GEORGE GORDON, LORD BYRON (1788-1824)
The man of paradoxes who grew up with Romantic
Movement brought new manner and style for English Literature isn’t
any other person but George Gordon, Lord Byron. He was born in 1788 in London. He
was not only an English poet but also presented
historical tragedy, romantic
narrative, ode and especially epic satire to Romanticism. His style was a bit
satirical as he considered Alexander Pope who was one of the most important
satirist in Age of Reason was a model for him . Byron was sort of persona, doing what he pleased to do , living
his life without caring anything, and
never conceded his own truths which is felt him under pressure. Because
of his perspectives towards to life made him like a hipster and leaded to essence
liberty themes on his works of art and also reflected his deeds as well. During
Greek Struggle, he fought against Ottoman to attain Greek’s Independence. His characteristics directed him action than just
making a point on his works. He addressed such an extraordinary poems and
something else as writing for him is an overcoming the obstacles in his life.
It is understood that his life was quite scandalous and intriguing that he can
hardly ease from his deep feelings and also didn’t take notice of people’s rumors
about him by writing down on paper. Despite of all things, he still became a
controversial poet of his day. Also, during his life time he chased love , fame
and adventure made him to become a
person like movie stars and rock musician between ladies. It made him notorious
during his life time. His unusual way of approaching to life and some
scandalous things with his old wife made him self-exiled from England.’’ Matthew
Arnold states Byron’s moral banishment from England as he wandered across the
Continent ‘’Despite being half mad during the time … between metaphysics , mountains
, lakes , love extinguishable , thoughts, unutterable, and nightmare of my own
delinquencies,’’ Byron poured out some of his greatest work.’’(qtd. in England
in Literature : 459) The poets whom he wrote always about unusual love affairs with
his numerous cousins and intimate friend’s wife, he mentioned in these works
from his real life experience. That’s why his works of art like an
autobiographical creation. The thing which became so interesting is that after
his death the committee who consist of his friends made a tense discussion about
Byron’s unpublished poems and then these works cannot be published because of
the context of them. Despite of his oddity character, he made a different statement
to the world. Byron leaded on indelible impression on English Literature,
authors and poets of Romantic Era, works of art and also social attitude and
reform with his contradictory manner even if he was condemned on moral grounds.
Lord Byron left a huge impact on English
Literature with the character which is created by him called ‘Byronic
Hero’ and also he brings new aspects to Romanticism unlike some authors who
essence only deep emotions on their works of art. Andrew Rutherford underlines
the importance of using the figure of ‘’Byronic Hero’’ by influencing Peter L.
Thorslev’s book ‘Byronic Hero Types and Prototypes ‘’:
For it is one of Mr. Thorslev’s strengths that he
seeks the origins of Byronic Hero in no single literary form or fashion, but in
a whole gallery of hero-types(culled from English and European novels, poems,
and dramas), which he categorizes in his chapter titles as the Child of Nature,
The Hero of Sensibility: Man of Feeling or Gloomy Egoist, and the Gothic
Villain (all characteristically eighteenth-century figures); and the Noble
Outlaw, Faust, Cain and Ahasuerus, Satan and Prometheus (all characteristically
Romantic prototypes).(814)
The literary world use the figure of
‘Byronic Hero’ as it provide more satisfied impact and sharp impression on readers as Byronic
hero, lives in an outrageous life of fantasy who broke all restrictions, rules
and had outstanding characteristics. These are mysterious , rebellious , having
trouble his past , exhibiting great passion , noble virtues , having distaste for society and social institutions , freedom
fighter, seductive and sexually attractive , emotionally conflicted,
sophisticated . Apparently, Byronic Hero
is Byron himself when ıt ıs noticed Byron addressed his own life on his works.
Byronic figure contributed for English Literature with archetype that differentiated
in time. It dragged readership to the world of unconsciousness and widen the
limits of their minds. The main character Satan in Milton’s ‘Paradise Lost’
displayed rebellion just like persona of Byron who against under domination and
obedience as he was like the leader of liberty for his own life . One of the
clear samples on the issue of putting author’s Byronic Hero on their works is
Emily Bronte’s ‘Wuthering Heights. ‘Emily lived in the era of Lord Byron. Thus
by influencing his outrageous character, Bronte made essence Byronic figure’s
characteristics on her novel. The main character who is Heathcliff was a gentleman,
sophisticated and educated which are the apparent distinctive of Byronic Hero. Also
there are other inspirations in gothic novels which Byronic hero became
protagonist. He is protagonist because ‘’he was born for opposition.’’(Don Juan
xıv.22.8) . In addition ,
He brought new aspects to Romanticism together with the poems which included
melancholic tunes and inspiration from the nature . He was a poet who ever lost touch with reality and supported liberalism in his works
of art and especially his private life.So he made difference an vastly popular
Romantic hero, interested by secret
guilt additionally he was a Romantic paradox .Thus he uses the reality of theme
regarding social attitude,situation and political views as well like the authors of Age Of Reason and created
an unusual characters like Byronic Hero which the
other authors or poets can hardly courage by using such a contradictory
characteristics just like themselves as they thought that ıt was a lunatic
thing which isn’t gained an admission against society . But Lord Byron achieved
it then most of poets imitated that.
Byron put a new face on some authors’ and poet’s
manner with lively images, characters and
posture on his works and influence some poets and author’s lifestyle
because he had exotic and contrarious
singularity. His contemporaries considered his poems like a model which brought
different aspects on their works. Mary Shelley was an intimate friend of Byron who
had reputation in the field of English novel, short story , drama, and
essay influenced Byron, her contemporary
as they had been residing in Geneva for years , they had literary
relationship to do with ‘Frankenstein.’ He
played a big role for Mary’s career as a novelist. Ernest J. Lovell Jr.
mentioned Mary Shelley’s own words concerning their cooperation while She was
writing ‘Frankenstein’: ‘’we will each write a ghost story.’’ (35) By influencing
‘Darkness’ which is Byron’s one of the poems Shelley created same atmosphere
from these lines in her novel:
Swift as
light…was the idea that broke in upon me.
I have found it! What terrified me will terrify others; and I need only
describe the spectre which I announced that I had thought of a story. I began that day with the words, It
was on a dreary night of November, making only a transcript of the grim terrors
of my waking dream.(qtd. in The Dream Encyclopedia:
87)
The image of ‘grim terrors of my waking dream’
recollects Byron’s lines in ‘Darkness’ ;
‘’ I had a dream which was not all a dream ‘’ (530) She inspires the profound words in here which is hidden here and lead us to frightened world which fulfill
with images .’Darkness’ became a sample source some parts of Frankenstein but
Mary Shelley uses it by giving more detailed imagery. In addition Byron play significant role for Alexander Pushkin’s ‘Eugene Onegin’.Just
like Byron’s young man in Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage who was world-weary and looked for entertainment in foreign lands
, Eugene approached the characteristics of
his personas by this point of view too. Also Pushkin wrote works of art which are
about liberal themes. The reason why he approached liberty on his works is as
he imitate Byronic characteristics , ıt was possible that he influenced his nationalist attitude as well because during
his lifetime , Byron fought against all restrictions and lack of independence. Also,
George Gordon, Lord Byron had an impact on American poet Edgar Allan Poe had dreams of being a writer
of his childhood hero Lord Byron. In ‘Tamerlane ‘, Poe influenced by Byron’s
drama Manfred and his poem ‘The Giavour’ with regards to his manner and style.
He followed Byron’s method of writing and the way of expressing events or
something else. One of the characters in ‘Tamerlane’ is Ada who was peasant and
reference to Byron’s daughter Ada Lovelace. The poem involved parallelism to
works of Byron. Moreover he wrote ‘ The Assignation ‘ by having model the love
affair of the man who is George Gordon while he was in Italy with his lover
Teressa Gamba Guiccioli .It can be understood
from here his life is so scandalous and
like kind of story which
discussed in stories, and poems.
Additionally, Oscar Wilde was influenced by Lord Byron , but it was about his
lifestyle and notorious persona much more his style of writing or characters
.He sympathized with Byron’s characteristic’s and adopted lifestyle similar to
him. Moreover the national poet of Greece , Dionysus Solomos wrote a poem dedicated to Lord Byron
, the unexpected loss in Greek Struggle
named ‘To the Death of Lord Byron’
to express his deep feelings in
memory of his honor
and bravery .Additionally , Byron
was one of the first poets who gave place about un-dead creature on his works whose themes is extremely gothic
and his image , appearance inspired the appearance of monsters. Thanks to him,
vampires became an aristocratic, noble figure going on people by his
sophisticated characteristics. His
influence on vampire figure as the archetype of poet
is stated in Lezlie Kinyon’s article: “The association of vampirism
and George Gordon, Lord Byron, arguably began with the publication of a tale by
John Polidori, an embittered employee of the poet, entitled The Vampyre.”
Byron’s impression not only done with Romantic era or Literature which was his
influence area but also the name of his
works became a sample for some painters, sculptors and musicians’ composition
like Tchaikovsky, Robert Schumann. These two composers attached to their
composition with Byron’s painful ambiguities, and spiritually confused world on
his work. It is required to examine how Schumann connected his composition and
Byron’s works , the answer migth be that he
read his work so closely and felt
deep admiration his lively rhyme and poetic virtues. ‘Music in Schuman’s treatment retains music’s
infinite unapproachable quality and expressive rhetoric, despite the
superficial ordering of the music along the lines of a dramatic story that has
been mediated by poetic diction.’ He named his one of the famous
composition as ‘Manfred’, Byron’s drama by influencing uniqueness of harmony. Also,
Some painters such as Eugene Delacroix was
influenced Byron’s one of the tales ‘The
Giaour’ then imagine a scene The Combat Between the Giaour and the Pasha which
involved in his works , reflected his painting.On central area of Athens in
Greece , there have been Byron’s statue while the women was crowning him. This
statue is made by Henri-Michel Chapu and Alexandre Falguiere. The reason why this statue is
standing in Greece may be Byron’s liberal attitude and his bravery for Greek
independence to fight against Ottoman and unfortunalety his death during
the struggle. Byron and his poetry became representative of
artistic genuineness and all
of influences on works of art shows us how one poet who had a peculiar personality
, could have enchant even painters and musicians during the 19th century.
Byron appeared on some social reforms also as he has liberal attitude and lover of independence. He became an idolized character of London society , he took place in the ‘ House of Lords’ and influenced people who were his around and members of this parliament with his harsh attitude for maintaining independence. Byron as a strong advocate of social reform, he spoke whatever he want to say without fearing in the House of Lords . In 1811 , He standed up for Luddities who were group of worker in London during 19th century and violently protested against the machinery using during the Industrial Revolution as it made them less-skilled and less-needed, at last leaving them without work . He defended their rights by determined way . He made some speeches against government which intended to accept death – penalty because of their protests. Also Byron tried to beware society on these politicial issues .His attitude about this matter left a deep influence on his poetry such as Song for the Luddities ( 1816) and The Landlord’s Interest (1823).Morever, He wrote English Bards and Scotch Reviewers to satirize the Scotch reviewers in the field of poetry , possibly as his poems cannot be published because of their context By this way , he emerged people to pay attention Edinburgh Reviewer’s action and strictness about expressing feeling sincerely in poems. Thus, the became the voice of most poets.
Byron appeared on some social reforms also as he has liberal attitude and lover of independence. He became an idolized character of London society , he took place in the ‘ House of Lords’ and influenced people who were his around and members of this parliament with his harsh attitude for maintaining independence. Byron as a strong advocate of social reform, he spoke whatever he want to say without fearing in the House of Lords . In 1811 , He standed up for Luddities who were group of worker in London during 19th century and violently protested against the machinery using during the Industrial Revolution as it made them less-skilled and less-needed, at last leaving them without work . He defended their rights by determined way . He made some speeches against government which intended to accept death – penalty because of their protests. Also Byron tried to beware society on these politicial issues .His attitude about this matter left a deep influence on his poetry such as Song for the Luddities ( 1816) and The Landlord’s Interest (1823).Morever, He wrote English Bards and Scotch Reviewers to satirize the Scotch reviewers in the field of poetry , possibly as his poems cannot be published because of their context By this way , he emerged people to pay attention Edinburgh Reviewer’s action and strictness about expressing feeling sincerely in poems. Thus, the became the voice of most poets.
Consequently
, Lord Byron is one of the most effective poet in English Literature regarding
of not only his poetic style but also his thoughts , deeds, reforms and, struggle for human condition. ‘’Outside of this one significant connection it is somewhat
difficult to place Byron in relation to the other poets of his time; though he
has been labeled as a Romantic due to his radical views of politics and
morality, his verse does not share the nature-obsession and fascination with
the supernatural that more generally characterizes poets of the Romantic
school.’’ ( qtd. in New World
Encyclopedia) He was described by his lover Lady
Caroline Lamp ‘ mad, bad and dangerous to know ‘ but though all scandalous
characteristics he still is the most influential poets even at the present time for bringing
outrageous manner in writing and odd
character ‘ Byronic Hero ‘ . Above all he has a kind of fame like the stars who
blaze even it they were in hereafter.
------------------------------------------
Biography of Lord Byron by History Channel
Sources
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Music.’’ Americansymphony.org, 9 Feb. 2003.Web. 25 March 2013.< http://www.americansymphony.org/concerts/the-romantic-soul-lord-byron-in-music>.
Kinyon,Lezlie. ‘’Mad, Bad, and Dangerous to Know: Le Vampyre, the Gothic Novel, and George Gordon, Lord Byron. Strange Horizons. Strange Horizons , 1 Dec. 2003. Web. 27 March 2013.< http://www.strangehorizons.com/2003/20031201/byron.shtml>.
Lewis R. J.,and Evelyn Dorothy Oliver. ‘’Frankenstein.’’ The Dream Encyclopedia. Ed. Kevin S.
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Lord Byron.. 3rd ed. California,1837. 530. Google Book Search. Web 15 March 2013. < books.google.com.tr/books?id=JZ8gAAAAMAAJ>
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Prototypes.”The Journal of English and Germanic Philology 63.4
(1964) : 814-816. JSTOR Web. 4 Apr.
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