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Breakdown of Lord Byron's Writing process. How did he compose his work's. what was his editing process? interested in Don Juan, but all of the rest of them too.
Hello! Thanks for your question about Lord Byron's writing process. The short version is that he incorporates different writing styles including satire, neoclassicism, and romanticism, which has shaped his career as a writer. He was also heavily influenced by Greece culture, which is reflected in his poem 'Childe Harold'. Below you will find a deep dive of my findings.
SATIRE
Bryon was a British Romantic poet and satirist best known for his works "Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage" and 'Don Juan'. Byron borrowed much of this style from Pope's Dunciad whose writing is a clear rejection of classical poetry. During this time, satire was a direct response to the political climate and the outcome of the French Revolution. In many of his poems, Byron was able to harness persona and use elements of fiction and reality to show different points of view. In 1811, he wrote two satirical poems: the 'Hints from Horace', which satirizes contemporary poetry, and 'The Curse of Minerva', where Byron criticizes Lord Elgin's work for his ignorance regarding Greek history. This is the first of Byron's work expressing his fondness for Greek culture and history. When writing 'The Prisoner of Chillon', Byron incorporates the Greeks' struggle against the Turkish/Ottoman Empire. This poem follows a Greek patriot who fought for the freedom of his people.
ROMANTICISM
Nature is an important romantic characteristic and a recurring theme throughout Bryon's works. For example, 'The Prisoner of Chillon' uses aspects of nature to express freedom and the unforgiving and harshness reality of the world. 'She Walks in Beauty', 'Written After Swimming from Sestos to Abydos', and 'Don Juan' all have elements of the nature imagery. 'She Walks in Beauty' is dedicated to the idea that love is unattainable. The female's beauty, this particular story, is in reference to her complexity, which goes beyond the superficial aspects of traditional beauty. This is further depicted in 'Don Juan', where Byron mocks the idea of love by giving the main character many love interests.
NEOCLASSICISM
Neoclassical poets used various social challenges of their time as inspiration for their poetry. They often wrote about kings, queens, fashion, and scandals. 'Don Juan', is a clear example of how Byron incorporated neoclassical elements into his poetry. Don Juan himself invokes neoclassical characteristics, because he represents a period when knighthood and chivalry were highly represented in literature. Neoclassicism was also shown in Byron's other work like 'Beppo', where he recreates a Hellenic interpretation of a Venetian merchant and his unfaithful wife.
CONCLUSION
To wrap it up, there is an ample amount of research provided for the different writing styles used by Lord Byron and the many inspirations for his poetry. His style resembles a combination of realism and fiction, based on his travels to Greece and the influence of Pope's Dunciad. This allowed him to adapt a unique style that incorporated satire, romanticism, and neoclassicism.
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