Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage,Canto IV Lord Byron and the Byronic Hero

Background The first two Cantos of this poem made Byron famous in his early twenties. He wrote Canto IV years later in his thirties. By this point, Byron was no longer considered a child prodigy.

Byronic Hero In the first two Cantos, Byron revealed his character through the speaker of the poem. Many consider the speaker an extension of Byron himself. The poem’s hero, Childe Harold, is the prototype for the moody, handsome, reflective hero of the Romantic period.

The Canto In this Canto, the final one of the poem, the speaker is addressing the Ocean. (literal interpretation) The speaker in the poem addresses his love of nature, especially the ocean. He notes that his poetic abilities are declining and he hopes this readers will remember something that he wrote.

The Canto In the final two stanzas, Byron presents a conclusion to the whole poem. It is in these two stanzas that the hero of the poem, Childe Harold, and the poet become the same.

During Reading As you read the poem, consider the connections between the speaker’s valedictions and Byron’s sense of growing older.

After Reading When you have read the poem, answer questions 1-10 on page 616. Then write a paragraph response to the following prompt: Compare and contrast the speaker of the poem in Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage to Mr. Rochester in Jane Eyre. How are the two similar? How are the different?

Prompt Compare and contrast the speaker of the poem in Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage to Mr. Rochester in Jane Eyre. How are the two similar? How are the different? How does each reflect the hero of the Romantic era?