Question

Read the lines from Byron's "She Walks in Beauty" and answer the question.

One shade the more, one ray the less,
Had half impaired 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.

The sibilance in these lines and throughout the poem creates a tone best described as _____. Click here to reference the poem.

hushed in awe
hissing in scorn
sighing from desire
restrained from respect

Answer 1

The correct answer is sighing from desire.

Indeed, the lexical field is populated with words that express tenderness, beauty and purity. However, there is a symbolic, underlying carnal desire in the poem. The sibilance is very ambiguous, just as the meaning of the words used to convey it (shade, less, grace, waves, tress). The word “waves” is especially evocative, as it expresses the waves of desire of the narrator for the beautiful woman.

Answer 2

The correct answer is sighing from desire.

Indeed, the lexical field is populated with words that express tenderness, beauty and purity. However, there is a symbolic, underlying carnal desire in the poem. The sibilance is very ambiguous, just as the meaning of the words used to convey it (shade, less, grace, waves, tress). The word “waves” is especially evocative, as it expresses the waves of desire of the narrator for the beautiful woman.