Lord Byron (1788 – 1824) is one of the most notorious as well as flamboyant figures in the field of English literature due to his promiscuous lifestyle and candid nature. Although he is an important member of the 19
th century Romantic poets, his poetry reflects a diametrically opposite style. Unlike his comrades he opted to write in a much similar style of the 18th century literature. Therefore, his writings were mostly written in strict conformity with the rules and regulations. As model he followed the style and diction adopted by Ben Jonson (1572–1637), Alexander Pope (1688–1744), etc. Contrariwise, the other Romantic poets tried to revive the principles of the Renaissance period. They followed the style and diction of the Renaissance period, which were followed by William Shakespeare (1564–1616), Christopher Marlowe (1564–1593), Edmund Spenser (1552–1599), John Milton (1608–1674), etc. As they targeted the common people as the audience, their poetry was written in plain and simple language. They emphasized over expression of personal feelings without complicating the language.
Lord Byron greatly deviated from the simple format and subject matter of his contemporaries for which he is unique amongst all other Romantic Poets of his days. His poetry is written in the exalted style of the Classical and Pseudo-Classical periods. However, his subject matter is essentially trivial, cynical and absurd. As a result, unlike the Romantics, who were worshipers of beauty, Byron celebrated all that is ugly. For example, in his self-proclaimed epic
Don Juan, Byron has been able to treat a very trivial subject in a refined style and diction. The poem is remarkable since it reflects various traits of Byron’s own quixotic lifestyle.
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