Lord Byron's Selfishness

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Recommended: Byron as Romantic poet

Throughout my research on Lord Byron, one thing has remained consistent-his selfishness. Lord Byron repeatedly had affairs, caused scandals, and was the subject of political turmoil. As a Romantic author, Lord Byron lived in the moment and lived for himself; however, he often went a step too far going from living for “the self” to selfishness. Using sublime theory as an analytical lens, readers will see and feel the driving force behind Byron’s poems “She walks in beauty” and “When we two parted.” Thesis: Lord Byron’s poetry “She walks in beauty” and “When we two parted,” reveals a refreshing interpretation of the Romantic idea of “the self”-an initiative that Byron takes further by pushing his writing to the limits of selfishness; while plagued …show more content…

In addition, two affairs are focused on in particular- Lady Caroline Lamb and his sister, Augusta Leigh. This article proves Byron’s selfish on his way to the “ideal self.” Longinus. Longinus on the Sublime. Project Gutenberg. Trans. H. L. Havell. Project Gutenberg. 10 March 2006. Web. 14 Nov. 2015. This source further explains the concept of the sublime. What makes this particular interesting is the author’s various “sources” of sublimity. He uses these sources to determine whether each piece is sublime or not. The sources are “great thoughts, strong emotions, certain figures of thought and speech, noble diction, and dignified word arrangement" (Longinus). Byron’s work fits within these parameters, in addition to the more advanced ideals of sublime theory. Needler, Howard. "'She Walks in Beauty' and the Theory of the Sublime." Byron Journal 38.1 (2010): 19-27. Humanities International Complete. Web. 18 Oct. 2015. Needler suggests that Byron's “She Walks in Beauty” reflects the theory of the sublime only in the first half of the poem. This presents contrasting ideas within the poem as half calls natural forces to mind, while the other half focuses on the sublime. Using this article to reveal the sublime undertones of Byron’s work may give new meaning to his poetry and give readers different thoughts on the

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