Beauty
I have seen dawn and sunset on moors and windy hills
Coming in solemn beauty like slow old tunes of Spain:
I have seen the lady April bringing in the daffodils,
Bringing the springing grass and the soft warm April rain.I have heard the song of the blossoms and the old chant of the sea,
And seen strange lands from under the arched white sails of ships;
But the loveliest things of beauty God ever has showed to me
Are her voice, and her hair, and eyes, and the dear red curve of her lips.
Summary
This poem celebrates two kinds of beauty: the natural world and a beloved woman. The speaker first describes scenes from nature—dawn, sunset, spring flowers, and sea sounds—using vivid imagery that evokes sight, sound, and scent. He then turns to his personal admiration for a woman, praising her voice, hair, eyes, and lips as the most beautiful things he has ever seen.
Literary Devices
- Simile: “Coming in solemn beauty like slow old tunes of Spain” compares the arrival of dawn to music, adding a musical quality to the natural scene.
- Personification: The month of April is described as a lady who brings daffodils and rain; flowers and sea are given voices that sing or chant. This gives life to inanimate elements.
- Alliteration: Repeated “s” sounds in words such as seen, sunset, solemn, Spain create a musical rhythm.
- Assonance: The vowel sound “o” appears in windy hills, slow old, song of the blossoms, linking lines sonically.
- Enjambment: Lines flow into one another without punctuation, encouraging readers to read continuously and feel the poem’s breath.
- Imagery: Vivid descriptions of light, color, sound, and scent paint a sensory picture that engages all senses.
Interpretation
The poem begins with an observation of nature’s beauty—dawn, sunset, spring flowers, and the sea. These images are not merely aesthetic; they symbolize renewal, hope, and the vastness of the world. By comparing dawn to “slow old tunes of Spain,” Masefield suggests that natural beauty can be as comforting and timeless as music.
When the speaker turns to his beloved, he elevates her personal attributes above all other forms of beauty. The voice, hair, eyes, and lips are described with reverence, implying that human connection surpasses even the most magnificent landscapes. This contrast underscores a central theme: while nature offers endless wonder, the intimacy of love provides the deepest joy.
Structure
The poem consists of two quatrains. The rhyme scheme follows ABAB in the first stanza and CDCD in the second, creating a subtle musical pattern that mirrors the poem’s lyrical quality. Each line is written in trochaic meter—stressed followed by unstressed syllables—which gives the poem a rhythmic, almost chant-like feel.
Enjambment is used throughout to maintain flow and to link ideas across lines. For example, the phrase “I have seen the lady April bringing in the daffodils” continues into the next line without pause, encouraging readers to keep moving forward through the poem’s narrative.
Teaching Tips
When guiding students, ask them to identify each literary device and explain how it contributes to the overall mood. Encourage them to compare the natural imagery with the personal admiration for a woman, discussing why the poet places such emphasis on human beauty. Finally, have students write their own short poem that uses at least one of the devices highlighted here.