Byron's Poem example essay topic

Introduction Lord Gordon George Noel Byron was a famous and celebrated poet of the Romantic Period (1785-1830). The heart-touching poem "So, we " ll go no more a roving" hints to the mid-life crisis of the writer. Moved by his altering relationships and resulting consequences he decides to modify his way of life. In the progress of his essay I show the complexity and ambiguity of this poem. Developing 2 theories I hint to the importance of background information concerning the Romantic Period and the author's context. At the end I conclude the arguments deciding for one theory.

So, we " ll go no more a roving 1 I 1. So, we " ll go no more a roving 2. So late into the night, 3. Though the heart be still a loving, 4.

And the moon be still as bright. 5. For the sword outwears its sheath, 6. And the soul wears out the breast, 7. And the heart must pause to breathe, 8. And love itself have rest.

9. Though the night was made for loving, 10. And the day returns too soon, 11. Yet we " ll go no more a roving 12. By the light of the moon.

Emotional analysis - thoughts that arise What can be said at the beginning about the emotional effect on the reader? It is quite difficult to say something about the general reaction of a poem because every person who reads will read it in another mood and condition. After the first reading the reader feels confused because of the poem's seemingly irregular meter and the deeper meaning the reader is searching for. But the poem's persona - perhaps a soldier - "sings" a melancholy (because of its sad meter) and tired (marching) song. The spokesman could address companions or a harem of affairs by saying "we " ll". But it is safe that he has to pause at night although he wants to satisfy his (sexual) desire.

In the second stanza the booklover gets an idea of why the persona has to relax. Maybe long walks or an exaggerated life style with many liaisons ("a roving") and inner or outer fighting sequences (interpreted in "the sword outwears its sheath") undermine and burn him out. At last the lyrical I concludes in the third stanza that originally "the night was made for loving". But he has to expect the next day - with walks, battles and fights or an absolute different routine- so that he must recover right now. The reader may feel moved by the missed love no matter who is meant: a lonely soldier who wants to be back at home or a lonely ordinate civilian who is confused concerning his behaviour. There are deep and strong feelings uttered: exhaustion, hope and love.

Repeatedly reading of these 12 verses will at least confirm one of these varying theories and show the poem's whole beauty behind a complex construction of rhetorical features. Textual analysis - technical and formal features By reading the text several times the reader recognises its structure and how it works. It is obvious that this poem is a short lyric because it presents an emotion in a personal, reflective type; more precisely it is speculative to whom this poem is dedicated or indirectly addressed - a past love for example. It is decided in three quatrains with six lines rhyming in each stanza using an alternate rhyme (a bab) through the whole poem. All verse endings are pure rhymes except "loving" and "roving" for the reason that they only seem to fit perfectly - therefore they have to be called an eye rhyme.

The predominant meter is basically trochaic tetrameter but is substituted by iambic trimeter in verses 2 and 8 while an anapestic diameter is used in the closing sequence. Additionally the cadences fluctuate in the first and last stanza between masculine (stressed syllables) and feminine (unstressed syllables) in contrast to the second stanza where male cadences form an integrated whole to underline their significance. Besides this the poem starts by taking up the title including an anaphora of (the first exclamatory) "So", . Combined with a echo of vowel sounds ("o"), called assonance, it is followed by the next line without a pause (enjambment). These effects create a spooky and undecided feeling linked with tensed up lyrical I who needs a break to recover and think about life's sense without interruption (of women). The variations in meter and rhyme point out a persona torn by inner conflicts concerning duty, to be a good soldier or ordinate husband, and desire, to be a passionate lover.

Even the selection of caesura - every stanza finishes with a full stop and the confronted keywords such as "sword" / "sheath", "soul" / "breast", "heart" / "breathe", "love" and "rest" in the second stanza - underline the speaker's unsatisfied and "look around" condition. The presenter directs the readers' attention to his keywords and importance to response by using these several personifications. These personifications are correlated with seemingly illogical (local) contrasts. In fact a (internal) heart pulsates instead of breathing (external visible). Effect of these features is the focus to the rest of love itself, which seem to be the most important matter of the poem - representing a change of life. Adding another anaphora ("And") to these symbols at the beginning of lines 6, 7 and 8 - crossed with the repetition of "Though" at the launch and "loving" at the end of lines 3 and 9, it also consolidates the hypothesis of exhaustion and torment - physically (external) and psychically (internal).

This causes confusion and stimulates the reader to search for a deeper meaning. But hope for a happy end is not lost at this climax. The third stanza summarises a confidently look back to the origin of nights sense by using the past tense and gives a hint to the importance of tenses in general used in this poem. Passing by the present tense representing present-day the author repeats the first verse (and title) almost identically. Only the first word is converted: the helpless and confused exclamatory "So", becomes a strengthen and weighted "Yet". As well as in the first two lines (written in will future to mark the outlook) the reader finds a run-on line at the end.

But now it introduces the well-considered decision to take a break e.g. for relaxing from all exertions. Taking the dictum of the title up again the arrangement reminds of a frame and ensures that time is reflected in the use of the tenses. The authors view of reality The picture framed shows a weary and torn speaker in search of a beloved person or love itself. The emerging reality in this poem - like almost every famous poem - is mysterious and multi-layered.

The poet decides to interrupt his roving within the stanzas. At the beginning he declares a wish interspersed with doubt. But through diagnosing his state of collapse he passes a resolution. What is desired by the author to convey to the reader? It seems that the poet wants to suggest the complexity of coming to a decision - especially in cases of love. The writer reflects his own desire to change his way of life and the problems arising by the attempt of realising his wish.

Therefore the motto is: (spare) time will bring an answer. The roving (a metaphor of a search) by night (a metaphor of thoughtless desire) will not be continued further more. Language What else can be said about the language? The way of expressing feelings, discussing philosophical problems or telling a story is fairly hard by choosing the right expressions and combining them with rhetorical features. Besides poetry should generate tension in order to compel attention. At the same time the poem has to be simple and profound to the reader.

Byron illustrates a successful realisation of these indications. He transfers the torn state into a mixed meter and uses metaphors as illustrative material. It shows impressive the importance of the language of poetry as well as the poetry of language. But it is even a famous work of the Romantic Age. This era is known for its effusive moods, which are expressed implicit. Especially love in The Romantic Period is more than just a mood.

It is a developing process, which is linked with life and its highs and lows. Although it was a general believe during this period that true love has to be the most powerful force given to mankind. Context But how does this theory of a refused love fit into the background of Lord Byron's poem? As a result of a closer inspection of the author's context the previously speculations will hopefully become more securely proofed. The more extensive personal environment shows George Gordon Noel Byron as a person born with a clubfoot and grew up without a father (died in 1791) in Aberdeen, Scotland (connection to the refrain of the Scottish song: The Jolly Beggar). It was rumoured that his nurse made advances to him at the age of nine.

Combined with Byron's early-idealized love for his distant cousins formed his paradoxical attitudes toward women. At the age of 10 he became Baron Byron of Rochdale and moved to Nottingham, England, where Mrs. Byron's attorney became his guardian. The advocate took him to London and sent him to a school in Dulwich, later to Harrow. Perhaps his friendships with boys lead him to his sexual ambivalence, which became more evident at Cambridge (1805) and later in Greece (1823). But he developed his writing skills because of the refused love of a distant cousin since 1803. On reaching his majority in January 1809, he took his seat in the House of Lords and added to his melancholy poetry some satire.

1809-1811 Byron was on a grand expedition: Spain, Gibraltar, Malta, Albania and the impressive Greece ("with sunshine and moral tolerance of the people"). After his arrival in London on 14 July 1811 his mother died on August 1. In November 1811 the writer was introduced to the recipient of this analysed poetical letter Thomas Moore. Before he swept into affairs with several affairs again he enlarged his motives with "disillusionment of the post-Revolutionary and Napoleonic eras" as well as the disparity between the romantic ideal and the world of reality. Seeking escape he married on 2 January 1815 and got a legitimate daughter, Augusta Ada Milbank e, on 10 December 1815.

But in January his wife and daughter left him forever. The result was that he "signed the legal separation papers and went abroad, never returning to England" and journeyed to Switzerland. After his stay at Villa Dio dati his second illegitimate daughter was born (12 January 1817), named Allegra Alba Clairmont (his first Elizabeth Medora Leigh, daughter of his half sister). In Venice Byron has another relationship with his landlord's wife. Built-in a letter written from Venice to Thomas Moore on February 28, 1817 this poem's first publication took place in Letters and Journals of Lord Byron (1830), six years after Byron's death.

But the immediate personal situation is described in the preceding account of his Lenten occasion. After Carnival season the poet finds "the sword wearing out the scabbard", though I have but just turned the corner of twenty nine.