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The tone of “She Walks in Beauty” is quietly contemplative and reverent. The poem’s contemplative nature emerges most clearly in the speaker’s opening simile. This simile likens the woman’s beauty to the unique harmony that characterizes a cloudless night sky full of twinkling stars. Although the speaker’s reference to the night sky doesn’t necessarily indicate that the poem takes place at night, the image nonetheless evokes a sense of quiet contemplation. Byron subtly emphasizes the poem’s quietness through his frequent use of sibilant consonant sounds like S and SH. As an example, consider the frequency of sibilant sounds in the opening lines, marked in bold text below (lines 1–4):

     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.

The very fact that the poem begins with an SH sound, seemingly shushing us readers, establishes a tone of quiet contemplation. Yet the poem is also deeply reverent. For one thing, the speaker observes the woman from a respectful distance. And though he does begin by focusing on her physical attributes, his ultimate interest lies in her character. Furthermore, the poem as a whole treats the matters of beauty and virtue very seriously, showing great esteem for these rarefied and revered subjects.

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