145 Mad, Bad, and Dangerous to Know - The Story of Lord Byron

The Later Romantic poet George Gordon Byron, once described by Lady Caroline Lamb as “mad, bad, and dangerous to know," lived 36 years and became world famous, his astonishing career as a poet matched only by his astonishing record as a breaker of norms, an insatiable lover, a bizarre hedonist, a restless exile, a head-scratching eccentric, a passionate friend, a determined athlete, an ardent revolutionary, and in general, one of the greatest embracers of life the world has ever seen. Works discussed include Childe Harold's Pilgrimage, Fugitive Pieces / Hours of Idleness, English Bards and Scotch Reviewers, and Don Juan. For another taste of Romantic poetry, try our episode on Poetry and Ruins, which includes a look at Shelley's Ozymandias. Jacke recounts his own attempts to write a Keatsian poem in the Bad Poetry episode. Byron makes a cameo appearance - he was on the scene when both Frankenstein and vampires were invented - in our Mary Shelley episode. Want some of the older Romantics? Try our episode on Coleridge and the Person from Porlock. EXCITING NEWS!!!! We are giving away a FREE History of Literature Podcast mug and a FREE copy of Ronica Dhar’s book, Bijou Roy, to two lucky Patreon donors! Sign up now at patreon.com/literature to be eligible for this special bonus offer. If you’d like to purchase a mug instead, or just donate a fiver or two to the show, you can find out how at historyofliterature.com/shop. Learn more about the show at historyofliterature.com or facebook.com/historyofliterature. Contact the host at jackewilsonauthor@gmail.com or on Twitter @thejackewilson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices