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"She Walks in Beauty" is a short lyrical poem in
Byron's She Walks in Beauty
at Cummings Study Guides. Retrieved 10 July 2014 It is thought that she was the first inspiration for his unfinished epic poem about
"She Walks in Beauty" is a short lyrical poem in iambic tetrameter Iambic tetrameter is a poetic meter in ancient Greek and Latin poetry; as the name of ''a rhythm'', iambic tetrameter consists of four metra, each metron being of the form , x – u – , , consisting of a spondee and an iamb, or two iambs. Ther ...
written in 1814 by Lord Byron
George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron (22 January 1788 – 19 April 1824), known simply as Lord Byron, was an English romantic poet and peer. He was one of the leading figures of the Romantic movement, and has been regarded as among the ...
, and is one of his most famous works.
It is said to have been inspired by an event in Byron's life. On 11 June 1814, Byron attended a party in London. Among the guests was Mrs. Anne Beatrix Wilmot, wife of Byron's first cousin, Sir Robert Wilmot. He was struck by her unusual beauty, and the next morning the poem was written.Cummings, Michael J. (2008)Byron's She Walks in Beauty
at Cummings Study Guides. Retrieved 10 July 2014 It is thought that she was the first inspiration for his unfinished epic poem about
Goethe
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German poet, playwright, novelist, scientist, statesman, theatre director, and critic. His works include plays, poetry, literature, and aesthetic criticism, as well as tr ...
, a personal hero of his. In this unpublished work, which Byron referred to in his letters as his magnum opus, he switches the gender of Goethe and gives him the same description of his cousin.
=Musical settings=
The poem has inspired various composers over time, including Roger Quilter
Roger Cuthbert Quilter (1 November 1877 – 21 September 1953) was a British composer, known particularly for his art songs. His songs, which number over a hundred, often set music to text by William Shakespeare and are a mainstay of the E ...
, Gerald Finzi
Gerald Raphael Finzi (14 July 1901 – 27 September 1956) was a British composer. Finzi is best known as a choral composer, but also wrote in other genres. Large-scale compositions by Finzi include the cantata '' Dies natalis'' for solo voice and ...
, Toby Hession, Ivy Frances Klein, Jean Coulthard, Isaac Nathan
Isaac Nathan (15 January 1864) was an English composer, musicologist, journalist and self-publicist, who has been called the "father of Australian music".
Early success
Isaac Nathan was born around 1791 in the English city of Canterbury to a '' ...
, Nicolas Flagello, and Eric Barnum. The British musical ensemble Mediaeval Baebes sing the complete poem on their 2015 album ''The Huntress''.
References
External links
* {{DEFAULTSORT:She Walks in Beauty Poetry by Lord Byron 1814 poems