beauty in the night. This balance between ten dark and the light and the melodie of the whole poem.
just perfect! -
The power of this poem can be resume by the very first like; Much like Keat's Bright Star, the first like is a given.
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What is funny about this piece, and also what shows it to be so strong, is that it has stayed the most quoted poem when the groom gives his words to his bride during a wedding.
Quite a statement for the piece. -
My ex-boyfriend recited this to me once. Oh the memories. . .
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I have to agree with the consensus here. If ever there was a more perfect love poem, I cannot thoink of it at the moment. This would be a great poem for the OldPoetry Team to feature for Valentines. (Hint! Hint!)
♥ Kimberly -
this is my favorite poem and always has been it;s beautiful
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It starts out simple and clear then draws you in. I put it to music before I knew it was a famous poem- it just looked good. Now I see why it is a classic.
Edited on Dec 10, 8:15 p.m. because ''. -
I've never read any of Lord Byron before, but I think I'm about to get fairly well aquanted with his work if this is a good example, because it is simply amazing!
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“She walks in Beauty, like the night
Which Heaven to gaudy day denies”
Lord Byron has the special instinct of defining abstract things through there antonyms….the poem has a very beautiful lyrical form but the most beautiful thing is the theme ….very nice
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This poem brings back some funny Dead Poets Society memories. It really is a great piece. So serious and solemn. Not vain, though some may feel it is. It's beautifully written and a wonderful love poem. Kudos to Byron.
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This is my all time favorite also. Its rhythm is such song, it's message so pure! This is truly the most beautiful thing I've ever spoken.
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I love this poem it touched my heart. I love it.
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Yes Lord Byron know what is the best in life and he is perfect to express whole this poetry flowing from his heart. I love this poem and I love the way of life he was able to believe. Wonderful write I'm so glad to see it on my site today. Thank You Mr Byron You are always the best.
Anna
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hm... one of my all times favourites
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A beautiful poem, the imagery simply wonderful and the emotions in this piece simply almost perfect. A wonderful piece.
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I love this poem sooo much..its wonderful!! absoulutly beautiful!!
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This is my favorite poem ever written. It is the most perfect love poem, not spending precious words describing how this woman makes the speaker FEEL, instead showing, through description of a woman, how much she moves him.
Besides that, this poem has a perfect meter and rhyme, which flow very naturally and don't seem the least forced or contrived. That is something few poets, even Byron himself, can manage to do. -
O. There is my favorite poem of all time. Whenever I read this I keep feeling that Byron wove the words together so perfectly. There seems to be a duplicity in each line that somehows melds together into the perfection that makes me obsess over this work: 'all that's best of dark and bright/ Meet in her aspect and in her eyes'. There's what I read as a comment on human nature. The best and the worst of everything meet in her....'dark and bright'..perhaps I read inot things too much but If feel that Byron doesn't over do it when he fauns over her..this woman, this girl, is real.
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