Welcome back to The Daily Poem, a podcast from Goldberry Studios.

I'm Sean Johnson, and today is Monday, June 16th, 2025.

And today is an exciting time for me, because by the time you hear this, I will be in England

with the other hosts of the Close Reeds podcast

and 17 of our intrepid guests for a week-long tour of the Cotswaltz, which promises to be an

absolutely incredible time. And then I'm going to stay on for a few more days myself. And so all of

the episodes from now till the end of the month have been pre-recorded.

And to get into the spirit, I thought this week would be a perfect week to do some English poetry.

And though we will not be visiting the Lake District, we will be spending some time in rural England.

And so what better poetical pairing than the English Romantics?

And today we're kicking off with one of the bad boy romantics, or as some refer to this

subset of poets, The Dark Romantics. It is George Gordon, Lord Byron. And the poem is

She Walks in Beauty. I'll read it once, offer a few comments, and read it one more time.

She walks in beauty like the night of cloudless climbs 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 Godi day

denies. One shade the more, one ray the less, that half impaired the nameless grace which waves in

every raven tress more 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.

This is a great poem.

There are definitely people who get a little bent out of shape or at least a little uncomfortable

...