By: Katie Wilson

BIOGRAPHY  Name: George Gordon Noel Byron  Other Names: Byron, 6th Baron  Birth Date: January 22, 1788  Death Date: April 19, 1824  Place of Birth: England  Place of Death: Missolonghi, Greece

BIOGRAPHY George Byron was the son of Captain ‘Mad Jack’ Byron and Catherine Gordon. He was named after his grandfather, George Gordon of Gight, a descendant of King James I. This grandfather committed suicide in At the age of 10, he inherited the English Barony of Byron, and became “Lord Byron”. In 1799, Lord Byron entered the school of William Glennie, an Alberdonian in Dulwich. Byron stayed at Aberdeen Grammar School until it was discovered that he had homosexual inclinations. He was then sent to Harrow, where he stayed until After this, he went to Trinity College, Cambridge. Byron’s first loves include Margaret Parker and Mary Duff (his distant cousins.) He was married to Anna Milbanke His major works include Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage (1812) and Don Juan (1819). After his death, his body was embalmed; and his heart was removed and buried in Missolonghi. Westminister Abbey refused his burial to be there, due to his bisexuality. 145 years later (in 1969) a memorial for Byron was placed on the floor of Abbey. Their reason for this was that after a century and a half, he was considered spiritually acceptable in his homeland.

WHEN WE TWO PARTED When we two parted In silence and tears, Half broken-hearted To sever for years, Pale grew thy cheek and cold, Colder thy kiss; Truly that hour foretold Sorrow to this. The dew of the morning Sunk chill on my brow— It felt like the warning Of what I feel now. Thy vows are all broken, And light is thy fame: I hear thy name spoken, And share in its shame.

They name thee before me, A knell to mine ear; A shudder comes o'er me– Why wert thou so dear? They know not I knew thee, Who knew thee too well: Lond, long shall I rue thee, Too deeply to tell. I secret we met– I silence I grieve, That thy heart could forget, Thy spirit deceive. If I should meet thee After long years, How should I greet thee? With silence and tears.

WE’LL GO NO MORE A-ROVING 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 a rest. Though the night was made for loving, And the day returns too soon, Yet we'll go no more a-roving By the light of the moon.

THERE BE NONE OF BEAUTY’S DAUGHTERS There be none of Beauty's daughters With a magic like Thee; And like music on the waters Is thy sweet voice to me: When, as if its sound were causing The charméd ocean's pausing, The waves lie still and gleaming, And the lull'd winds seem dreaming: And the midnight moon is weaving Her bright chain o'er the deep, Whose breast is gently heaving As an infant's asleep: So the spirit bows before thee To listen and adore thee; With a full but soft emotion, Like the swell of Summer's ocean

SHE WALKS IN BEAUTY 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!

SUMMARY  George Byron wrote this poem about the physical and spiritual beauty of his cousin, Mrs. Wilmot. Lord Byron met his cousin at a party, in a mourning dress with a spangled back. It was written in 1814 and published in 1815 in “Hebrew Melodies”.

ANALYSIS  Simile: Line 1

SHE WALKS IN BEAUTY 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!

ANALYSIS  Simile: Line 1  Alliteration: Lines 2, 8, 14

SHE WALKS IN BEAUTY 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!

ANALYSIS  Simile: Line 1  Alliteration: Lines 2, 8, 14  Personification: Lines 15-16

SHE WALKS IN BEAUTY 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!

ANALYSIS  Simile: Line 1  Alliteration: Lines 2, 8, 14  Personification: Lines  Poem of contast (Light vs. Dark) Proof:night, cloudless, starry skies, dark, bright, tender light, shade, ray, lightens and glow  Theme: Beauty (Inner and outer)  Rhyme scheme: ABABAB, CDCDCD, EFEFEF  Meter: Iambic tetrameter (unaccented syllable, accented syllable)

QUESTIONS 1. Do you think it would be acceptable for Lord Byron to marry his cousin in his period of time, compared to today? 2. Can a person’s inner beauty make them physically attractive? 3. Had this poem been about a male, would it have been successful?

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