Sydney Roberts
Mrs. Williams
English IV- 1
10 November 2011
Beauty Within
Throughout history, emotions, and events have been reflected in the arts. No matter the time period artists have used their works to convey a meaning to the audience. The arts are used to communicate feelings in a way that impacts the viewer. Literature, music, and artwork are all genres that artists use to express their feelings and thoughts. Beauty is often used as a theme in each of these genres. Beauty can be illustrated in many different ways, and not everyone sees beauty the same way. Poets use their works to express a mental state. By using specific literary elements and words the reader can determine what they are feeling. Musicians use musical notes and beats as well as words, which allow them to express themselves. Artists use visual elements to represent a particular theme or emotion. Although all of these genres are different, they each contain a message and a theme. Beauty as a theme can be found in the eighteenth century poem “She Walks in Beauty” by Lord Byron, in the twentieth century song “The Most Beautiful Girl in the World” by Prince, and in the fifteenth century painting The Birth of Venus by Botticelli.
Lord Byron is famous for his works in literature, especially his poetry. His journey to fame was full of obstacles. “Byron was born in London to a poor but noble family” (“Prepare to Read”). He used his writing as a way to express his feelings. At first his works were not accepted, but as he grew older he became famous for his romantic works. His first successful work was an epic poem called Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage (“Lord Byron: Short Biography”). After writing this long poem he became known as a bold writer. “…His admirers insisted on associating him with the dark, brooding hero, impassioned by a cause, whom he so often described” (“Prepare to Read”). People began to think that Lord Byron was like the characters that he wrote about. He created a rebellious character that had inner sorrow. This type of character became known as the Byronic hero, and is used as a standard for Romantic literature (Gordon 718-719). Byron then became famous as a Romantic poet. Even today Lord Byron is considered to be a hero to the Greeks (“Lord Byron: Short Biography”).
The poem “She Walks in Beauty” was one of Lord Byron’s famous poems. The poem starts with a description of an unknown woman that, “…Walks in Beauty like the night of cloudless climes and starry skies” (Gordon 718-719). Throughout the poem there is elements described that contrast good and evil. The darkness of the light is representing the evil, and the sorrow within the women. The light is describing the pureness of her physical beauty and how it shines. “And all that’s best of dark and bright”(Gordon 718-719). The woman has just the right amount of outer beauty as inner beauty. The physical beauty of her is a mirror image of the inner beauty. “One shade the more, one ray the less, has half impaired the nameless grace” (Gordon 718-719). The description of the women is about her inner beauty, and the power that it brings her. Her physical beauty cannot be seen because of the shadow covering her face so her inner beauty must shine through. The poem shows Lord Byron’s admiration of beauty in all ways. Lord Byron uses his poem to describe what beauty actually is about.
The musician Prince was extremely talented and his songs were an enormous success. Music was in Prince’s blood, and it was obvious that he would be successful. “His father was a songwriter and his mother was a jazz singer” (“Prince Biography”). His parents both being musicians this gave Prince an advantage. He began his career as a songwriter but then later began to sing. Prince not only made music, but he also made history. “Prince became part of the first African American artist to appear on MTV…” (“Prince Biography”). At the time of his appearance he was in a group band known as The Revolution. Later on Prince departed from the group and sang individually. His alum was released “…but displayed an unpronounceable symbol on the over” (“Prince lyrics”). The symbol represented love; Prince expresses love and beauty in his songs. Prince made a vast impact in the music world, and the music he created will never be forgotten.
The song “The Most Beautiful Girl in the World” is one of Prince’s top hits. The message that the listener gets is that the singer/songwriter is describing beauty of women.” Who’d allow, who’d allow a face to be as soft as a flower” (“Prince Lyrics”)? The beauty of the women is calm and soft. He compares her to a flower because of how innocent she appears to be. He cannot believe that a woman this beautiful even exists. The woman is perfect and he would not change anything about her. “ I could bow (bow down) and fell proud in the light of this power” (“Prince Lyrics”). Her beauty has mesmerized him and has a certain power over him. She has power that shines through her. The light is the strength and security that she holds within her. “This is the kind of beauty that comes from inside” (“Prince Lyrics”). Prince wrote about a woman that he admires because it is her true inner beauty that shines. Not only is she beautiful to look at but also her charm comes from inside.
The painting Birth of Venus by Botticelli is used as a symbol to represent beauty. The painting shows a goddess that is delicate and beautiful (Botticelli). The woman in the middle is brightly colored compared to the rest of the painting. This is to show that her beauty is fragile and innocent. Botticelli painted in many different styles, including: mythological painting. “ …His most famous mythologic works the Primavera and The Birth of Venus…” (“Alessandro Botticelli”). Venus stands in the center of the painting to show her importance. Looking at this artwork one is drawn right to the center of the painting. Around Venus it is brightly painted, but below her it is dark. She is representing the beauty of birth. The angels around her are protecting her from the darkness; evil. The angels protecting her are showing that she is a gift sent from heaven. She is soft and her beauty is very visible to the viewer. Her body is disproportional in order to emphasize the beauty that is within her. The beauty of the painting must shine through the ugliness of Venus. The purpose of this painting is to show true beauty not just beauty that is external. The painting is revealing the beauty of a new birth. Alessandro Botticelli died May of 1570, and the last years of his life were unknown (“Alessandro Botticelli”). The poem “She Walks in Beauty” by Lord Byron, the song “The Most Beautiful Girl in the World” by Prince, and the painting The Birth of Venus by Botticelli are all from different genres, but portray the same theme. These masterpieces all show the true appreciation of beauty. They used their works to show that not only is beauty on the outside, it always comes from within. A true understanding of beauty knows that the inner beauty is what makes a person stand out and makes them special. Although these pieces of art are different genres they are used to express an emotion. The only difference is the technique and the style of the art form. Poets express themselves by using literary devices and words to express themselves. Artist use techniques like: color, and style in order to represent a theme. Musicians use rhythms to create a mood and their words to state their emotions. All of three of these genres are created to send a message to the audience. Beauty is a common theme in the arts and was visible in all three of the pieces.

Works Cited
“Alessandro Botticelli.” Olga’s Gallery. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Oct. 2011. .
Botticelli, Alessandro. Birth of Venus. 1485. Private collection . Web Gallery of Art. Web. 4 Oct. 2011. .
Gordon, George. “She Walks in Beauty.” Prentice Hall Literature:Timeless Vocies, Timeless Themes. Ed. Kate Kinsella. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2003.718- 719. Print. “Prepare to Read.” Prentice Hall Literature:Timeless Voices, Timeless Themes. Ed. Kate Kinsella. New Jersey: Prentice Hall LIterature, 2003. 716. Print.
“Lord Byron:Short Biography .” eLibrary. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Oct. 2011. .
“Prince Biography.” Contact Music. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Oct. 2011. .
“Prince Lyrics.” LyricsTime. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Oct. 2011. .