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Lord Byron was a British poet and a leading figure in the Romantic movement. Byron's literary legacy is marked by his poetry's emotional intensity and vivid imagery. His works ('Don Juan,' 'Childe Harold's Pilgrimage,' and 'She Walks in Beauty') continue to be celebrated to this day.
But it wasn't just his writing that was dramatic: his life was filled with romantic entanglements and scandalous behavior! Intrigued? Click through this gallery to find out more about Lord Byron.
George Gordon Byron was born on January 22, 1788, to parents John 'Mad Jack' Byron—a British Army officer and a notorious figure known for his reckless and extravagant lifestyle—and Catherine Gordon of Gight, a Scottish heiress from an aristocratic family.
Byron spent his early childhood in Aberdeen, Scotland. When Byron inherited the title of 6th Baron Byron at the age of 10, he moved to Newstead Abbey in Nottinghamshire, England, the ancestral home of the Byron family.
Byron entered Trinity College in 1805, where he accumulated debts at an alarming rate. It was here where he began to explore his sexuality, as he found himself feeling a "violent, though pure, love and passion" for a young chorister named John Edleston.
While at Trinity College, Byron found a loophole in the school's 'no dogs' policy. He is said to have kept a brown bear!
While he was entitled to a seat in the House of Lords (due to succeeding to the title following the death of his great uncle, the 5th Baron Byron), he spent little time in the House.
Byron and his close friend John Cam Hobhouse set off on their grand tour in 1809. The first stop was Portugal, where they stopped in Lisbon and Sintra, the latter which he referred to as a "glorious Eden."
When Byron arrived in Greece, he began 'Childe Harold's Pilgrimage,' which he continued in Athens. Greece made a lasting impression on Byron; the free and open frankness of the Greeks contrasted with English reservation and hypocrisy.
Byron was inspired by Albanian hospitality and genuine honesty. It is said that Byron befriended Ali Pasha of Ioannina, who took a liking to the handsome young English lord.
Lord Byron returned to London in July 1811. At the beginning of March, the first two cantons of 'Childe Harold's Pilgrimage,' a loosely autobiographical narrative poem, were published.
Upon the publication of 'Childe Harold's Pilgrimage,' Byron became an overnight celebrity with a dedicated cult following.
Byron began a scandalous relationship with Caroline Lamb, who was married to Lord Melbourne. Caroline was captivated by Byron and sent him some of her pubic hair as a keepsake. Within months, he discarded Caroline while continuing an affair with her 60-year-old mother-in-law.
Lady Caroline Lamb wrote in her journal that Byron was "mad, bad, and dangerous to know." She later humiliated Byron with an unflattering depiction in her novel 'Glenarvon.'
After an illicit affair with his half sister, Byron proposed to Anne Isabella (Annabella) Milbanke in 1814. She gave birth to their daughter, Ada, who later became the world's first computer programmer.
After swelling rumors of his relations with Augusta Leigh, his half sister, and his bisexuality, Annabella and Byron separated. Byron left England in April 1816, never to return.
After leaving England, Lord Byron traveled to Geneva, where Percy and Mary Shelley and Claire Claremont were staying. Claremont was briefly Byron's mistress, and she gave birth to their daughter in January 1817.
Mary and Percy Bysshe Shelley stayed with Byron in Geneva. To make their stay more interesting, Byron suggested a ghost story competition, from which the famous novel 'Frankenstein' was born.
Byron inspired John William Polidori to create the aristocratic vampire archetype in his book 'The Vampyre.' The character is a wealthy, decadent, and handsome figure who harbors a dark inner nature.
He even inspired Tchaikovsky, who composed the magnificent 'Manfred Symphony' based on Byron's poem.
Byron stopped in Venice, where he enjoyed the relaxed customs and morals of the Italians. He had a love affair with Marianna Segati, his landlord's wife, and Margarita Cogni, the wife of a baker.
Flings with Byron were often tumultuous, and his affair with Margarita Cogni was no different, though few were so tragic. The relationship ended with Byron insisting she move out; in response, Cogni threw herself into one of Venice's canals.
In the fall of 1818, Byron cleared his debts with the sale of Newstead Abbey. Any money left over was used to fund his lifestyle.
After publishing 'Beppo,' Byron wrote his greatest poem, 'Don Juan,' a satire that transformed the libertine Don Juan into an unsophisticated young man who happily succumbs to the beautiful women who pursue him.
In 1818, a chance encounter with Countess Teresa Gamba Guiccioli, who was only 19 years old, changed Byron's life. Counts Ruggero and Pietro Gamba, her father and brother, initiated him into the Carbonari, with aims to free Italy from Austrian rule.
In April 1823, Byron represented the London Committee, which aided the Greeks in their struggle for independence. He spent £4,000 of his own money.
Famous for his good looks and reckless personality, Byron concealed a clubfoot and often wore 'curl papers' in his hair at night, ensuring he woke up looking his best.
Byron was extremely fond of animals. At one point, Byron is said to have kept "ten horses, eight enormous dogs, three monkeys, five cats, an eagle, a crow, and a falcon."
In December 1823, Byron took command of a Greek unit of fighters, but a serious illness in February 1824 weakened him.
On April 19, 1824, Byron died from a fever in Missolonghi, Greece. He was deeply mourned and became a Greek national hero.
Byron's body was brought back to England, but was refused burial in Westminster Abbey on the grounds of "questionable morality." His final resting place is in the family vault near Newstead.
Sources: (Britannica) (Historic UK)
See also: The true story of Robin Hood
The scandalous and passionate life of Lord Byron
A man who was mad, bad, and dangerous to know
LIFESTYLE Poets
Lord Byron was a British poet and a leading figure in the Romantic movement. Byron's literary legacy is marked by his poetry's emotional intensity and vivid imagery. His works ('Don Juan,' 'Childe Harold's Pilgrimage,' and 'She Walks in Beauty') continue to be celebrated to this day.
But it wasn't just his writing that was dramatic: his life was filled with romantic entanglements and scandalous behavior! Intrigued? Click through this gallery to find out more about Lord Byron.