Lecture the theme: the romantic age in english literature (1780-1830). Representatives of romanticism

George Gordon, Lord Byron
(1788 -1824)



Byron was a real fighter; he struggled for the liberty of the nations with both pen and sword. Freedom was the cause that he served all his life. Byron hated wars, sympathized with the oppressed people. Nevertheless, definite limitations of the poet’s world outlook caused deep contradictions in his works. Many of his verses are touched with disappointment and skepticism. The philosophy of “world sorrow” becomes the leading theme of his works. Romantic individualism and a pessimistic attitude to life combine in Byron’s art with his firm belief in reason: realistic tendencies prevail in his works of the later period. In spite of his pessimism, Byron’s verse embodies the aspirations of the English workers, Irish peasants, Spanish partisans, Italian Carbonari, Albanian and Greek patriots.
George Gordon Byron was born in London, on January 22, 1788, in an impoverished aristocratic family. His mother, Catherine Gordon, was a Scottish Lady of honourable birth and respectable fortune. After having run through his own and most of his wife’s fortune, his father an army officer, died when the boy was only 3 years old. His mother was a woman of quick feelings and strong passions. Now she kissed him, now she scolded him. These contradictive emotions affected his life, character and poetry. Byron was lame from birth and sensitive about it all his life. But, thanks to his strong will and regular training, he became an excellent rider, a champion swimmer, a boxer and took part in athletic exercises.
Byron spent the first ten years of his life in Scotland. His admiration of natural scenery of the country was reflected in many of his poems. He attended grammar school in Aberdeen. In 1798, when George was at the age of ten, his grand-uncle died and the boy inherited the title of Lord and the family estate of the Byrons, Newstead Abbey, in Nottinghamshire. Now he was sent to Harrow School. At the age of seventeen he entered the Cambridge University and in 1808 graduated from it. George was sixteen when he fell in love with his distant relative Mary Chaworth, and his youthful imagination seemed to have found the ideal of womanly perfection. But she did not return his affection. Byron had never forgotten his love to Mary and it coloured much of his writing. In the first canto of “Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage” the poet says that Harold “sighed to many, though he loved but one” and it is a hint to the poet’s own life.
While a student, Byron published his first collection of poems “Hours of Idleness” (1807). It was mercilessly attacked by a well known critic in the magazine “Edinburgh Review”. In a reply to it Byron wrote his satirical poem “English Bards and Scotch Reviewers”. In that poem Byron criticized the contemporary literary life. In 1809, next year after graduating from the University, the poet took his hereditary seat in the House of Lords. The same year he left England on a long journey and visited Portugal, Spain, Albania, Greece and Turkey, and during his travels wrote the first two cantos of “Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage”.
After an absence of two years the poet returned to England. On February 27, 1812, Byron made his first speech in the House of Lords. He spoke in defense of the English workers and blamed the government for the unbearable conditions of the life of the working people. Later the poet again raised his voice in defense of the oppressed workers, encouraging them to fight for freedom in his “Song for the Luddites”. (1816)
In 1812 the first two cantos of ”Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage” were published. Walter Scott declared that for more than a century no work had produced a greater effect. The author himself remarked: “I awoke one morning and found myself famous”. Between 1813 and 1816 Byron composed his “Oriental Tales”: “The Giaour”, “The Corsair”, “Lara”, Pari-sina” and others. These tales embody the poet’s romantic individualism. The hero of each poem is a rebel against society. He is a man of strong will and passion. Proud and independent, he rises against tyranny and injustice to gain his personal freedom and happiness. But his revolt is too individualistic, and therefore it is doomed to failure.
A collection of lyrical verses, which appeared in 1815, “Hebrew Melodies”, confirmed Byron’s popularity. One of the most beautiful poems of the cycle is “My Soul is Dark”