Beauty in Poetry

Paper Summary:

In 1814, Lord Byron, upon seeing his cousin Lady Anne Wilmot Horton in "a mourning dress of spangled black", was so moved that by the next day he had written "She Walks in Beauty," first published in Hebrew Melodies in 1815. Similarly, more than two centuries earlier, a young, radical poet from Canterbury named Christopher Marlowe published "The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus" which contains a poem inspired by "The Face That Launched a Thousand Ships," namely Helen of Troy. The paper shows that as "idealized" women, Byron's cousin Anne and Marlowe's Helen stand as symbols of love in the hearts of the two authors. It examines the way the image of beauty is expressed in both poems.

From the Paper:

"Marlowe also describes Helen's beauty as "fairer than the evening air" and "clad in the beauty of a thousand stars" which like Byron's cousin Lady Anne symbolizes her dual nature as one who reflects darkness and brightness. The poet also states that Helen's beauty is brighter "than flaming Jupiter," a reference to "the God of Heaven who loved Semele and consumed her with thunder and lightning" (Barnet 93). Since Helen is also "more lovely than the monarch of the sky," a possible metaphor for Phoebus, the sun god, the poet wishes to be in the "azure" arms of Arethusa, a nymph "greatly loved by Jupiter for her beauty as reflected in the blue waters of the Hellespont" ( Harmon 258). Finally, the poet declares that "none but (Helen) shalt be my paramour!" or a greatly loved and adored woman who is far above all else on Earth and in the Heavens."

More papers on Beauty in Poetry:

• Analytical Essay # 117758 : "Dickinson's Poetry: Beauty in Simplicity"
• Analytical Essay # 512 : "Gender Issues In Poetry"
• Comparison Essay # 108138 : "Religion in Poetry"

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