Velvet Shoes
By Elinor Wylie
Let us walk in the white snow
In a soundless space
With footsteps quiet and slow,
At a tranquil pace,
Under veils of white lace.I shall go shod in silk,
And you in wool,
White as white cow’s milk,
More beautiful
Than the breast of a gull.We shall walk through the still town
In a windless peace;
We shall step upon white down,
Upon silver fleece,
Upon softer than these.We shall walk in velvet shoes:
Wherever we go
Silence will fall like dews
On white silence below.
We shall walk in the snow.
Summary of the Poem “Velvet Shoes”
- Popularity of “Velvet Shoes”: ‘Velvet Shoes’ was written by Elinor Wylie, a great American poet and writer. This remarkable literary piece first appeared in 1921 in a magazine, Poetry: A Magazine of Verse. The poem captures the lovely desires of the speaker who intends to walk with her partner wearing velvet shoes, without disturbing the peace of the world. The poem highlights her positive thinking about the world as well as her infinite love for glorious nature. The description of a peaceful world, the representation of mesmerizing natural objects, and the speaker’s heartfelt emotions for her lover make this simple yet captivating.
- “Velvet Shoes” As a Representative of Love: The poem accounts for the speaker’s optimistic view of the world. It begins when she addresses her lover and offers him a soothing and tranquil winter walk. She aspires to walk on the comforting winter snow with quiet footsteps. She wishes to wear in silk, while her partner will be in wool. Together, they will enjoy the undisturbed and milky white winter season. They will walk through the quiet places, placing soft feet on the white snowy ground. As they do not intend to make their presence feel, they will walk in velvet shoes.
- Major Themes in “Velvet Shoes”: Nature’s beauty, winter, and love are the major themes of this poem. The poem speaks about a world where there is no violence, harshness, or negativity. Rather, the world presented in the text is the epitome of peace, calmness, and love. The speaker wants to enjoy life with her lover in a world full of love. She intends to enjoy nature in full swing. The winter presented in the poem is not dark, dull, or troublesome. It is charming and beautiful that it provides an escape to the lovers, and offers the space where they can create lasting memories. Therefore, the speaker wants to walk with her beloved in velvet shoes in this season to have an experience that is to stay memorable in their minds.
Analysis of Literary Devices Used in “Velvet Shoes”
Literary devices are modes that represent the writer’s ideas, feelings, and emotions. It is through these devices the writers make their few words appealing to the readers. Elinor Wylie has also used some literary devices in this poem to make it appealing. The analysis of some of the literary devices used in this poem is listed below.
- Assonance: Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in the same line such as the sound of /I/ in “On white silence below” and the sound of /ee/ in “Upon silver fleece”.
- Alliteration: Alliteration is the use of successive consonant sounds in quick succession. For example, the sound of /s/ in “soundless space.”
- Anaphora: It refers to the repetition of a word or expression in the first part of some verses. The word “upon” is repeated in the third stanza of the poem to emphasize the point.
“We shall step upon white down,
Upon silver fleece,
Upon softer than these.”
- Consonance: Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line. For example, the sound of /l/ in “Silence will fall like dews”.
- Enjambment: It is defined as a thought in verse that does not come to an end at a line break; instead, it rolls over to the next line. For example,
“Wherever we go
Silence will fall like dews
On white silence below.”
- Imagery: Imagery is used to make readers perceive things involving their five senses. For example, “We shall walk in the snow”, “We shall step upon white down” and “We shall walk through the still town.”
- Metaphor: It is a figure of speech in which an implied comparison is made between the objects that are different. The poet compares the world with a soundless space in the snow in the opening line. For example, “Let us walk in the white snow/In a soundless space.”
- Simile: It is a device used to compare something with something else to make the meanings clear to the readers. The poet used this device in the third stanza of the poem where she compares snow with cow’s milk. For example,
“White as white cow’s milk,
More beautiful
Than the breast of a gull.”
- Symbolism: Symbolism is using symbols to signify ideas and qualities, giving them symbolic meanings that are different from literal meanings. “White snow” symbolizes purity and leather shoes stand for an undisturbed journey.
Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in “Velvet Shoes”
Poetic and literary devices are the same, but a few are used only in poetry. Here is the analysis of some of the poetic devices used in this poem.
- End Rhyme: End rhyme is used to make a stanza melodious. For example, “snow/slow”, “silk/milk” and “fleece/these.”
- Quintain: A quintain is a five-line stanza. Here, each stanza is quintain.
- Rhyme Scheme: The poem follows an ABAB rhyme scheme, and this pattern continues until the end.
- Stanza: A stanza is a poetic form of some lines. There are four stanzas in this poem with each comprising five lines.
Quotes to be Used
The lines stated below are suitable to be used by a lover while expressing his/her innermost desires.
“Let us walk in the white snow
In a soundless space
With footsteps quiet and slow,
At a tranquil pace,
Under veils of white lace.”