Lord Byron
British Romantic poet and satirist, known for Don Juan and Childe Harold's Pilgrimage.
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Thomas Phillips · via Wikipedia: Lord Byron · Public domain
George Noel Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron (22 January 1788 – 19 April 1824), was a British poet. He was one of the major figures of the Romantic movement, and is regarded as being among the greatest British poets. Among his best-known works are the lengthy narratives Don Juan and Childe Harold's Pilgrimage; many of his shorter lyrics in Hebrew Melodies also became popular.
Lore & Background
Byron was educated at Trinity College at the University of Cambridge. Following graduation, he travelled extensively in Europe, living for seven years in Italy, in Venice, Ravenna, Pisa, and Genoa, as he was forced to flee England after receiving threats of lynching.
During his stay in Italy, he would frequently visit his friend and fellow poet Percy Bysshe Shelley. Later in life, Byron joined the Greek War of Independence to fight the Ottoman Empire, for which Greeks revere him as a folk hero. He died leading a campaign in 1824, at the age of 36, from a fever contracted after the first and second sieges of Missolonghi.
Reader's Guide
Byron was born on 22 January 1788, on Holles Street in London. He was the only child of Captain John 'Jack' Byron and his second wife, Catherine Gordon. He inherited the title Baron Byron of Rochdale at age 10.
He attended Aberdeen Grammar School, then Dr. William Glennie's school in Dulwich, then Harrow School, and finally Trinity College, Cambridge. He travelled extensively in Europe and lived in Italy for seven years. He died of a fever in Missolonghi in 1824.
Did You Know?
- Byron's father was known as 'Mad Jack' Byron.
- Byron's great-uncle was posthumously labelled the 'wicked' Lord Byron.
- Byron had a deformed right foot.
- Byron changed his surname to Noel in 1822 to inherit from his mother-in-law.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Lord Byron's most famous works?
His two most celebrated long poems are Don Juan and Childe Harold's Pilgrimage, both sprawling narrative works that shaped the Romantic tradition. He also composed numerous shorter lyrical pieces, some of which were set to music in the collection Hebrew Melodies.
How did Lord Byron die?
Byron died on 19 April 1824 in Missolonghi, Greece, at the age of 36, likely from a fever contracted while supporting the Greek struggle for independence from Ottoman rule. His death cemented his legend as a poet who gave his life to a cause beyond literature.
What was Lord Byron's connection to the Greek War of Independence?
Byron traveled to Greece in 1823 to actively support the Greek rebels fighting Ottoman occupation, using his wealth and fame to raise funds and supplies. His untimely death in Missolonghi in 1824 turned him into a folk hero of the Greek national cause, a status that persists to this day.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Lord Byron (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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