Question

Consider the poems.

"She Walks in Beauty"
by George Gordon Byron An excerpt from "To Helen"
by Edgar Allan Poe
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 mellowed to that tender light Which Heaven to gaudy day denies.

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.

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!

Helen, thy beauty is to me Like those Nicean barks of yore, That gently, o'er a perfumed sea, The weary, wayworn wanderer bore To his own native shore.

On desperate seas long wont to roam, Thy hyacinth hair, thy classic face, Thy Naiad airs have brought me home To the glory that was Greece And the grandeur that was Rome.

Lo! in yon brilliant window-niche How statue-like I see thee stand, The agate lamp within thy hand! Ah, Psyche, from the regions which Are Holy Land!

How is Poe’s word choice different than Byron’s?

A. Poe’s description is more grand and worldly than Byron’s.
B. Poe’s description is more calm and soothing than Byron’s.
C. Poe includes more physical description than Byron.
D. Poe confesses more about shortcomings than Byron.

Answer 1

The answer to the question is:

A. Poe’s description is more grand and worldly than Byron’s.

This is because Poe uses words and phrases that evoke a sense of grandeur and worldliness, such as “Nicean barks of yore”, “the glory that was Greece and the grandeur that was Rome”, and “Psyche, from the regions which are Holy Land”. These references suggest that Poe’s speaker admires Helen’s beauty as something that transcends time and space, and connects him to the ancient civilizations and myths.

By contrast, Byron uses words and phrases that evoke a sense of calmness and simplicity, such as “cloudless climes and starry skies”, “mellowed to that tender light”, and “a mind at peace with all below”. These references suggest that Byron’s speaker appreciates the woman’s beauty as something that harmonizes with nature and reflects her inner goodness.

Step-by-step explanation: