Lord Byron Poetry
George Gordon, Lord Byron (1788-1824) was a Romantic writer who lead a dramatic life filled with passion, poetry, praise, and pitfalls. He traveled widely, wrote with intense emotion, and became famous after the publication of his poem, “Childe Harold.” His writing inspired the term, “Byronic hero.” To learn more about his life, read Byron’s biography.
George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron by Richard Westall
oil on canvas, 1813 (NPG 4243)
© National Portrait Gallery, London
Creative Commons License
Here are a few examples of Lord Byron’s poetry. Can you recognize the Romantic elements in each of these?
Manfred, a dramatic poem in three parts was set to music by composer Robert Schumann. You will encounter this poem in the World Lit module on Goethe’s Faust (E5.8), but you may also want to hear a bit of it below.
