Friday, June 5, 2009

Lord Byron

From what I gather in the piece, “She Walks in Beauty” was that Lord Byron was a very sensual indicator. He characterizes the features on this woman so intricately that it seems as though he is touching her as he is writing. Byron is somewhat of a painter to me because he so vividly describes things. When referring to the texture and style of the woman’s hair, there is a prime example of such emphasis on detail, “One shade the more, one ray the less, / Had half impair’d 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.” (358) In the end, I felt awkward to find out that he was describing his cousin’s wife and not someone who he faithfully pursue. Other than that, it was still beautifully written in the aspect of the lover who would be loyal.
In the work, “So, we’ll go no more a-roving”, Byron making a comparison to life and the bad choices made that have eventually caught up with us. It seems that the speaker is coming to terms with the fact that the fun and games are over and it’s now time to grow up, become mature. “For the sword outwears its sheath, / And the soul wears out the breast. /And the heart must pause to breathe, /And love itself have rest.” (359) Now, the conclusion has become valid that the ways of sin shall come to end and the time has come to follow the straight and narrow.

2 comments:

  1. Bianca,

    OK comments on these two poems by Byron (although I would have preferred you to have focused on and said more about one or the other). Your post gets off to a good start in each paragraph, but it seems like you hold back after making an interesting observation. You might try speculating on why Byron might have described his cousin's wife in this sensual (but pure and idealized) way, or why he might at a young age have written a poem about being so weary with life. Try to go into more depth and show your readers what you are thinking.

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  2. Bianca,
    "She walks in beauty" was a nice poem, what woman wouldn't want a poem written about them? I sure would! As you mentioned, it is odd that he wrote it about his cousin's wife. Some kind of family they had! Overall, it would have been helpful if you focused more on one of the two poems instead of covering both. This would have allowed you to give more quotes and more of your personal insight.

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