Romantic Era Poets: Lord Byron

A leader of the romantic era’s poetic revolution, Lord Byron transformed poetry by incorporating realistic perceptions into his works. The romantic era, known for it’s innovative belief in “[praising] imagination over reason, emotions over logic, and intuition over science,” assisted in helping Byron create pragmatic, dramatic tones in his poetry (“The Romantic Era”). One of the most flamboyant of the English Romantic poets, Byron captivated readers through his dynamic views of independence and politics. However, his perceptions of love and women, shown through narrative perspectives, rendered his writings as the “image and name [of] the embodiment of Romanticism” (“Lord Byron (George Gordon),” Poetry Foundation). Love and poetry, constantly

There were several authors in the Romantic Era including; William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and Robert Southey. The authors mentioned above used poetry as an escape, an escape to deal with the Revolutions bloody outcome. It is said the Romantic Era ended around 1850.

Romanticism can be described as the free expression of an artist. Putting feeling and emotion into poetry or art. Its creators wanted to make natural feelings significant. But some people saw it differently; it was seen as downgrading the power and importance of reason. Before romanticism, ideals were largely based upon intellect and reason. According to William Woodsworth, poetry should begin as "the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings," which the poet then "recollects in tranquility". It was an artistic, literary, musical and intellectual movement that originated in Europe toward the end of the 18th century. It was at its peak between 1800 and 1850. In English literature, the key figures of the Romantic movement are considered to be the group of poets including William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, John Keats, Lord Byron, Percy Bysshe Shelley, and the much older William Blake. The Romantic Period took place during major social change in society. Poets and artists of the era used their work as a revolt against forces like the Industrial Revolution and the political and social standards of the Age of Enlightenment. They wanted to spread a message of peace. Romanticists are spiritual and have a strong connection with nature; they do not attach themselves to the human world. The emergence of Romanticism in Nineteenth Century British Literature provides a clear path for the future of literature.

George Gordon, Lord Byron, born in 1788 and died in 1824, was a known author and supporter of the English Romantics. Lord Byron has many pieces of work that have been studied throughout history but none as infamous as his poem titled “Prometheus”. To truly understand “Prometheus” one must first understand the author. Byron’s interpretation of Prometheus is highly reflective of his involvement and support of Romanticism. Romanticism can be defined as an intellectual and cultural reaction to the Enlightenment; without the Enlightenment there would be no Romanticism. English Romantics, such as Lord Byron, were men of action, solitude and imagination. Romantics viewed the individual as isolated from the rest of man. The idea of the “citizen”

During the Romantic Era, Lord Byron was figuring out how to overcome his hardships and guilt. Byron knew people wouldn't understand his unconventional lifestyle or his depression; so he wrote poetry that would spark people's emotions. Writing became his only hiding place from the outside world. His poetry reflects his hardships,guilt and depression that he tried so hard to escape, but never could. Byron’s childhood, many escapades,and travels would come to influence his poetry. It is beyond question that Byron’s poetry reflected his life and emotions.

Writers in The romantic Period wrote their pieces with emotion, compared to the Colonial Period when it was about information, and politics. Writers like Nathaniel Hawthorne, Washington Irving, Ralph Emerson, and Henry Longfellow are some of the writers of this time. They all help shape and, make a path for the Romantic Period. The Romantic Period took place in the 1800’s, and was at its peak around 1850 or so. It originated in the area of Europe and was all about the spread of art, music, and writing.

James Russell Lowell was the most creative poet of his time. Even today people still marvel at how he was able to use such amazing imagery. Lowell was not appreciated when he was still alive. I took his death for people to realize how amazing he really was. James Russell Lowell uses fantastic imagery in “Snow- Bound” to convey his story.

Lord Byron’s works, such as Don Juan and other poems reflect not only the suave and charming characteristics of the Romantic Period, but they also reveal the nature of Byron’s uncommitted and scandalous life. Byron, like most Romantic era authors, was very unpredictable and opinionated in all of his writings. From the hatred of his upbringing, to the love of adventure, and also to the love of meaningless relationships with various women were majorly influenced and illustrated through all of his works and especially in “Don Juan.” Yet he still managed to infiltrate his poems with charm, romance, and heroism. Byron was a perfect fit for the Romantic Period and his poems and he was therefore known as a great contributor towards the era.

The Romantic period is a time where imagination and creativity in storytelling became key to the success of writers. Early authors of the time were radical in their writing and tended to be blunt when it came to social commentary of the industrial age and British rule as a whole. Later this would prove unwise and the idea of setting stories “long ago and far awaay” became popular. Romanticism was all about intense emotion and authenticity over realism. Beauty or romance was shown through writings about the past and nature.

Characters presented in romantic writings are often heroic with introspection.. but reject the cultural norms and are sometimes isolated. Mary Shelley’s character Victor Frankenstein is an example of romanticism writer's’ imagination that hoped to create a new understanding of the world and lead to a more perfect version of human beings. Henry David Thoreau’s poem “Prayer” is

Lord Byron lived the life of a Romantic Hero which he portrays through his characters which served as a prototype for the Romantic Hero, known as the Byronic Hero, that greatly influenced Romantic Movement. Byron lived and wrote during the peak of the Romantic Movement. The movement focused on imagination and contesting traditional literary

The poem “Darkness” by Lord Byron (George Gordon) talks about how the world is going to shut down and the struggles they go through. The author talks about nature, social, and of course supernatural elements. This poem was written during the Romanism period. He starts off with a dream about the world shutting off. It’s reality but it is actually a dream, more like a vision. The author swift's through the ways they are struggling and how they are hoping for light to restore. The author’s depressing tone overshadows the struggles that they’re going through.

A Journal Analyzing the Byronic Hero, Those who Closely Resemble the Hero, Byron’s Writing Styles and Literary Criticism

The major writers in Romanticism are Percy Shelly, Lord Byron, John Keats, William Blake, William Wordsworth, and Samuel Taylor Coleridge. I will be examining two second generation Romantic poets Lord Byron, Percy Shelly, I have chosen to examine the poems; She walks in beauty, and A Lament based on the ideas most valued by Romantic poets; Love and beauty, and youth and inevitable death.

Romanticism came to be in the 18th and 19th centuries which emphasized the imagination and emotions of romanticism. Many people viewed this type of literature as the quality or state of being impractical or unrealistic meaning romantic feelings or ideas. During this time many poets were encouraged to express their true colors and individual uniqueness. The Romantic Era expanded all throughout the world, and reached poets such as Keats, Byron, Shelley, and Wordsworth.