Byron: the elusive poet
I stumbled on this article on Byron - a romantic poet - who died young but left a legacy of fine poetry, political vision and surely a lifestyle ahead of his age..
A new collection of writings and artefacts relating to the poet opened yesterday at the John Rylands Library in the University of Manchester. It is billed as the first cross-disciplinary attempt to assess Byron’s impact on European literature, music, art and politics. Its director, Dr Alan Rawes, made some extraordinary claims at the opening.The man who has been vilified as an over-sexed Regency dandy was in fact, with the possible exception of Napoleon, “the most important European in the first half of the 19th century”. He was, Rawes said, “bigger than Shakespeare”.
If that sounds like a man with a vested interest talking he makes a good case. “There are statues of Byron all over Europe and he was a formative influence on Pushkin, Nietzsche, Berlioz, Liszt, Bismarck and Mazzini. As Bertrand Russell put it, on the continent Byron’s way of feeling and outlook became factors in great events.”
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There is no doubt that Byron influenced European literature, not only because of his writings but also his life style. However, I think it is unfair both to him and to Shakespeare to compare them. (Still if one persists in the comparison, then Shakespeare wins all the way!).
Comment by Astarte — November 2, 2007 @ 6:16 pm
Byron had a threesome with his wife and step sister.
Comment by Ali Eteraz — November 2, 2007 @ 6:35 pm
Regardless of what he did or what was attributed to him, I love his writings; they touch a cord. His words, especially his love poems have a sensitivity that’s heart rending:
“In secret we met–
In silence I grieve,
That thy heart could forget,
Thy spirit deceive
If I should meet thee
After long years,
How should I greet thee?–”
“She walks in Beauty, like the night
Of cloudless climes and starry skies;
And all that’s best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes:
Thus mellowed to that tender light
Which Heaven to gaudy day denies”.
They may rake up old skeletons from his past, or run him against Shakespeare, for literature lovers Byron’s works will make him live on in their hearts.
Comment by IMeMy — November 3, 2007 @ 12:19 am
…………….
How should I greet thee?
With silence and tears.
When we two are parted.
Comment by shehla.masood — November 4, 2007 @ 3:48 pm
Astarte: I agree with you - Shakespeare holds a unique, leading position in English literature - perhaps the article was making references to the influence that Byron has left but that is not yet fully recognized.
Id: thanks for citing the magical verse - I have always loved Byron - we were introduced to his poetry and life in school and since then his collected works have travelled with me everywhere..
Ali: I think the ‘threesome’ is a conjecture though it is well known that he had a passionate fling with his half-sister…ha ha
Shehla: thanks for the lines
Comment by RR — November 4, 2007 @ 5:38 pm
he would have loved San Francisco in 1967
I have always loved the Romantic poets, and he was one, no matter what anyone says. His life speaks for itself, no matter what the prudish English think.
Ya Haqq!
Comment by Irving — November 5, 2007 @ 2:33 am
this is an interesting thought. i have long been an admirer of lord byron; and if there is anyone from the past that i would like to meet, then he would certainly occupy the top positions in my list. that man was a very prolific and versatile writer!!! he never shied away from any genre of literature. maybe that’s why his writings are uneven. some of his works are failures, such as his dramas in which he tried to preserve the 3 classical unities. but at the same time, when he wrote the romantic dramas such as manfred or cain, he hit the jackpot. these two dramatic work figure as a small handful best dramas that the romantic era could offer to the world. but we cannot compare byron with shakespear as a dramatist. he lacked shakespear’s subtlety in characterization, plot, and motives but each writer has his own forte.
byron’s talents and temperament was suited for satires. he had seen it all, and done it all and had acquired a cynical view of the world by the time he wrote his great satires such as don juan and the vision of judgement, of which there is no parallel. his wide experience lent an authenticity to his words, and his inquiring nature tempered by natural wit and humor makes him a proto-typical existentialist, who acknowledges the misery of the world yet is able to laugh at its face. in these pieces, his genius lies in being able to entertain us at the same time provoking us to ask deep questions of our existence. in this respect he supersedes pope as a master satirist. although a character may satire another character in shakespear’s plays, we don’t see shakespear satirizing his contemporary elizabethean age. hence, although we may call shakespear a great dramatist, we will never call him a great satirist.
in the matters of lyrics, we may say that some of the finest lyrical offerings of both the poets were incorporated in their longer works. but still, if we consider shorter poems, where the contest is of raw poetic skill, of being able to manipulate the nuance of language to cook up a projection of something more than the words say, then the opinions may differ. but judging by the consistency of good work, i must say that shakespear is the better craftsman, in the sense that within a certain boundary of quality, a better craftsman produces what suffices. byron does write bad lyrics at times, but when he is at his best, he can out do shakespear. lets make a comparision. compare his “she walks in beauty” with shakespears “would i compare thee to a summer’s day.” both are famous poems and both poems deal with describing the beauty of a woman, but the brilliance of byron in this particular verse far surpasses that of shakespear. i would be happy to hear of any opinion that differs in this matter.
Comment by manoguru — February 14, 2008 @ 7:48 pm
Manoguru,
many thanks for leaving the comment. I think both Bryon and Shakespeare have a different place in world literature. While the individual poems of Byron may be superior in certain instances, it is the larger vision of Shakespeare that will remain universally relevant and appealing making him the greatest of all.
Anyway, thanks again - some of the references in your comment were brilliant!!
Comment by RR — February 15, 2008 @ 5:25 am