The Tale of a Byronic Enfant Terrible!
On the first day of February 1814 -the publication of ‘The Corsair’ became a “thing perfectly unprecedented” according to His Lordship’s proud and increasingly successful publisher, John Murray.
All posts filed under: Blogging Byron!
That Wicked Lord! What Do YOU Know?
The Fifth Baron Byron was NOT the grandfather of our poet as purported by Alexander Larman in his sloppily researched tome Byron’s Women which was published to enormous fanfare in 2016 but rather THE great-uncle and it was upon his demise that Byron became a Lord and inherited land and titles which included the glorious ancestral abode of Newstead Abbey in Nottinghamshire.
A Melancholy, ‘Honeft Man’…
Byron was noted for his open manner and of his tendency to admit his feelings of despondency, sorrow or his word of choice – melancholy. For his poetry is noted for it, his private journals speak of it and he was often candid about his ‘constitutional depression of Spirits’ in letters to his friends.
Adieu Most Amiable Mamma…
In the hagiography which often passes for the writing of Byron’s life, Catherine Gordon Byron is somewhat of a ‘Marmite’ figure for you will either love OR hate her!
A Hero’s Epic Swim.
On this day in 1810 – Byron swam across the Hellespont in search of his own Hero and while not seeking confirmation of his conjugal powers – his epic swim certainly affirms his prowess in the water.
A Proposal of Marriage – Possibly?
Marry Me?
I confess that my attention wandered to the alluring and haughty figure of Mr Darcy in conversation with a certain Miss Bennet…
Marilyn and a Million OR Three!
I have been reading the book by Ghislaine McDayter which places Byron and the heady years of stardom as the patriarch of all of our modern celebrities and so in addition to being a brilliant and irreverent poet, and despite his own cynicism on the matter – Byron is also honoured as the first ever celebrity…
Let Me Have Implora Pace! Please?
In 1824, the church of St Mary Magdalene in the town of Hucknall in Nottingham welcomed the safe arrival of Byron’s remains for burial after his death at the age of 36 on April 19 in the town of Missolonghi in Greece…
Stone Me! Such a Pretentious Poseur!
One wonders if he had to try hard to persuade his ‘dearest friend’ to actually sit for Thorvaldsen as the first meeting between the artist and Byron was one of wry amusement on the part of one and studied indifference by the other…
MAY You Marry in Haste?
With her Scottish ancestry for omens and superstition perhaps Catherine’s confusion is understandable for she did indeed marry ‘Mad Jack’ Byron on Friday May 13 AND by all accounts their brief marriage was a disaster!
A Pinch OR a Punch St Patrick?
On St Patrick’s Day in 1814 – it is likely that Byron would also have enjoyed some alcohol consumption during the course of the day; however, as delightful as the idea is, we cannot be sure if he actually ‘pinched’ anyone.
A Rage Against the Machine?
On this day in 1812 – our poet spoke out in ‘A Rage Against the Machine’ in support of the Luddite cause and claiming to be as penniless as those he supported, he voiced his opposition to the introduction of the death penalty.
It’s Looking Sticky for the Arctic Monkeys AND Lord B!
Black treacle and Lord Byron?
The Birth of Boy George
Despite Byron’s enduring fame, the circumstances of his birth were far from auspicious for he was born on in a rented apartment on the first floor above a shop in Holles Street in Cavendish Square London to a lone young mother…
A Regency Recondite 