As part of a class assignment to have my students practice brevity, clarity, and plausibility in narration, I wrote up a description of Lady Rhetoric, which would be classed (I think) as a "legendary" narration of a person (though her really just focusing upon a description of appearance). It is probably too fanciful, but was also a lot of fun to write.
Her hair dyed by Helios’
dew-drop rays, Lady Rhetoric’s locks descend from her crown, down slender
shoulders, dancing upon the small of her back. Just so, her golden bands frame
the mantle of her ivory brow, below which, resting upon lofty cheeks, opaline
pools transfix all gazers who linger there. An aquiline peak leads one down
toward her chamber hall, sounds from which resound in intoxicating rhythms,
enfolded by rose-petal pillows, soft as goose down; honey sweet swells upon her
powdery snowdrifts, pricked with crimson.
Beyond slender
chin a tender flask houses her nightingale throat and rests upon a torso fitted
for orations: bosom small, but full of virtues the naked eye cannot spy, though
blind eye may weep at what hearing ears cannot but bide; bidden or forbidden
one can but obey her hidden power, revealed. Her lithesome limbs enfold and
unfurl to whirl her words along the wind, sending forth sweet music and
musings; festooned by her fingertips.
Her cresting
figure is firm set upon two pedestals of adamant, standing there and spread to
withstand and, yea weather, any storm. Her lower form lends power to that
promontory no warrior has yet conquered, nor wise man wizened, nor heretic
unhouseled. Her house is built of such as these and set upon two feet of stone
no craftman has clean cut, nor mason modeled in his image; though any child may
climb upon and be moved along by her Hermein wings.
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