George Gordon Byron

During his lifetime, Byron enjoyed immense fame in Europe; his poetry was regarded as a model of literary Romanticism. His influence reached far and wide to poets and novelists on the Continent and over the Atlantic. Yet, while the distinctions of earlier Romanticists were greatly praised, Byron's impact was considered as the least favourable. This historical injustice might be attributed to the fact, that Byron's poetry appealed primarily to those nonconformists who sympathized with rebellious nature, and took their pleasure in reading powerful, often witty stanzas of dashing, almost uncontrollable genius. The decisive factor in establishing his popularity is the strong connection between Byron's life and his Byronic hero.

George Gordon Byron (Jan. 22, 1788, London —April 19, 1824, Missolonghi, Greece) came from an aristocratic family. His father was Captain John Byron. His mother was a Scotswoman, Catherine Gordon. After her husband died, she moved to Aberdeen and raised her three-year old son in near poverty.

When George reached his tenth year, the death of his great-uncle made him the sixth Lord Byron. His mother took him back to England, where the boy was bewitched by the ghostly halls and spacious ruins of Newstead Abbey, which had been presented to the Byrons by King Henry VIII. Due to the appropriate fashion, he was sent to Harrow School, and later to Trinity College, Cambridge. Being an extremely handsome and capable youth, he suffered from an inborn clubfoot, worsened by incompetent doctors. However, this same lameness challenged him to excel in physical fitness — he was a cricket player, a skilled boxer, fencer horseman and a great swimmer.

In 1806, Byron privately printed a volume entitled Fugitive Pieces, and followed it with Hours of Idleness (1807). The Edinburgh Review reacted with harsh criticism, so that he decided to write an original poetic reply, English Bards and Scotch Reviewers. It was his first notable poem of smashing satire in the heroic couplets mocking all the major contemporaries, along with Scott, Wordsworth and Coleridge.

On graduating in 1809, Byron along with his friend went on a grand tour to Portugal, Spain, Malta, Albania and Greece. Next year they set sail for Constantinople, saw the site of Troy, and, in imitation of Leander who each night swam across the Dardanelles to his love, Hero, Byron repeated this feat. The two-year adventure later turned out a treasure source for most of his significant poems, including Childe Harold's Pilgrimage and Don Juan. After his coming back and publishing the opening two cantos of Child Harold in 1812, appeared his popular remark: "I awoke one morning and found myself famous." Already a celebrity, he further conquered his admirers with his verse tales from the Near East, The Giaour (1813), The Bride of Abydos (1813), The Corsair (1814), Lara (1814), and The Siege of Corinth (1814). There his poetic hero undergoes various romantic adventures which were immediately ascribed to Byron himself. He occupied his seat in the House of Lords, briefly supported the Whigs, ardently stood against technological unemployment, and promoted other liberal causes.

Enjoying not only a literary success but that of women, he got involved in love affairs with prominent ladies. To escape this mode of life, he married Annabella Milbanke. After their daughter Augusta Ada (later a remarkable mathematician) was born and he fell in love with his half sister Augusta Leigh, the couple separated. This proved fatal for Byron, for he was no longer received in society and in the end had to leave England on April 25, 1816, never to come back.

Byron went on to travel which was later put into cantos three and four of his long poetic narrative Child Harold. For some months he lived in Geneva and associated with Shelley. In the autumn of 1817, he settled in Venice, where he finished his tragedy Manfred, satirical poem Beppo, and canto four of Childe Harold. He also started composing Don Juan.

In 1819, Byron, thanks to his new friend Teresa Guiccioli, was involved in the Carbonari, the Italian militia plot against Austrian control over northern Italy. When her family moved to Pisa, he followed them too, and joined Shelley again.

When Greece rose against the Turks, Byron organized an assisting expedition though he knew too well that the chance of winning was small. He lived a Spartan life in a rural town, trained and financed troops, and helped to unite different political factions. As a result, he completely exhausted himself and died of feverish attacks at age 36. His body was brought back to England and buried in the family vault near Newstead, since Westminster Abbey did not accept him to be buried in the Poets' Corner. Only 145 years after his death was his memorial put on the floor of the Abbey.

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