Song to beauty
Added 2021-07-19 04:18:37 +0000 UTC“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.”
This is the first stanza of Lord Byron’s 1814 poem. It is probably the most famous poem devoted to beauty. While there are huge differences between cultures around the world, there appears to be a universal association of beauty with the moon and stars.
In this poem Byron also equates beauty with goodness of heart and soul; an idea that we often see depicted in fairly tales, but which in our modern times is considered outmoded. Yet in the case of Shawn, who is a yoga teacher, her unadorned natural beauty matched the sense of calm goodness she emanated. Meeting her reminded me of Byron’s poem.
“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!”
Instagram: Shawn Parell @sparell1008
