In her novel The Bluest Eye, Toni Morrison writes, "Beauty was not simply something to behold; it was something one could do.” In this thematic collection, we have gathered texts that explore the promises and problems of beauty.
Publication year 1962
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Values/Ideas: Beauty
Tags Lyric Poem
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Marriage, Life/Time: Aging, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Midlife, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Mothers, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Literary Fiction, Humor, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 1980
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Literature
Tags Lyric Poem
Publication year 1811
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Society: Class, Society: Economics, Identity: Gender
Tags Romance, Romanticism / Romantic Period, British Literature, Relationships, Class, Gender / Feminism, History: World, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction
Sense and Sensibility (1811) was the first published novel of English writer Jane Austen (1775-1817). She published it anonymously, identifying herself only as "a lady." It tells the story of two sisters, Elinor and Marianne Dashwood, who find love after their father dies and they are plunged into a more modest lifestyle. Sense and Sensibility’s continual presence in the cultural imagination is evident in its numerous film and TV adaptations, including the award-winning 1995 version... Read Sense and Sensibility Summary
Publication year 1800
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Flora/plants, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Identity: Femininity, Values/Ideas: Literature, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness
Tags Lyric Poem, Romanticism / Romantic Period, Grief / Death, British Literature
Publication year 1814
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Natural World: Appearance & Reality
Tags Lyric Poem, Romanticism / Romantic Period, Education, Education, British Literature, Gothic Literature, History: World, Romance, Classic Fiction
Publication year 1329
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Music
Tags Narrative / Epic Poem, Fairy Tale / Folklore, Classic Fiction, Medieval Literature / Middle Ages, Education, Education, British Literature, Fantasy
Publication year 1809
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Marriage, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Beauty
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Midlife, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Mothers, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Historical Fiction, Romance, LGBTQ, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World
Publication year 1981
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Identity: Gender, Identity: Femininity, Values/Ideas: Beauty
Tags Narrative / Epic Poem, Gender / Feminism, Mythology
Publication year 1924
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Beauty, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Identity: Gender, Natural World: Food, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Marriage, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Literature
Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, American Literature, Poverty
Publication year 1609
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Beauty, Life/Time: Birth, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Food, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Life/Time: The Future
Tags Lyric Poem, Education, Education, History: World, Romance, Classic Fiction
Publication year 1609
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Aging, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Life/Time: The Future
Tags Lyric Poem
Publication year 1609
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Lyric Poem, Play: Comedy / Satire, Relationships, Love / Sexuality
William Shakespeare is the author of “Sonnet 130.” The sonnet is one of 154 sonnets that Shakespeare published in 1609 under the title Shakes-spears Sonnets. The first 126 sonnets address a young man, while Sonnets 127-152 focus on a mysterious woman. As with “Sonnet 130,” the sonnets about the enigmatic woman concern ideas of love and beauty and directly undercut typical representations of both. Thus, “Sonnet 130” is satire; it makes fun of how adored... Read Sonnet 130 Summary
Publication year 1609
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Natural World: Environment
Tags Romance, Arts / Culture, Elizabethan Era
William Shakespeare is the best-known author of the English Renaissance—also known as the Early Modern Period and the Elizabethan Age. Though readers’ attention tends to be more riveted toward his plays, Shakespeare published 154 sonnets during his exceptionally prolific career, in addition to the longer-form poems Venus and Adonis (1593), The Rape of Lucrece (1594), and The Phoenix and the Turtle (1601). Fifteen editions of Venus and Adonis—a poem in the form of 199 six-line... Read Sonnet 18 Summary
Publication year 1330
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict
Tags Lyric Poem, Renaissance
Publication year 1609
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Beauty
Tags Classic Fiction, Elizabethan Era, Lyric Poem, Religion / Spirituality, Relationships
“Sonnet 55” (1609) is an English love sonnet by renowned poet William Shakespeare (1564-1616). The sonnet is part of Shakespeare’s Fair Youth sonnet sequence, which makes up the first 126 of his sonnets. This sonnet follows a number of the Fair Youth sonnets in the way it praises the fair youth’s beauty and claims his beauty is eternal. In this sonnet specifically, Shakespeare claims that the subject’s beauty will outlive all monuments of princes and... Read Sonnet 55 Summary
Publication year 1609
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Environment, Values/Ideas: Beauty
Tags Lyric Poem, Classic Fiction
Publication year 2011
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Lyric Poem, Grief / Death, Animals, Philosophy, American Literature
Publication year 2006
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: The Future, Natural World: Environment, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Beauty
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy
Tally Youngblood has been transformed many times over. First, she was an ordinary Ugly, awaiting the cosmetic surgery that will make her into a more socially acceptable Pretty. Now, Tally has become a Special, or a surgically enhanced super-human, as well as a member of an elite group that call themselves the Cutters. In Scott Westerfeld’s Specials, a young adult novel published in 2006, Tally is tasked with upholding the conventions of her socially stratified... Read Specials Summary