13 George Gordon Byron

George Gordon Byron

George Gordon Byron(1788 –1824)

George Gordon Byron

Life and CareerBorn into an ancient aristocratic family Inherited the title of a baron and a large estate at the age of ten Though he was born lame, he was good at sports, especially at swimming. Educated first at Harrow and then Cambridge Took his seat in the House of Lords,

George Gordon Byron

Life and CareerThe publication in 1812 of the first two cantos of Childe Harold's Pilgrimage, a poem narrating his travels between 1809 and 1811 in Europe, brought Byron fame. He then said: "I awoke one morning and found myself famous."Childe Harold's Pilgrimage is about a gloomy,passionate young wanderer who escaped from the society he disliked and traveled around the continent, questing for freedom.

George Gordon Byron

Life and CareerIn 1815 Byron got married to Anna Isabella Milbanke. A year later, his wife left him and refused to come back. Rumors about his incestuous relationship with his halfhalfsister Augusta and doubts about his sanity led to his being abused and decried. So in anger and disgust, Byron left England in 1816 and never returned.

George Gordon Byron

Life and CareerByron first went to Switzerland, where he made acquaintance with Shelley. He next established residence in Venice, where in the three years from 1816 to 1819 he produced, among other works, the verse drama Manfred (1817), the first two cantos of Don Juan (1818—1819), and the fourth and (1818— final canto of Childe Harold (1818).

Don Juan is Byron's masterpiece, a great comic epic of theearly 19th century. It is a poem based on a traditional Spanish legend of a great lover and seducer of women.

George Gordon Byron

Life and CareerAt the news of the Greek revolt against the Turks, Byron not only gave the insurgent Greeks financial help but plunged himself into the struggle for the national independence of that country. Because of several month's hard work under bad weather, Byron fell ill and died. The whole Greek nation mourned over his death.

George Gordon Byron

However, for a long time there existed two controversial opinions on Byron: he was regarded in England as the perverted man, the satanic poet; while on the Continent, he was hailed as the champion of liberty, poet of the people. Because of the English prejudice, Byron was refused to be buried with his poetic peers when he died. Only in 1969 was this prejudice against Byron finally overcome by the British critical circle. A white marble-floor memorial to Lord Byron was set up in Westminster Abbey. Thus, his name was put among those of famous poets in the "Poets' Corner."

George Gordon Byron

His InfluenceByron's poetry has great influence on the literature of the whole world. Across Europe, patriots and painters and musicians are all inspired by him. Poets and novelists are profoundly influenced by his work. Actually Byron has enriched European poetry with an abundance of ideas, images, artistic forms and innovations.

George Gordon Byron

George Gordon Byron

Byronic Hero

As a leading Romanticist, Byron's chief contribution is his creation of the "Byronic hero,"

A proud, mysterious rebel figure of noble origin.

Carrying on his shoulders the burden of righting all the wrongs in a corrupt society, Rising single-handedly against any kind of singletyrannical rules either in government, in religion, or in moral principles with unconquerable wills and inexhaustible energies.

George Gordon Byron

Byronic HeroSuch a hero appears first in Childe Harold's Pilgrimage, and then further developed in later works such as the Oriented Tales, Man fred, and Don Juan in different guises. The figure is, to some extent, modeled on the life and personality of Byron himself, and makes Byron famous both at home and abroad.

George Gordon Byron

Young Byron

George Gordon Byron

George Gordon Byron

BackgroundIn June,1814,several months before Byron met and married his first wife, he attended a party. Then he was inspired by the sight of his cousin, the beautiful Miss Wilmot who was wearing a black spangled mourning dress. Lord Byron was struck by his cousin’s dark hair and fair face, the mingling of various lights and shades. This became the essence of his poem about her.

George Gordon Byron

She Walks in BeautyShe 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 mellow’d to that tender light Which heaven to gaudy day denies. 她在美中徜徉,像夜晚 皎洁无云而且繁星漫天 明与暗的最美妙的色泽 在她的仪容和秋波里呈现： 耀目的白天只嫌光太强， 它比那光亮柔和而幽暗。

One shade the more, one ray the less, 增加或减少一份明与暗 Had half impair’d the nameless grace 就会损害这难言的美。 Which waves in every raven tress, 美波动在她乌黑的发上， Or softly lightens o’er her face; 或者散布淡淡的光辉 Where thoughts serenely sweet express 在那脸庞，恬静的思绪 How pure, how dear their dwelling-place. 指明它的来处纯洁而珍贵。 And on that cheek, and o’er that brow, So soft, so calm, yet eloquent, The smiles that win, the tints that glow, But tell of days in goodness spent, A mind at peace with all below, A heart whose love is innocent! 呵，那额际，那鲜艳的面颊， 如此温和，平静，而又脉脉含情， 那迷人的微笑，那容颜的光彩 都在说明一个善良的生命： 她的头脑安于世间的一切， 她的心充溢着真纯的爱情！

George Gordon Byron

她在美中行走 --拜伦 --拜伦她在美中行走， 她在美中行走，像黑夜 晴朗无云，满天星斗闪耀， 晴朗无云，满天星斗闪耀， 黑暗和光明中美好的一切 都溶入她的容颜和双眸： 都溶入她的容颜和双眸： 那光辉如此柔和清洌， 那光辉如此柔和清洌， 俗丽的白昼得不到造化的关照。 俗丽的白昼得不到造化的关照。