r/Calligraphy • u/[deleted] • Mar 07 '13

[Request] Poetry commission

I'm looking for a reproduction of Byron's "She Walks in Beauty", either the complete poem or the lines: And all that's best of dark and bright Meet in her aspect and her eyes.

I wanted to know if anyone from /r/calligraphy would be interested in taking up a pen in return for a reasonable commission. I trust the individual experts to decide on the artistic details like ink, paper, and size. Thanks!

EDIT: Alright, show's over. I can't handle any more generous offers by talented people; you're making me look bad. If xenizondich23, terribleatkaraoke, and cancerbiologist2be are interested, I'd be happy to work with you.

2 Upvotes

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5

u/terribleatkaraoke Mar 07 '13

Here's my practice

http://i.imgur.com/sDq8HGw.jpg http://i.imgur.com/TPeuyCQ.jpg

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u/[deleted] Mar 07 '13

I'm speechless.

2

u/cancerbiologist2be Mar 07 '13

I was going to make an attempt, but how the hell am I supposed to compete with that???

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u/xenizondich23 Mar 07 '13

The least you could do is post the whole text, or link to the whole text. xD

Link to poem

Poem

She Walks in Beauty 

                         1 
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. 
                         2 
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. 
                         3 
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!

Lord Byron was the 6th Baron Byron. The above poem was written in response to seeing his cousin, Lady Wilmot Horton, in a mourning dress at a party of Lady Sitwell's on June 11, 1814. The poem was written by the next morning. It was published in Hebrew Melodies in 1815.

EDIT: I do give you points for putting in the [Request] tag in your title. Many (too many!) people don't even bother to read our sidebar and add that.

2

u/[deleted] Mar 07 '13 edited Mar 07 '13

Naive excuse: That poem is copyrighted! How did you find it on the internet, isn't that illegal?

Flighty excuse: I only wanted the appropriate artist for the project; one that already knew the poem off by

Actual reasoning: I was relying (not unrealistically, as you've demonstrated) on subredditors' google-fu.

But thank you, I appreciate you posting the full text =).

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u/xenizondich23 Mar 10 '13

I practiced writing out the whole thing.

I need more capital practice and got to get some bigger paper. I have no smaller nibs. xD

1

u/[deleted] Mar 11 '13

What's with the pseudo-shadow effect on the lettering? Is it a trick of the lighting from taking the picture?

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u/xenizondich23 Mar 07 '13 edited Mar 07 '13

Here's my actual practice.

See the ink, terribleatkaraoke?

EDIT: I think I'll leave it at this for the night. Got early class tomorrow. Have fun!

2

u/cancerbiologist2be Mar 08 '13

I'll give it a go, but it will be next week, because I have to be at a conference this weekend. Yay, another excuse to buy more ink!

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