1. George Gordon, Lord Byron
His works are known threw out all of Europe. He was famous during his lifetime
for his personality as a poet. His influence on European poetry, music, novel, opera, and
painting has been immense, although the poet was widely criticzed on moral grounds by
his contemporaries. With rumors of great debt and he was later suspected of having an
incestuous relationship with his half-sister Augusta Leigh.
George Gordon, Lord Byron who was born on January 22, 1788. He was born in
London, England. He was the son of Catherine Gordon of Gight, an impoverished Scots
heiress, and Captain John Byron who carried the nickname “Mad Jack” who was
considered to be a fortune hunting widower. He was born with a club foot. His father took
his mother inheritance for all it was worth. His father was not there for his birth. In the
summer of 1791 he moved with his mother to Aberdeen. His mother raised him in a very
unstable atmosphere. His mother who had a fierce temper, excessive tenderness, and a lot
of self pride. While Bryon was young he developed a life long love of the Bible and its
writings.
In 1798 the death of his great Uncle He became Baron Byron of Rochdale, heir to
Newstead Abbey. He was proud of his coat of arms. The motto on his coat of arms was
“Crede Byron” which means “Trust Byron. His life inspired most of his writing, the first
in which was inspired by his cousin Margaret Parker “ebullition of passion” was his first
run into poetry”. When his cousin passed two years later it leads him to write “On the
Death of a Young Lady”. Through out his life poetic expression would serve him as a
catharsis of strong emotion.
He attending Harrow (1801-1805), He excelled in oratory, wrote verse, and played
sports, even cricket. He had an encounter with a quack doctor who was giv him painful
ing
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2. treatments for his club foot. He later went to London doctors who prescribe himwith a
special boot, which later he was fitted with a brace. At this time he started to have those
attachments to young boys. Boys that he would have enjoyment with through out his life.
There is very little doubt that he did not have bisexual tendencies.
With his new found love for his distant cousin in the summer of 1803 came poems
such as “Hills of Annesley” which was writ en in 1805. “The Adieu” which was written
t
later in 1807.
Trinity College, Cambridge is where Bryon attended from 1805 till 1808. During
this time he earned his M.A degree. During this time also he called it his “most romantic
time of his life”. He had a pure but violent love for John Edleston, a choirboy at Trinity
two years younger then him. During this time he started to spend money and lived
extravagantly. Which caused him to amass debt; he prepared his verses for publication.
He distributed his first book of poetry in 1806. Fugitive Pieces, which was printed at his
expense. The poems in this book were mostly influenced by his early liking and friendships
at Harrow, Cambridge, and anywhere else that would have left an impact on him and his
writing.
He was told by the Reverend John Thomas Becher, who was a local minister, to
revise some of his poems, which he objected to the erotic of certain verses. Bryon
ism
listened to the Reverend and revised some of his works. “Hours of Idleness” which was
also published with Byron’s own money. Byron as a published poet now returned to back
to Cambridge, with returning he joined the Cambridge Whig Club. In an issue of the
“Edinburgh Review” they published a review on Byron’s work “Hours of Idleness” The
review was less then encouraging it seemed to have a beneficial effect on Byron’s writing.
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3. He began to write and was avenging himself though satire, which included a count blast
against “Scotch Reviewers”
Bryon and two friends took a tour of the Middle East where he met the Pacha of
Yanina, a ruler renowned for his cruelty. Byron admired him for having the power and
courage to stand outside normal society. It was around this time that Byron began work on
Childe Harold's Pilgrimage, which he would work on off and on for the next eight years.
He returned to England after his tour of the Middle East was done shortly after his mother
died of a stroke, his friend died also. During this sad time of his life he could not write he
had trouble so for the next few years the toll of sadness caused him to stop his writing. The
first two Cantos of Childe Harold were published in February 1812 because of a friend’s
suggestion. Byron became an overnight sensation. In 1813, Augusta came to visit her
brother as a way of escaping her financial and personal problems,and there's little doubt
that she and Byron had an affair at this time. In 1814, though, Byron was right back
proposing to Annabelle, she finally said yes. After they gave birth to his daughter
Annabella asked for a separation. Bryon was not very happy with it but agreed. Shortly
after he met Clare Clairmont. They traveled everywhere together, finally ending up in
Italy, and Byron decided that this was the place for him. While he was there he finished
writing Childe Harold, wrote Manfred, and started on Don Juan, though his health was
getting worse and worse. In 1822, Clare Clairmont. Drowned when his boat capsized.
The next year he was part of the Greek fight for independence from Turkey.
In He died on 19 April 1824, having suffered extreme delirium for many
days. In the last days of his life he received many letters from people of his home land
England telling him how they loved his work and poems. He was never able to read these
letters and so he never knew what an impact he made on the people of his home land.
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4. His life was full of twist and turns. Which reflects his writings; in time of great
sorrow his work was catchy and deep. In time of anger he would channel his anger into
words that would move people. So in all justice his writing was defined by his writing, but
his writing was his life.
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