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Thread: Lord Byron

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    Lord Byron

    I recently picked up his collected works from a local bookstore and was wondering where to start or rather where to go. I've read Don Juan, Childe Harold's Pilgrimage and Beppo. I was wondering what are his best works apart from these ones? Also what does everyone else think of Byron? Sorry in advance if this thread has been made before/this was the wrong place to put the thread.

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    Try The Prisoner of Chillon, my favourite. Or The Battle 0f Lepanto.

    There is a good blog on Byron: worth visiting and even following: theworldoflordbyron

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    Lord Byron

    Quote Originally Posted by Laszlo Jamf View Post
    I recently picked up his collected works from a local bookstore and was wondering where to start or rather where to go. I've read Don Juan, Childe Harold's Pilgrimage and Beppo. I was wondering what are his best works apart from these ones? Also what does everyone else think of Byron? Sorry in advance if this thread has been made before/this was the wrong place to put the thread.
    I meant also to say that Childe Harold's Pilgrimage has a quote concerning the founder of Sweden's Bernadotte Dynasty in the 3rd canto:
    LVI
    By Coblentz, on a rise of gentle ground,
***There is a small and simple pyramid,
***Crowning the summit of the verdant mound;
***Beneath its base are heroes’ ashes hid,
***Our enemy’s, - but let not that forbid
***Honour to Marceau! o’er whose early tomb
***Tears, big tears, gushed from the rough soldier’s lid,
***Lamenting and yet envying such a doom,
Falling for France, whose rights he battled to resume.

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    My all-timer favourite is The Prisoner of Chillon. Many years ago I learned parts of it by heart, from a copy I made of the poem. It is about a prisoner called François Bonivard, a Genevois Monk, imprisoned in the dungeon of Chateau Chillon on Lake Geneva. See the summary here.

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    A Collection of Burns works

    I found this website, has most of the works of Byron but not all. I can't find The Prisoner of of Chillon in it anywhere.

    Others might find it helpful, though.

    http://www.robertburns.org/works/

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    The bridge Byron used to ride over was The Brig o Balgownie, at the time the lowest crossing over the River Don before the sea (now the lowest is the modern Bridge of Don).

    Balgownie is mediaeval, built in the late-1200s and early-1300s, and with narrow with passing place for pack animals. I had friends who lived near there, and knew it well in the late 1960s.

    Old Aberdeen is the old town, largely preserved and including King's College.

    “As 'Auld Lang Syne' brings Scotland, one and all,
    Scotch plaids,Scotch snoods, the blue hills, and clear streams,
    The Dee, the Don, Balgounie's brig's black wall,
    All my boy feelings, all my gentler dreams
    Of what I then dreamt, clothed in their own pall,
    Like Banquo's offspring; - floating past me seems
    My childhood in this childishness of mine:
    I care not - 'tis a glimpse of 'Auld Lang Syne.'”
    Don Juan Lord Byron 1788-1824

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    Registered User Jackson Richardson's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dreamwoven View Post
    I found this website, has most of the works of Byron but not all. I can't find The Prisoner of of Chillon in it anywhere.

    Others might find it helpful, though.

    http://www.robertburns.org/works/
    You can't find The Prisoner of Chillon because that was written by Lord Byron and the website gives the works of Robert Burns, who was a totally different person. I don't want to sound rude, but you are muddling them up.
    Previously JonathanB

    The more I read, the more I shall covet to read. Robert Burton The Anatomy of Melancholy Partion3, Section 1, Member 1, Subsection 1

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    Registered User Jackson Richardson's Avatar
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    Previously JonathanB

    The more I read, the more I shall covet to read. Robert Burton The Anatomy of Melancholy Partion3, Section 1, Member 1, Subsection 1

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    Yes, I must have muddled them up, Jackson. Thanks for pointing out my error. My main point is that Lord Byron did write the Prisoner of Chillon.

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    Don't worry about it, DW. Everyone makes mistakes, and yours was made in kindly trying to help another person. I have long admired your kindness and helpfulness on this site. Perhaps this is a good time to mention it.

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    Registered User Jackson Richardson's Avatar
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    There are a couple of links on the Byron 'Society webpage for selected poems, including The Prisoner of Chillon here.

    http://www.thebyronsociety.com/byron-links

    As they say, enjoy. (I hope I didn't upset DW by my comment. I was glad to see Pompey's reassurance.)

    I find something odd about Byron in that with other poets I can recognise their voice, their distinct style, even writing in the same metre. Apart from Don Juan I can't get that with Byron.

    That may account for him being very popular with non-English speakers reading him in translation - it is the subject matter rather than the poetry which fascinates.
    Last edited by Jackson Richardson; 08-11-2016 at 11:14 AM.
    Previously JonathanB

    The more I read, the more I shall covet to read. Robert Burton The Anatomy of Melancholy Partion3, Section 1, Member 1, Subsection 1

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    Quote Originally Posted by Pompey Bum View Post
    Don't worry about it, DW. Everyone makes mistakes, and yours was made in kindly trying to help another person. I have long admired your kindness and helpfulness on this site. Perhaps this is a good time to mention it.
    Thank you for your kind words, Pompey!

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    Quote Originally Posted by Jackson Richardson View Post
    There are a couple of links on the Byron 'Society webpage for selected poems, including The Prisoner of Chillon here.

    http://www.thebyronsociety.com/byron-links

    As they say, enjoy. (I hope I didn't upset DW by my comment. I was glad to see Pompey's reassurance.)

    I find something odd about Byron in that with other poets I can recognise their voice, their distinct style, even writing in the same metre. Apart from Don Juan I can't get that with Byron.

    That may account for him being very popular with non-English speakers reading him in translation - it is the subject matter rather than the poetry which fascinates.
    That's probably true, Jackson. I'm actually glad to receive corrections like yours, its all about the spirit corrections are given in.

    You may be right about Byron, even though his English is Scots.

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    Registered User Jackson Richardson's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dreamwoven View Post
    You may be right about Byron, even though his English is Scots.
    Burns wrote in Scots in his best known and loved poems. Byron wrote in literary English, although Don Juan plays with (aristocratic) vernacular.

    I'm not a great one for either poet to be honest, but that's just me.
    Previously JonathanB

    The more I read, the more I shall covet to read. Robert Burton The Anatomy of Melancholy Partion3, Section 1, Member 1, Subsection 1

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    I agree with you, Jackson. The Prisoner of Chillon had a special appeal to me, but I don't have any other Byron work that I particularly like.

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