Lord Byron

Lord Byron
Famous as Poet
Born on 22 January 1788
Born in London
Died on 19 April 1824
Nationality United Kingdom
Works & Achievements She Walks in Beauty and When We Two Parted












Lord Byron was a legendary English poet who ushered into the English romanticism with his creations and launched the Romantic era in the English literature. Some of his best known works in this genre are She Walks in Beauty, When We Two Parted and So, We?ll go no more a roving. The great bard, who is revered as one of the greatest European poets, lived a controversial and extravagant life, and drew criticism for his numerous love affairs, debts and abusive marriages.
Born on 22 January 1788 on Hollis Streets in London, Byron was the son of Captain John “Mad Jack” Byron and his second wife Catherine Gordon. Lord Byron was baptized at St. Marylebone Parish Church and acquired the name George Gordon Byron after his maternal grandfather. Byron’s father, however, proved to be an irresponsible father and husband and acquired a debt that had to be paid by Catherine by selling all her property; though it did not prevented him from deserting her.

After a legal separation from her husband, Catherine took young Byron to Scotland and shortly afterwards, Aberdeen, where he was raised in a poor surrounding. Things became better in 1798, when the young Byron inherited the title and estate of his great uncle, who passed away that year. In the next year in 1799, Byron was sent to the school of William Glennie and later to the Aberdeen Grammar School, where he received his early education. Upon completing his primary education there, Byron enrolled at the Trinity College, Cambridge University to pursue higher education.

Poetic Career
Byron wrote his first poem, Fugitive Pieces at a very young age of 14. The volume which was printed by Ridge of Newark contained such amorous poetries as “To Mary” and thus had to be destroyed soon after publishing. His early writings include Hours of Idleness, a collection of his previous poems, which was published in 1807 received bad reviews and criticism and thus pushed him to write his first satire, English Bards and Scotch Reviews in 1809. The book, which offended many criticizers, made him a target of frequent attacks from the literary world of England. However, his first poetic success came with the fist two cantos of Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage which were published in 1812 and received great compliments and the success was repeated with the other two cantos of the poem he wrote later. In 1833, 17 volumes of his complete works were published by his publisher John Murray.

Personal Life & Love Affairs
Byron’s fame lies in not only his writings but also his scandalous love affairs, alleged incest and his bisexuality. He first felt passion about Mary Chaworth, a girl that remained in his heart till his death, when he was just 10. His other love experiences include that with his distant cousins Mary Duff and Margaret Parker. Aside from these, Bryon’s growing intimacy with his half sister Augusta Leigh was often interpreted as incestuous.

Byron was also condemned for his bisexual love affairs among which the most enduring was with John FitzGibbon and John Edleston, for whom he described his love as pure yet, passionate. In his later life, He would have to leave England never to return on account of his bisexuality, which was a crime and scandalous act by the social standard and law at that time.

Creating a series of scandalous and outrageous love affairs, he became involve with a married Lady Caroline Lamb. However, he broke off with her after some time; an emotionally drenched Caroline could not get him out of her mind and. He eventually married Caroline’s cousin Anne Isabella Milbanke on 2 January 1815, as revenge to Caroline’s constant pursuing and begging for love. The marriage proved to be disastrous with abusive and torturous behavior oh his part and they finally separated in 1816. They had a daughter Augusta Ada. Bryon had an illegitimate daughter Allegra, with a woman Claire Clairmont, who would die at the age of five.

Later Life
Byron was honored with a seat in the House of Lords in 1811. By this time, he had grown tired of concealing his sexual curiosity and fearing the restrictions of the British society, he left England in 1816. He visited Venice the same year where he indulged himself into the vigorous study of history and language and wrote English grammar and Armenian in 1817. He further wrote a book Armenian grammar and the English in 1819.

During the year 1821 to 1822, Byron wrote cantos of Don Juan and co founded a newspaper The Liberal that survived for a very short period. During his last years, he became immensely concerned with the Greek’s fight against Ottoman overlords and decided to aid the nation. On 16 July, Bryon left Genoa and sailed to the Ionian Islands, where he spent huge money to refurbishment of the Greek fleet.

Death
Before he could join the military actions in Greece, he contracted a fever and fell ill on 15 February 1824. The remedy of bleeding worsened his condition and as suspected, he became infected with sepsis and succumbed to death on 19 April 1924. The Greek mourned profoundly on the death of their hero and according to the sources, retained some of his body parts as his last token. His body lays at the Church of St. Mary Magdalene in Hucknall, Nottingham.

Timeline:
• 1788- Lord Byron was born on 22 January 1788.
• 1798- Byron inherited the title and estate of his great uncle and moved to England.
• 1799- Byron was sent to the school of William Glennie.
• 1807- HisbookHours of Idleness was published in 1807.
• 1809- He wrote his first satire, English Bards and Scotch Reviews in 1809.
• 1811- Byron was honored with a seat in the House of Lords in 1811.
• 1812- The fist two cantos of Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage were published in 1812.
• 1815- He married Caroline’s cousin Anne Isabella Milbanke on 2 January 1815.
• 1816- They finally separated in 1816.
• 1816- He left England and visited Venice in 1816.
• 1817- Hewrote English grammar and Armenian in 1817.
• 1819- He further wrote a book Armenian grammar and the English in 1819.
• 1833- 17 volumes of his complete works were published by his publisher John Murray.
• 1824- Lord Byron died on 19 April 1824.