Byron: Poetical Works

by Lord Byron

A legend in his lifetime, Lord Byron was the dominant influence on the Romantic movement. The text of this edition, which contains nearly all of Byron's published poems together with the poet's own Notes, was first published in The Oxford Poets in 1896, and has been reprinted numerous times. Fredrick Page's text has been revised by John Jump, who has made a number of substantive corrections, and added to Don Juan the fragment of a seventeenth canto that was previously unavailable.

Genres: Poetry, Classics, Romanticism, Fiction, Literature, British Literature, 19th Century

934 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1816

About the author

George Gordon Byron (invariably known as Lord Byron), later Noel, 6th Baron Byron of Rochdale FRS was a British poet and a leading figure in Romanticism. Amongst Byron's best-known works are the brief poems She Walks in Beauty, When We Two Parted, and So, we'll go no more a roving, in addition to the narrative poems Childe Harold's Pilgrimage and Don Juan. He is regarded as one of the greatest British poets and remains widely read and influential, both in the English-speaking world and beyond.

Byron's notabilty rests not only on his writings but also on his life, which featured upper-class living, numerous love affairs, debts, and separation. He was notably described by Lady Caroline Lamb as "mad, bad, and dangerous to know". Byron served as a regional leader of Italy's revolutionary organization, the Carbonari, in its struggle against Austria. He later travelled to fight against the Ottoman Empire in the Greek War of Independence, for which Greeks revere him as a national hero. He died from a fever contracted while in Messolonghi in Greece.

Reviews

[Andreas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of the poems were great,
others were painful to get through.
I dids't not think I'd finish this so late,
were I to say else it'd be untrue.

This is a poem I suppose
or at least my attempt at one.
Writing one sends me into throes,
therefore now I am done.

[Maria K. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Винаги съм смятала, че книгите ни намират в правилното време. Фактът, че днес чета последното стихотворение на Байрон, написано на 22.01., точно преди 200 години, на деня, в който чества последния си рожден ден... мисля, че е поредното доказателство, че никоя книга не е прочетена твърде късно или твърде рано в живота ни. ✨ 4.5

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

George Gordon Byron, more known as Lord Byron, was born 1788 in London and died 1824 in Missolonghi, Greece. He's also known as one of the greatest poets, and yet, I hadn't read anything written by him before. Well, Byron may be admired and still popular 200 years later, but to me he's more like a sleeping drug. The language is old-fashioned, and sometimes quite pompous and bombastic, which make me fall asleep within 10 to 20 minutes. That's actually the main reason I didn't DNF the book, because the poems didn't give me much.

Some lines could have SOMETHING that made me pay a little more attention...

"And when the admiring circle mark
The paleness of thy face,
A half-formed tear, a transient spark
Of melancholy grace,"

... and then it continues into something almost undecipherable:

"Again thou'lt smile, and blushing shun
Some coxcomb's raillery;
Nor own for once thou thought'st on one,
Who ever thinks on thee."

Or, how about this one?

"Remember thee! remember thee!
Till Lethe quench life's burning stream
Remorse and Shame shall cling to thee,
And haunt thee like a feverish dream!
Remember thee! Aye, doubt it not.
Thy husband too shall think of thee:
By neither shalt thou be forgot,
Thou false to him, thou fiend to me!"

Sorry, but Lord Byron isn't gonna be remembered by me, other than as a rather boring sleeping pill.

[P · Rating 4 out of 5]

To select a date at which I have read all of Byron's Poems is impossible. For, as with all works of poetry, they are never to be read in one sitting, but rather like a piece of candy, each poem must be enjoyed in its own time. Thus it is, to tell the truth, I have never read all of Byron's poems - as of yet.

Even though I have not read all, I can honestly state that I hold a love/hate relationship with the admirable lord's work. His work is to be loved, he is to be despised. The simple beauty, the simple themes, the simple poetry that breathes beauty and simple complexity is what is lovable about his work.

It is for a more personal reason, however, that I hate Lord Byron. I can no longer put to the pen the greatest poem in the English language. I would, I must confess, have to find another language in which to write, such as French - as far as I know there are no great French poems. Byron is to be despised - at least by me - because he already wrote the most spectacular poem in the English language, "She Walks in Beauty Like the Night." Ah! Such a poem! will never walk again on earth. This one poem makes all his work beautiful in the same manner as a lady's smile can erase all her blemishes from the mind's eye.

[Prakash Bisht · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well they say "He was mad, bad and dangerous to know". I say the same you will love everything wrtten by him from short and beautiful "She walks in beauty" to epic "Don Juan". Just read it and love it.

[Dana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Byron's poems never fail to delight; I read this collection as part of a Late Romantic Literature course.

[Justine Cucchi-Dietlin · Rating 2 out of 5]

This behemoth of a book literally took me years to finish. To be honest, I kept picking it up and putting it down again. I didn't start reading it in earnest until this year. I'm not kidding when I say this book slowed down my reading pace. Not only was it over 900 pages, but the font was super small and the text was 2 columns per page.

The reason I decided to finish it was honestly because I was curious if there was anything good in Byron's writing. There were maybe like five good poems? The plays were bad, Don Juan was bad, and most of the poems were not well-written.

In conclusion: Lord Byron's writing is overhyped and his life is honestly more interesting than any trash he wrote.

[Jesse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, that was a herculean effort. Read the complete poems of Byron in 10 months. I'm really glad I did, too. The works are so loaded with personal reflection, literary allusion, and contemporary references, that the only way to truly appreciate them is to read them in order, to get a feel for Byron's personal arc.

Also, if I had just read the famous works, I would have read Childe Harolde, and Don Juan, both of which often meandered often, and never have read Oscar of Alba, which was the best story in the whole book.

[Fiona · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have this as a first edition and the smell of it is the best accompaniment to the reading.

[Tiffany · Rating 3 out of 5]

As with all NCAs, I enjoyed the criticisms in the back, and I always enjoy Byron's work. I wish this edition would have been longer or had not contained so many excerpts. I would rather evaluate fewer complete works. I have not checked out the newer edition of this text, and do not know if it will be an improvement or just a reprint. I will check that later.

[nikola · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Niech już me serce bić przestanie,
Kogóż bo jeszcze nim poruszę?
Lecz choć omija mnie kochanie,
Ja kochać muszę.'

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

As with all Norton Anthologies, it is excellent for the selections of commentaries on the work. Byron may be the most readable of the Romantics, but he still presents difficulties. The annotations and the commentaries are helpful for the reading of the work.

[Caio E. · Rating 2 out of 5]

não tão divertido quanto eu pensei que fosse ser..

[stasia · Rating 4 out of 5]

[décembre 2022]
Stanzas to Augusta :
VIII

The winds might rend - the skies might pour,
But there thou wert - and still wouldst be
Devoted in the stormiest hour
To shed thy weeping leaves o'er me.

———


J’ai bien aimé ce recueil même si pour tout saisir il est, je pense, nécessaire de faire des recherches sur la vie de l’auteur.
Ça se lit bien en anglais étonnamment, je pensais avoir plus de difficultés que ça.

[Cooper Renner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this primarily to read "The Giaour", "Prisoner of Chillon" and (maybe) some of what it contains of "Childe Harold's Pilgrimage" (which I've read some of before). I've read already Byron's plays and "Don Juan" (except possibly the unfinished Canto XVII) and quite like them. Now that I've read "Giaour" and "Chillon", I can see them as far lesser works than the plays and "Don Juan", though they must have helped prepare Byron for those longer, more powerful accomplishments.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent, though strictly chronological, presentation of Byron's works, dividing his life up into four major periods. That means Childe Harold's Pilgrimage will be spread out across three sections with other poems and letters interspersed, making this volume excellent for chronological studies but a little awkward for other types of study. Good though of course necessarily limited selection of criticism at the end and very good notes. Recommended for a serious introduction to Byron.

[Lo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love love love Byron. Dont' think I've read every single line in this very large book, but I've read all the biggies and most of the others. I suppose Childe Harold is my favorite. I love Byron's language, the exoticism, and the Byronic hero. He was also very influential, so this is required reading if you're into poetry.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first time willingly picking up Byron and I was pleasantly surprised. I will say, the topics and descriptions in his work aren't for everybody because of the specific mindset you gotta have when going into it. I will say, though, Byron's poetry felt genuine, full of emotion, knowledge and wit.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had forgotten about all the fabulous "lost love" poems Byron wrote. The one where he goes to visit an old paramour who's now married with kids is especially poignant. He does the best poor pitiful I've ever read.

[Colin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot help but love George Gordon.

[Wryly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Boy be talkin' smack! I sometimes fantasized about reading his poetry slam style. One of my classmate compared Don Juan to Ludacris's pimpin' all over the world.

[Stacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best poet in the English language!

[Luna Nethera · Rating 5 out of 5]

He's one of my favorite authors.

[Keith · Rating 3 out of 5]

My thoughts as I read sections of this:

Manfred *** – When published in 1816, Byron’s Manfred was much admired (when, as with everything Byron did, it did not shock). But it’s a rather static piece of art. There is no action. Manfred goes from one place to another to complain how miserable his life is as an all-powerful magician/sorcerer/magi, cursed with immortality. (It must be tough.)

There’s also no character development – at least not in the traditional sense. Manfred’s opinions about suicide vary. Defiance is probably his singular – and most appealing – trait.

And what is the back story? We never know, though most people believe Manfred (a magician?) had a relationship (physical? spiritual?) with his sister(?), Astarte, in which they may have not known they were related(?), though she is described as the feminine version of him (his twin?). Oh, and Astarte died in some unknown way(?) for some unknown cause (?).

I can confidently report that you won’t be better informed about any these things after finishing the play.

The question is: Does Byron even know the answers to these questions? Does this all even make sense on any level? Even to him? Or is he just making things up as he goes. We don’t know. Even today.

So, there is fuzziness to this work. It does contain some good descriptions of the human experience, and Manfred’s Faust-like Promethean defiance is sure to please the rebel-against-god in all of us. (Well, most of us. Some of us?)

[Doug D'jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

For a poet so critical of others many of his poems were a bit tedious. And some were just so very long! Don Juan in particular went on and on, and half of it was digression on any number of topics.

He writes

But now I will begin my poem. 'Tis Perhaps a little strange, if not quite new, That from the first of Cantos up to this I've not begun what we have to go through. These first twelve books are merely flourishes, Preludios, trying just a string or two Upon my lyre, or making the pegs sure; And when so, you shall have the overture.

But there are some masterful works in here as well. The Prisoner of Chillon really moved me. And I delighted in much of Childe Harold's Pilgrimage. If That High World, My Soul is Dark and When Coldness Wraps this Suffering Clay really stood out.

One of the few poets of whom he had anything good to say was Milton. He writes

Milton's the prince of poets—so we say; A little heavy, but no less divine

So I have begun to read Milton for the first time and for that, and your love of my Greek forebears, I thank you, Lord Byron.

[Searchingthemeaningoflife Greece · Rating 5 out of 5]

Λόρδος Βύρωνας | Ὁ ποιητὴς ξεχνᾶ τό παρὸν καὶ θυμᾶται τὸ ἔνδοξο παρελθὸν τῆς Ἑλλάδας

Μὰ ἐνῶ σιμὰ σιμὰ στεκόμουν
στὸν μεγαλόπρεπο ναό
τῆς ᾿Αθηνᾶς, κι᾿ ὅπως χαιρόμουν
ὄμορφη γῆς κι' ὠκεανό…
Μόνος χωρὶς κανένα φίλο
στὴν παραλία τὴ μαγικὴ
ποὺ πλέον τὰ κατορθώματά της
κι᾿ ἡ τέχνη της, σὲ ποιητικὴ
μόνο θὰ βρίσκονται γραφή,
κι᾿ ἐνῶ γυρνοῦσα τὸ κεφάλι
γιὰ νὰ θαυμάσω τὸ τρανὸ
μνημεῖο τῶν Θεῶν, ποὺ οἱ ἀνθρῶποι
τόσο τὸ ἀτίμασαν θαρρῶ,
Τὸ παρελθὸν ξαναγυρνοῦσε
στὸ νοῦ μου. Κι᾿ ὅλο τὸ παρὸν
ἐξαφανίζονταν. Κι᾿ ἐμπρός μου
εἶδα τὴ δόξα τὴ παληὰ
πάλι νὰ φτιάνει στὴν Ἑλλάδα
τὴ λατρευτή της κατοικιά.

[Eric Warren · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not so much a review as a comment. One of the books that seems popular on GoodReads right now is The Wager, by David Grann. It is not a spoiler to say that one of the characters upon which Grann focuses in the book is John Byron, the great Grandfather of Lord Byron. What an interesting connection to make.

As to this book (or books?) I have a copy of a reprint from 1890. I dearly love reading Byron's poetry, and especially love reading it from a book that is over 130 years old.

[Tom Axworthy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lord Byron is the bad boy of English poetry and admist all the hype about the Byronic hero and his tempestuous life it is easy to forget what a remarkable poet he was.This is an excellent collection showing both his humour( poems to Mr Murray) , his radicalism ( criticizing Wordsworth and Coleridge in verse for turning conservative) and his tremendous facility for verse, rhythm and rhyme in poems like She Walks in Beauty. The poems were narrated well by Linus Roache.

[Cariad Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

OG sad boi. Didn’t exactly read this back to back, kind of flipped through and picked out some of the poems I liked. ‘Lines Inscribed Upon a Cup Formed from a Skull’ was my favourite in the collection.

[Gabriella · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Byron's work, not an all-time favorite poet but the poems I loved best were "The prisoner of Chillon"
"Ode to Napoleon Bonaparte"
"Mazeppa's ride"
"The dream"
"To Caroline"
"Epistle to a friend"
"She walks in beauty"