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 One can compare it to other epic poems such as Homer's Odyssey, and can engage in the many literary and historical references.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.
2 comments:
Wow, I'm impressed! You put down alot of information on Lord Byron's Don Juan AND Shakespeare's sonnets. You mentioned how Don Juan was satirical, and how it was plot-oriented, but you also could have mentioned who or what he was targeting with his mockery. You also wrote about the structure of the mock-epic, and how it was organized in terms of rhyme scheme and meter, but you could have explained more about Don Juan's plot in more depth. You could have contrasted the plot-based Don Juan with the many-themed Shakespearean sonnets. You kindof did that, but on a very superficial level.
You talked about how the Shakespearean sonnets were about love,beauty, etc, and you compared the works of Lord Byron and Shakespeare in a very informative and structured manner. You answered all the questions beautifully, and concluded with saying that you liked Byron's Don Juan better because of its plot-driven storyline. Great job! :D
I find it difficult to compare the works of these two poets as they are very different when it comes to style, content, length, and so on. Yet you did a very good job especially when you mentioned how shakespeare expresses himself through his poetry and even incorporates some aspects of his life. Even though Lord Byron's poetry is more enjoyable, it is unfair to say that it is in any way better than shakespeare's. Byron's epic did not restrict him and allowed him to freely declair his opinions. Shakespeare on the had to condense the ideas into a few lines which demands a considerable amount of talent and work.
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