George Gordon Byron’s poem “She Walks in Beauty” showcases the speaker’s attitude towards the subject through the metric scheme of the poem. He uses iambic tetrameter, which is a meter that shows how deep his appreciation and respect are for this woman. The consistency of rhythm and flow in this poem conveys stability and unity between the speaker on one hand and his emotions towards the subject.
In addition, iambic tetrameter in this poem assists in creating balance and symmetry which reflects how much he admires her beauty. The regularity of the meter establishes order in thoughts as well as indicating calmness on the part of its speaker. For instance, within lines 1-2 an iambic has been employed to reveal a sense of astonishment from her physical traits:-“She walks in beauty like the night / Of cloudless climes and starry skies.” This lady must have had a great impression as shown by such a smooth poetry.
Additionally, the poem’s meter contributes to the speaker’s worshipful and profound manner towards his subject. The flowing iambic tetrameter illustrates the beauty of the woman and her grace. In addition, the soft rhythm of this verse reflects the gentle light radiated by a woman in lines 5-6: "Thus mellowed to that tender light / Which heaven to gaudy day denies." The smooth and flowing metric pattern shows that the speaker is moved by the woman's beauty.
Furthermore, meter also plays a role in establishing a reverential tone that the speaker takes toward his subject. The reverence and admiration are evident from this iambic tetrameter which signifies how deeply he admires both her physical and moral beauty. Similarly, it is clear from both this regular beat of poetry and these lines 13-15 “But tell of days in goodness spent, / A mind at peace with all below, / A heart whose love is innocent.” Thus, steady beat of meter expresses deep emotions about personality and purity as for this woman.
To conclude, George Gordon Byron’s poem “She Walks in Beauty” uses meter to show the attitude of the speaker towards what he describes. The iambic tetrameter shows that the speaker is full of love for the woman and her character’s beauty too. Also, rhythm and flow in poetry create a feeling of symmetry, unity and genuineness when expressing deep sentiments about this lady. Through its use of metre, the poem’s tone is shown as being one of wonder, adoration, and honor towards the addressee.