George Gordon struck me as a pretty cool guy. I found it funny how he went from riches-to rags-to riches in such a short amount of time. In his case, he seemed to be an aristocrat who remembered where he came from. While the book doesn't mention that, I like to imagine it that way. Something else I found interesting was that aristocrats were not supposed to make any money from their writings. They were supposed to act like that kind of work was "beneath" them.
Out of all of Byron's works, I want to discuss "She Walks in Beauty" for several reasons. First of all, it is very rare for a mushy poem to capture my interest. This one did. Second, the poem is so perfectly simple that it has a timeless aspect to it.
The fact that this lovey-dovey poem caught my interest may have been largely due to the fact that I read his biography before reading the actual poem. Visualizing the author before and during writing a piece I think has a powerful impact in how we interpret it. For example, if vigilantes in movies didn't have at least one soft characteristic, whether it's their voice or looks, they could quite easily become "the bad guy". In Gordon's case, I viewed him as a kind aristocrat who was head-over-heels when writing this poem. Another factor to consider in this poem capturing my interest is that it has masculine undertones. While emotion is the central theme to the poem, he describes it using nouns rather than adjectives. For example, he writes, "One shade the more, one ray the less, had half imapir'd the nameless grace which waves in every raven trees, or softly lightens o'er her face." To me, this is far better than saying "She is so perfect that it makes me cry".
The aforementioned timeless aspect of this poem is evident in Lord Byron's word choice. He describes his love interest's beauty by using natural themes, something that will never change. The quote used in the previous paragraph is an excellent example of that. Another good example is when he writes, "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." The fact that we will never see an end to "dark" and "bright" things will help make this poem enjoyable to all future generations.
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3 comments:
I enjoyed two things that you said about Byron's work, "She Walks in Beauty." I thought it was great that you discovered the creative way that Byron speaks to male readers with "masculine undertones." I didn't really catch that upon reading the poems myself (that could be because I'm a girl), but after re-reading this work, I think you're right. That further reveals how vulnerable he was when writing this--it came from the heart.
I also liked what you said about the timeless aspect to this poem. I hadn't really thought about that either, but you're right. It was easy to relate to the images in this poem because he compares this woman to aspects in nature, which are for the most part timeless.
Daniel,
I enjoyed reading your enthusiastic response to Byron's life and poem. I do think it is difficult, and perhaps unwise, to separate this poet's biography from his writings, because they are so deeply interwoven. On the other hand, Byron also was prone to exaggeration and irony, so while many of his poems came from his life experiences it is not safe to assume they are the unfiltered record of his thoughts and feelings.
Daniel, I like your style and candor when you write. It keeps me interested.
Also, I really enjoyed reading a male perspective on this poem. I knew I liked it but I think thats because it could put any girl into "chick-flick" mode. You definitely brought new light upon this poem for me :)
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