The two major contrasts in Byron’s
“She Walks in Beauty” are the descriptions of the woman as “night and day” and “dark
and bright.” The use of contrast to describe someone beautiful, particularly a
woman, appears to be unusual and unique. Not many people would see darkness as
beautiful or look at the night as something alluring in itself. The attributes
of darkness and night can only be seen at their best when they are contrasted
with their opposites: light and day.
A beautiful night would mean a
night where stars grace the sky and when fireworks or blinking lights intrude
the darkness. Moreover, light shines brightest in darkness. There is nothing that
can be compared to the beauty of the sun rising in the East or its setting in
the West, where day and night meet.
In the poem, beauty and its
effect are exemplified in the way these images of darkness and light are juxtaposed.
There is something absolute, pure and innocent in the deepest darkness mingled with
the brightest light. As the reader sees the effect of these contrasting images
in his mind, he can feel the intensity and dimension of the loveliness of the lady
and her effect on the persona or observer. This poetic device of contrasting imagery
has indeed accomplished its purpose. As evidence, this poem has stood the test
of time and space. It has lingered and still affects the readers and literary
enthusiasts of today even as the poet has long been gone.
