Question

Read the poem below and answer the question.
SHE walks in beauty, like the night Of cloudless climes and starry skies, And all that's best of dark and bright Meets in her aspect and her eyes; Thus mellow'd to that tender light Which Heaven to gaudy day denies. 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. 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. (Lord Byron, “She Walks in Beauty”)
In a minimum of 150 words, describe the speaker in this poem. What is his attitude and how does it affect the meaning of the poem?

Answer 1

First, I'm going to paraphrase this poem for you by line to help you understand it.

She walks in beauty, like the night Of cloudless climes and starry skies;

*She is compared to a clear night sky because she is transparent in her demeanor.

And all that’s best of dark and bright Meet in her aspect and her eyes;

*Her traits are made up of the best, most beautiful parts of evil and good, and the way that she looks at the world allows her to see the good in things.

Thus mellowed to that tender light Which heaven to gaudy day denies.

*She is humble. Her characteristics mild and charming, not overbearing. The "tender light which heaven to gaudy day denies" refers to the good characteristics, which are results of her humble nature—traits which prideful and over-the-top personalities cannot possess.

One shade the more, one ray the less, Had half impaired the nameless grace 

*A little more beautiful evil, or a little more sweet goodness, would impair her charm, her perfect balance. 

 

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. 

*This charm flows through her whole body, it even courses through her dark hair, and illuminates her face; the expressions she makes show the serenity of her thoughts.

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!

*And she looks so calm, yet expressive. When she smiles, she persuades people to love her, and her individuality (her tint) radiates an attractiveness. Even with her beauty, she has not misused the blessing as she could have. Her face shows not only beauty, but of her good ways, her peace with herself, and her ability to love innocently while have such seductive beauty.

Byron expresses the idea that beauty is not simply aesthetic, but that it involves a person's character as well. Those who exploit their physical beauty are not truly beautiful in his eyes. The girl that Byron speaks of embraces her physical attributes confidently, but she is truly humble. In summary, Byron views beauty holistically, appreciating both its physical and internal loveliness. He discusses how it flows through every part of a person, otherwise it is not so.

Answer: "the nameless grace/which waves in every raven tress"

The answer summarizes Byron's appreciation of beauty, that it courses through every part of a person. According to Byron, every hair on that girl's head is composed of the "nameless grace" which he deems beauty to be. Hope this helps!

Answer 2

Answer: "the nameless grace/which waves in every raven tress"

Explanation:

took the test and got 100