English 11 AP – K. Curran, Instructor
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Byron was a Romantic Poet who was famous
throughout Europe, both for his literary works
and for his antics and escapades.
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Byron worked very closely with PB Shelley for
a couple of years, and was also a fan of “Kubla
Khan”, by Samuel Taylor Coleridge.
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Byron was wealthy and indulged.
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Bryon’s father (known as “Mad Jack”) left his
mother when Byron was still very young.
Byron’s mother suffered from depression
after that. His grandfather killed himself.
Byron also wrote that his governess used to
crawl in bed with him at night and, as he put
it, “play tricks with my person.”
Perhaps it is no surprise that he was a bit
messed up.
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Byron “fell in love” with two different cousins
when he was quite young.
He acknowledged having “adult sexual
feelings” for a girl when he was eight.
In his late teens, he fell in love with a 15 year
old choirboy (and wore the boy’s ring for the
rest of his life)
In 1810 he offered £500 for the hand in
marriage of a 12 year old Greek girl. Denied!
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Byron had an affair with Caroline Lamb, who
dressed as a boy in an attempt to keep him
interested. She failed.
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Byron appears to have had an affair with his
(married) half-sister, Augusta Leigh. When
she had a child at this time, it was unclear
whether the baby was her husband’s or her
brother’s. Yikes!

Byron married Lady Caroline’s cousin Anne, and
they had a daughter named Augusta Ada. Byron
didn’t stick around too long, and his wife
maintained custody of the little girl.
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Lady Caroline and her cousin began a smear
campaign against Byron, and he was run out of
England, never to return. He made his way to
the Continent, and started collecting
countesses! (Somehow the accusations of
sodomy and incest were less troubling there.)
Lake Geneva

Byron met up with PB and
Mary Shelley, as well as Clair
Clairmont at Lake Geneva in
Switzerland

He had had an affair with Clair
in the past, and tried to avoid
her.
Somehow, she still
managed to get pregnant with
his child.
Frankenstein

In Lake Geneva, Mary Shelley
was
inspired
to
write
Frankenstein, which is not a
horror show, but a terrifying
tale of the folly of “playing god”

Byron’s doctor, John Polidori,
wrote The Vampyre, which is
the pre-cursor of all modern
Vampire stories.
(Including
Twilight!)
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Byron then traveled to Venice, where he had
affairs with two different married women at
once. When they fought, he would sleep in
his gondola. (LOL!)
One of the women threw herself in the canal
and drowned after fighting with Byron.

The deaths of Keats, Shelley, and his
five year old daughter Allegra left
Byron heartbroken, and searching his
soul.

A true Romantic, he went off to fight
for the Greeks in their war for
independence from the Ottoman
empire. He died of an infection (not an
STD, surprisingly.) He is considered a
hero in Greece – they built statues in
his honor and kept his heart when he
died!
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 mellow'd to that tender light
Which heaven to gaudy day denies.
One shade the more, one ray the less,
Had half impair'd 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.
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!
So, we'll go no more a roving
So late into the night,
Though the heart be still as loving,
And the moon be still as bright.
For the sword outwears its sheath,
And the soul wears out the breast,
And the heart must pause to breathe,
And love itself have rest.
Though the night was made for loving,
And the days return too soon,
Yet we'll go no more a roving
By the light of the moon.
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“Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage” is a thinlyveiled account of his own school days.
It is quite bizarre in places, not surprisingly.
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Byron’s most famous poem is “Don Juan”
(pronounced “Joo-on”), is about a tragically flawed
but idealistic hero who can’t help but be seduced
by women. This type of character later comes to
be known as the “Byronic Hero”, which is an
archetype.
“Don Juan” is long, satirical, and quite funny.
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http://www.lovepoems.me.uk/byron_so_well_go_no_more_a
roving.htm
http://www.poetry.com/LovePoems/lovepoe
m.asp?id=81
http://www.rc.umd.edu/reference/chronologi
es/byronchronology/index.html
http://www.literaturecollection.com/a/lordbyron/