Her Beautiful Eyes

Name: Her Beautiful Eyes
Author: James Whitcomb Riley

The poem is a nostalgic and melancholic reflection on the passing of time and the fleeting nature of beauty. It describes a woman's eyes that are no longer as captivating as they once were, now dulled by age and experience. The speaker laments the loss of her youthful allure and the way it has been replaced by a more mature, yet less vibrant, beauty.

By James Whitcomb Riley · First published 1883 · Genre: Poetry, Romance, Lyric · 244 words

First lines

O her beautiful eyes! they are as blue as the dew On the violet's bloom when the morning is new, And the light of their love is the gleam of the sun O'er the meadows of Spring where the quick shadows run: As the morn shirts the mists and the clouds from the skies -- So I stand in the dawn of her beautiful eyes.

And her beautiful eyes are as midday to me, When the lily-bell bends with the weight of the bee, And the throat of the thrush is a-pulse in the heat, And the senses are drugged with the subtle and sweet And delirious breaths of the air's lullabies -- So I swoon in the noon of her beautiful eyes.

What this Textopian page supports

Her Beautiful Eyes is listed on Textopian as a poem by James Whitcomb Riley, dated 1883 CE.

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Work type: Poem
Author: James Whitcomb Riley
Date: 1883 CE
Language: English
Genres: Poetry, Romance, Lyric, Nature
Length: 244 words
Structure: 1 section, 3 paragraphs
Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)

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Genres

Poetry — The work is structured in verse form with a focus on rhythm, meter, and vivid imagery.
Romance — The themes revolve around love and admiration, expressed through the metaphor of beautiful eyes.
Lyric — The poem expresses personal emotions and feelings, characteristic of lyric poetry.
Nature — The poem uses natural imagery, such as violets, meadows, and bees, to convey its themes.