Essay Instructions: There are two stages to my Research paper process in the first stage (which I already did) I needed to give a personal response to the poem, I needed to explain what it means as it relates to me, What the poem evoked on me, and what does it remind me of in my life. All that stuff, down below I gave you a copy of that piece of work that I wrote already. I am allowed to use the same thesis statement (which is at the end of the first paragraph) if after reading all the criticism and stuff is the same as the first paper I did already. I can basically use the way I felt about the poem in what I did already I can use to compare the poems in the second stage. Its just that my thoughts and facts might change after reading all the criticisms.
And the second stage of the paper is the following. This papers needs to be 3 pages long and have eight sources. The sources may be direct quotations or paraphrasing and it must connect to your thesis statement. I need to discus the similarities by explicating each poem thoroughly. Use literary criticism and sources that instruct how to analyze a poem for source material. There are two parts one where you have to compare and the other, which involves the history of it. The type of comparison is comparing this poem to another by the same poet. Research the historical background of the era in which the poem was written. Discuss how the historical political and/or social events of the day affected the subject and style of the piece. The most important part is the there is an amazing introduction with a thesis statement at the end of the first paragraph and that it is repeated in different words in the conclusion.
_____________________________________________________________
First Stage of My paper:
Poetry may be one of the most common vehicles for emotional expression, especially the expression of romantic love. From Milton to Shakespeare, poets have woven words that capture their audiences as well as the object of their affection. Often the verses that talented poets pen linger for years, even centuries, as love is a universal experience. Love poems also appeal to all readers, especially if their language is straightforward and accessible. Without resorting to complicated diction or convoluted metaphors, George Gordon, Lord Byron, communicates his affection and admiration for his female lover in ?She Walks in Beauty.? Moreover, ?She Walks in Beauty? affects me personally because it reminds me of romantic ideals; like love itself, the poem is at once simple and evocative.
Lord Byron does not use unnecessary symbolism to describe his love. Instead, he extends metaphors to color the nature of his emotions. The first line of the poem sets the mood for the entire piece: ?She walks in beauty, like the night? evokes the soft, gentle, subdued nature of his affection that persists throughout the three-stanza poem. The first stanza is my personal favorite, as it encompasses a myriad of contrasts: ?all that?s best if dark and bright.? Byron describes the subtle yet powerful beauty of the woman by contrasting her ?tender light? to the ?gaudy day.? Besides being a lovely and strong image, this extended metaphor reminds me of the nature of aesthetic beauty. Physical attractiveness is not only the glossy, flashy kind evident in the mass media. Rather, the most attractive individuals possess a ?mellow?d,? ?Tender light / Which heaven to gaudy day denies.? Often, I cannot put a finger on why I find a person attractive, because it has more to do with that kind of subtle beauty. Sometimes people who have perfect features are not as appealing to me; they are like the ?gaudy day.? Thus, through his well-chosen words, Lord Byron perfectly reflects the uncluttered nature of true love.
We all crave the kind of love and romance that Lord Byron describes in ?She Walks in Beauty.? This poem reminds me of the times I have experienced genuine affection; not the fleeting nature of crushes or the obsessive qualities of some relationships. Instead, Byron writes about a ?soft?calm, yet eloquent? love. This is the kind of love I value, even if the initial effects of infatuations are more intoxicating. Byron paints a picture of his lover as being serene and sweet; she is not depicted as being aloof or at all arrogant. There is no power play game with Byron and the subject of the poem. This is true love, the kind of love that is pure, honest, and good. Both Byron and his lover have ?a heart whose love is innocent.? This final line of the poem sums up the quality of love that Byron describes and the kind of love that I would like to experience throughout my life. It is both requited and genuine.
I appreciate Lord Byron?s lines because they differ from the depictions of romance in most Hollywood movies. Some romantic comedies tend to be saccharine or artificial; the characters are shallow and predictable and the actors have perfect features. ?She Walks in Beauty? is sweet without being cloying. Because I am tired of the impossible ideals that the mass media establishes for romantic relationships, this poem appeals to me for its balance of romance and realism. The woman?s mind is ?at peace with all below,? implying that although Byron puts her on a pedestal, she is not an inaccessible statue.
Likewise, Byron?s poem is accessible to his readers. Byron is able to describe his love as both mysterious and palpable. In my own life, I have experienced this paradox: love is totally real and yet it is irrational. I love reading and re-reading this poem because its imagery is uncomplicated yet powerful. There is a ?nameless grace? to both the woman and to the poem, and this reminds me of the irresistible, ineffable, mystical nature of romance.
This is the poem:
She walks in Beauty
By George Gordon Byron, Lord Byron.
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 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!