George Gordon Byron

Don Juan ble utgitt i 1819, og regnes i dag til periodens hovedverker. Det er en satire over menneskets muligheter, der helten ikke er legendens onde forfører, men en ung mann som utsettes for skjebnens brå stormkast og som ustanselig faller for kvinners sjarm. Tråden i fortellingen sammenflettes med en rekke andre tråder, som til sammen gir et bilde av tidens moralske, religiøse, filosofiske, litterære, politiske, kulinariske, maritime, erotiske, nasjonale og inernasjonale forhold.

"Criticism" is chronologically keyed to Byron's poetry and reprints both classic and recent examinations of Byron's writing and life, including assessments by Anne Barton, Donald H. Reiman, Jane Stabler, Jerome J. McGann, Susan J. Wolfson, and James Chandler. A Biographical Register, Chronology, Selected Bibliography, and Index of Poem Titles and First Lines are also included.

Byron was a legend in his own lifetime and the dominant influence on the Romantic movement. The most European of the English writers in an age of revolution, Byron was deeply involved in contemporary events, and a passionate supporter of the struggle for Greek independence. Describing himself as `born for opposition', his work was largely directed against what he called the `cant political, cant poetical, and cant moral' of the English and European worlds. He was rocketed to fame by the publication of Childe Harold in 1812, and lionized by society until his departure from England amid a whirlpool of private gossip and newspaper scandal in 1816. His is, in every sense, a poetry of experience, and a Romantic emphasis on the personality of the poet is the hallmark of all his verse. Relishing humour and irony, daring and flamboyant, sardonic yet idealistic, his work encompasses a sweeping range of topics, subjects, and models, embracing the most traditional and the most experimental poetic forms. This selection of the poetical works, chosen from the Oxford Authors critical edition, includes such masterpieces as The Corsair, Manfred, Bebbo, and Don Juan. There are many other less familiar works and shorter lyrics, and Jerome J. McGann's introduction and notes give fascinating insight into Byron's world. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.