She Walks in Beauty Appearances Quotes

This is a funny way of describing someone – what does it mean to "walk in beauty," anyway? Is "beauty" some kind of cloud or vapor that the woman is walking in? Or is it like a comfortable pair of shoes?

This woman's beauty takes the "best" things from both ends of the spectrum ("dark" and "bright"). And it's not just that she has a pretty face – her whole "aspect," or appearance, is harmonious and lovely.

The balance of "dark" and "bright" in the woman's appearance sort of averages out into a "tender light." It's like she casts off a glow, but a soft one, or something.

This line is perfectly balanced, just like the woman's beauty. There's a repeated structure, divided by a comma in the middle of the line – the comma is like a pivot point. You've got two sets of opposites ("shade" and "ray," "more" and "less") that are balanced on either side of that comma.

No wonder he's comparing the woman to "night" instead of to "a summer's day" – this lady is a brunette, so it makes sense to compare her darker coloring to "night."

Her "smiles" and "tints," or blushes, come and go – obviously they're not permanently etched on her face. And that dynamism, or changeability, is part of what makes her so beautiful.