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Lord George Gordon Byron


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Lord George Gordon Byron (1788-1824) was as famous in his lifetime for his personality cult as for his poetry. He created the concept of the 'Byronic hero' - a defiant, melancholy young man, brooding on some mysterious, unforgivable event in his past. Byron's influence on European poetry, music, novel, opera, and painting has been immense, although the poet was widely condemned on moral grounds by his contemporaries.

George Gordon, Lord Byron, was the son of Captain John Byron, and Catherine Gordon. He was born with a club-foot and became extreme sensitivity about his lameness. Byron spent his early childhood years in poor surroundings in Aberdeen, where he was educated until he was ten. After he inherited the title and property of his great-uncle in 1798, he went on to Dulwich, Harrow, and Cambridge, where he piled up debts and aroused alarm with bisexual love affairs. Staying at Newstead in 1802, he probably first met his half-sister, Augusta Leigh with whom he was later suspected of having an incestuous relationship.

In 1807 Byron's first collection of poetry, Hours Of Idleness appeared. It received bad reviews. The poet answered his critics with the satire English Bards And Scotch Reviewersin 1808. Next year he took his seat in the House of Lords, and set out on his grand tour, visiting Spain, Malta, Albania, Greece, and the Aegean. Real poetic success came in 1812 when Byron published the first two cantos of Childe Harold's Pilgrimage (1812-1818). He became an adored character of London society; he spoke in the House of Lords effectively on liberal themes, and had a hectic love-affair with Lady Caroline Lamb. Byron's The Corsair (1814), sold 10,000 copies on the first day of publication. He married Anne Isabella Milbanke in 1815, and their daughter Ada was born in the same year. The marriage was unhappy, and they obtained legal separation next year.

When the rumors started to rise of his incest and debts were accumulating, Byron left England in 1816, never to return. He settled in Geneva with Percy Bysshe Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, and Claire Clairmont, who became his mistress. There he wrote the two cantos of Childe Harold and "The Prisoner Of Chillon". At the end of the summer Byron continued his travels, spending two years in Italy. During his years in Italy, Byron wrote Lament Of Tasso, inspired by his visit in Tasso's cell in Rome, Mazeppa and started Don Juan, his satiric masterpiece. While in Ravenna and Pisa, Byron became deeply interested in drama, and wrote among others The Two Foscari, Sardanapalaus, Cain, and the unfinished Heaven And Earth.

After a long creative period, Byron had come to feel that action was more important than poetry. He armed a brig, the Hercules, and sailed to Greece to aid the Greeks, who had risen against their Ottoman overlords. However, before he saw any serious military action, Byron contracted a fever from which he died in Missolonghi on 19 April 1824. Memorial services were held all over the land. Byron's body was returned to England but refused by the deans of both Westminster and St Paul's. Finally Byron's coffin was placed in the family vault at Hucknall Torkard, near Newstead Abbey in Nottinghamshire.

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Recent Forum Posts on Lord George Gordon Byron

criticisms of Jane Austen - where?

Lord Byron made some criticisms of Austen's description of society. But where? Is it in the collected letters and journals, or is it in other peoples' memoirs? Thanks in anticipation.

Posted By Karl Rommel at Fri 18 Jul 2008, 3:27 PM in Byron, Lord George Gordon || 0 Replies

Subime in nature 4 Byron

Hi everyone!! I need to know everything about Byron relating on the sublime in nature in his works..can anyone help me? I have to do an essay about it so it’s very important 4 me. Thnks!:)

Posted By Annaleeza at Thu 13 Mar 2008, 12:42 PM in Byron, Lord George Gordon || 0 Replies

EEK. Need help!

I really need help. I'm writing a four page essay on George Gordon, Lord Byron for my Senior English project. I honestly don't know anything about Lord Byron and I need to know facts. PLEASE HELP!

Posted By Purpleheadgirl at Mon 18 Feb 2008, 10:38 AM in Byron, Lord George Gordon || 2 Replies

Lord Byron

I have recently come across of book in my grandfather's belonging, "The Poetical Works of Lord Byron with Memoir and Explanatory Notes". It was published in 1884. Does anyone know where I can find the value of this book?

Posted By kderey at Fri 4 Jan 2008, 10:20 AM in Byron, Lord George Gordon || 3 Replies

Can anyone help me????????????/

Today I was out Yard Saleling and I always look for old books and I found one By Lord Byron. Its all in German. Let me discribe it: It's hard coverd, blue, nice scroll work on the cover front and back and spine. On the spine there is a number 127. On the cover is a seal and the letters MDCXL under the seal. It say's "Cotta'sch'e Bibliothek der Meltlitteratur" Byron In the inside page their is a date of September 1885 Stuttgart, Germany. Can anybody tell me anything about this book? It is in perfect condition.

Posted By sports mom at Sun 27 May 2007, 3:08 AM in Byron, Lord George Gordon || 1 Reply

So We'll Go No More A-Roving... HELP!

I’m currently studying Lord Byron’s ‘So we’ll go no more a-roving’ at school, and as always, I like to read critical essays concerning the subject. Yet, I can find none on this particular poem! Can anyone help me? It would be greatly appreciated.

Posted By Miss Madison at Thu 17 May 2007, 4:28 AM in Byron, Lord George Gordon || 0 Replies

Byron's work about his greek journeys.

:crash: Hello Everybody ! I am making a research about Byron - I need to find out in which of Byron's works he tells his journeys through greece. I cannot find any info on the net. I would really appreciate if someone could give me a lead or a title to look at. I need to quote texts and analize them. The major interest is in the Greek Revolution on 1821. I thank you in advance and wishing u a nice week ! Ronit

Posted By ronitgabai at Mon 19 Feb 2007, 3:44 PM in Byron, Lord George Gordon || 1 Reply

Childe Harold

Have you read Byron's Childe Harold's Pilgrimage? Which major poem do you like more?

Posted By Aurelius Juan at Thu 23 Feb 2006, 9:54 PM in Byron, Lord George Gordon || 0 Replies

Heyy!! Can som1 one help me?

Heyy Any1 Can some one tell wat "when we two parted" by lord byron is really about? becz some say that she left him without tellin him and others say that she went because she had cheated on another man pleeeese som1 any1 send me an analysis of ur opinion on this poem pleeeese :confused:

Posted By Dilu at Thu 23 Feb 2006, 9:39 AM in Byron, Lord George Gordon || 2 Replies

Lord Byron

My mother was recently given a book of poems by Lord Byron from a friend who's wife had passed away and the friend no longer wanted the book. It appears very very old. The cover appears to be a somewhat brown leather jacket (soft, not stiff) and has what appears to be 2 raised feeling flowers on the cover. We could not locate a printing date anywhere but the book is very intriguing. Where would I go to find out if the book has any collective value?

Posted By cindy4457 at Wed 15 Feb 2006, 2:50 PM in Byron, Lord George Gordon || 0 Replies

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