She Walks In Beauty
by George Gordon, Lord Byron

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!

Many poetic devices are used through out this poem. The first line of the poem is a simile. The girl is walking in beauty "like" the night is showing a simile. "The smiles that win" is a great example of personification because the word win is giving the smile a human like characterisitc. Alliteration is used a couple times in this poem. "Cloudless climes and starry skies" is alliteration because there is a repition of letters at the beginning of two words. "All that's best of dark and bright" is a perfect example of an oxymoron because usually something can't be dark and bright at the same time. Lastly, "the tints that glow", is used as a metaphor. This poetic device is decribing the tints as if they are glowing.