3. Compare the poetry of Lord Byron with the poetry of another famous poet (e.g. Shakespeare's sonnets). How does Byron's poetry rate in comparison? Whose poetry do you prefer and why?
Lord Byron and Shakespeare, both well-known British poet, use differing styles in writing styles in poetry. Lord Byron's most notable works include the narrative poems Childe Harold's Pilgrimage and Don Juan. His poems can be described as mock-epic, he uses satire as a main element through his characters. Don Juan is a sixteen cantos poem (the seventeenth cantos remained unfinished upon his death). The structure of each stanza was Ottava Rima and followed an iambic pentameter. Through it Byron challenges many norms and traditions present in England at the time with emphasis on the notion of an "epic hero" by basing it in the famous character Don Juan. He achieves his goal through his satirical and mocking style of writing in the long, epic form. Shakespeare's sonnets, on the other hand, are a series of 154, independent, yet linked, eight-line sonnets. They focus on themes of love, beauty, politics and mortality. Evidence suggest that they were not meant to be published, just between friends. Many suggest links between Shakespeare's sonnets and his life, Wordsworth believed that Shakespeare "unlocked his heart" through his sonnets. The constant use of the word "I" and other personal pronouns suggest that it is in fact about his life, also since the date they were written is unknown, many suggest that he had been writing them throughout. This differs from the emphasized main character, Don Juan. Each sonnet consisted of three quatrains and an ending couplet and, like Don Juan, followed an iambic pentameter. They discuss an young boy and a dark lady, both believed to have had scandalous relations with Shakespeare. The sonnets are considered non-dramatic and contrast to the narrative style of Don Juan. Byron's poetry is, in my opinion, more interesting to read. One can compare it to other epic poems such as Homer's Odyssey, and can engage in the many literary and historical references. Many characters are introduced, unlike in Shakespeare's sonnets. The story-like style in which Don Juan was written results in a more absorbing read, which is more enjoyable to many readers, including me.
