Poetry: "The Lake of the Dismal Swamp" by Thomas Moore
Question 7 • ARC English 10 Semester 2 CR/Summer
Read the poem below and answer the question that follows. “She Walks in Beauty”by Lord Byron She walks in beauty, like the nightOf cloudless climes and starry skies;And all that’s best of dark and brightMeet in her aspect and her eyes;Thus mellowed to that tender lightWhich heaven to gaudy day denies. One shade the more, one ray the less,Had half impaired the nameless graceWhich 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! Source: Byron, George Gordon. “She Walks in Beauty.” Poetry.org. The Academy of American Poets, n.d. Web. 19 July 2011. Which excerpt best reflects Byron’s appreciation of beauty?
Answer
A
“One shade the more, one ray the less”
B
“the nameless grace/Which waves in every raven tress”
C
“Which heaven to gaudy day denies”
D
“A mind at peace with all below”
Explanation
The speaker admires the woman’s beauty through the “nameless grace” that appears in her dark hair. This description directly connects her physical features with the beauty he sees in her. “One shade the more, one ray the less” instead explains how delicate the balance of light and darkness is, while “A mind at peace” describes her character.
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