George Gordon, Lord Byron

Biography, 1 Descended from 2 aristocratic families – both colorful and a bit dissolute Father dies when Byron is 3; raised by Scottish mother in Aberdeen; taught a right wing Calvinist Presbyterianism (all fun = sin) Inherits title from great uncle at 10 years old Typical upper class education at Harrow and Cambridge

Biography, 2 Congenitally lame, made worse by botched surgery; overcomes through athletic prowess Published first vol of poetry in 1807 (19 years old); badly received by Edinburgh Review , tours Portugal, Spain, Malta, Greece, Asia Minor; discovers cultures much more sexually liberated than the Protestant Britains; rumored to have had boy lovers 1812 – published first part of Childe Harold; instant bestseller

Biography, 3 Sits in House of Lords as a Whig (liberal) Invents literary “Byronic hero”: outsider; makes his own code; adventurous; a tad misanthropic – public believes all this is true of him Series of sexual liasons with aristocratic women Brief marriage to Annabella Millbanke ends with one daughter and a legal separation Incestuous affair with half sister Augusta Leigh (they did not know one another before the affair) Socially ostracized, leaves England 1816

Biography, 4 Lives in Geneva with Percy and Mary Shelley, and Mary’s step sister Claire Clairmont (17 years old!) Claire and Byron have a daughter Allegra 1817 – completely promiscuous in Venice – Enormously productive poetically – finishes Childe Harold, Manfred, Beppo, and begins Don Juan 1818 – rejoins the Shelleys in Pisa; writes 1823 – fights for Greek independence from Ottoman Empire (just like the Crusades, 800 years later – still “rescuing” Christian Europe from supposed “infidels.” Dies in Greece and becomes a national hero there.

Lady Caroline Lamb Annabella, Lady Byron Augusta Leigh Countessa Teresa Guiccioli Claire Clairemont

When We Two Parted Pages in your text Note: short line form, ababcdcd, (A & C lines longer; B & D lines shorter) Contrast version in text with this one mant/When%20we%20two%20parted.htm What do you think of the extra stanza?

Childe Harold Oh, thou! in Hellas deem’d of heav’nly birth, a Muse, form’d or fabled at the minstrel's will! b Since sham’d full oft by later lyres on earth, a Mine dares not call thee from thy sacred hill: b Yet there I've wander’d by thy vaunted rill; b Yes! sighed o'er Delphi's long-deserted shrine c Where, save that feeble fountain, all is still; b Nor mote my shell awake the weary Nine c To grace so plain a tale--this lowly lay of mine. c