Childe Harold's Pilgrimage: Canto IV
'Childe Harold's Pilgrimage: Canto IV ' Summary
The poem contains elements thought to be autobiographical, as Byron generated some of the storyline from experience gained during his travels through Portugal, the Mediterranean and Aegean Sea between 1809 and 1811. The "Ianthe" of the dedication was the term of endearment he used for Lady Charlotte Harley, about 11 years old when Childe Harold was first published. Charlotte Bacon, née Harley, was the second daughter of 5th Earl of Oxford and Lady Oxford, Jane Elizabeth Scott. Throughout the poem, Byron, in character of Childe Harold, regretted his wasted early youth, hence re-evaluating his life choices and re-designing himself through going on the pilgrimage, during which he lamented various historical events including the Iberian Peninsular War.
Despite Byron's initial hesitation at having the first two cantos of the poem published because he felt it revealed too much of himself, it was published, at the urging of friends, by John Murray in 1812, and brought both the poem and its author to immediate and unexpected public attention. Byron later wrote, "I awoke one morning and found myself famous". The first two cantos in John Murray's edition were illustrated by Richard Westall, well-known painter and illustrator who was then commissioned to paint portraits of Byron.
Published on March 3, 1812, the first run of 500 quarto copies sold out in three days. There were ten editions of the work within three years. Byron was deeming the work "my best" in 1817, a year before adding a fourth canto.
Book Details
Author
George Gordon, Lord Byron
England, Ottoman Empire, Turkey
George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron, known simply as Lord Byron, was an English peer, who was a poet and politician. He was one of the leading figures of the Romantic Movement and is regarded as one...
More on George Gordon, Lord ByronDownload eBooks
Listen/Download Audiobook
Related books
Christmas by William Henry Davies
In "Christmas" by William Henry Davies, the celebrated poet invites readers on a delightful journey through the enchanting spirit of the holiday seaso...
Paradise Regained by John Milton
Paradise Regained is a poem by English poet John Milton, first published in 1671. The volume in which it appeared also contained the poet's closet dra...
The Last Wish by Edward George Bulwer-Lytton
Robert Edward Bulwer-Lytton was the son of the novelist Edward Bulwer-Lytton, and was an English statesman, Conservative politician, and poet under th...
37 American Poems by Various
Here are 37 distinctively American poems, covering the mid-17th - early 20th Centuries, from Anne Bradstreet to Dorothy Parker's sole PD work.
Winter Stars by Sara Teasdale
Winter stars are a mystery, a reminder of the beauty that can still be found even in the darkest of times. Winter Stars is a collection of poems by S...
Slabs of the Sunburnt West by Carl Sandburg
Thirty-two poems about life in the American Midwest, focusing on the city of Chicago, Illinois.
Sour Grapes by William Carlos Williams
"Sour Grapes" is a poetic collection that serves as a tantalizing exploration of the human condition, penned by the renowned poet William Carlos Willi...
The Dreamers by Theodosia Garrison
Theodosia Garrison was a New Jersey poet and a friend of Ella Wheeler Wilcox, she attained a high level of popularity during her lifetime.
The Easter Flower by Claude McKay
The poem explores themes such as rebirth, growth, and the power of nature to inspire hope and renewal. The poem is structured in a traditional form,...
L' Atlàntida by Jacint Verdaguer i Santaló
Endinsa't en un món mític i misteriós amb "L'Atlàntida" de Jacint Verdaguer i Santaló. Aquesta èpica poesia et portarà a un viatge èpic a través del t...
Reviews for Childe Harold's Pilgrimage: Canto IV
No reviews posted or approved, yet...