Byron & His Poetry

1. The mock epic poem Don Juan is considered by many scholars to be Lord Byron's greatest work. What are your thoughts as to the literary worth of the first two cantos that we have read? Are they good poetry?

It was well before I'd read the first two cantos of Don Juan that I'd heard of it being commonly used figuratively, as a synonym for womaniser. However, Lord Byron takes this popular character to daringly reverses his role into a man easily seduced by women. Upon reading the first few stanzas, it is already clear that the writer relies heavily on satire to get his message of disapproval across. Often criticized to contain "immoral content", Gordon stops at nothing when mocking famous political, religious and philosophical personalities. The humorous tone, although obvious, must be researched to be fully understood as Byron makes several allusions to figures that had been famous in his time. Funniest of all was how he poked fun at his former lover Lady Caroline Lamb, his lover-turned-stalker. I personally admire his ability to retain the comic touch while keeping the plot moving, hence keeping the reader engaged. Byron comments on many interesting topics, such as war, love, sexuality, and hypocrisy. His sneering yet humorous comments are mostly what make have kept his mock-epic poem in the annals of literature - and deservingly so.

Proximity Bomb

A letter, I write, to my dear soul
Who must have gone insane
Slipping inside a hole of
Memories of shame
I can sense you
Yes, you
Like the twilight on a mirror
My eyes are catching your beams
The plaguing loss that steered you
The sweat and stench of bones
The albatross that guided you
That brought you sticks and stones

Eternally in torment
Why don't you try to give your hand?
But as much as you try to help
You fall to the wicked command