In which my blog title is finally explained

I've been meaning to post an explanation to my blog title since I hatched it ... which has been a few years now, so you see how important that has been to me. :) Now is as good a time as any, I suppose.

The literary allusion comes from one of my favorite poems by Byron, second line of the second stanza--this poem captures a woman who, to me, sounds perfect. It is a woman I aspire to be . . .

Of course, like anyone, I recognize that I am a lifetime away from the "perfection" I hope to attain, which is why I focused on the grace being impaired -- not there yet, basically. I don't know if this will make sense to anyone else, which is probably why I have taken so long to attempt to explain it. Poetry and our personal interpretation thereof is so relative to our experiences. Well, you can try if you like! :)

Here's the dashing? Lord Byron ...

And here's the poem...

She Walks In Beauty

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.

One shade the more, one ray the less,
Had half impaired the nameless grace
Which 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!

by Lord Byron (January 22, 1788 – April 19, 1824)
can be found in The 100 Best Poems of All Time
image – makelessnoise