This thesis seeks to explain how Lord George Gordon
Byron achieves catharsis through the writing of his truth
in Don Juan. In the poem the narrator expresses Byron's
innermost emotion while at the same time the protagonist,
Juan, relates to readers on a more conscious level. The
ability that Byron has to work through the narrator in
Don Juan provides him with an avenue of expression for
his suppressed and frustrated emotions that are largely
subconscious and inexpressible.
Byron's poetry, and especially Don Juan, is poetry
in which the scope of human experience reaches into every
aspect of life as he shares with readers his innermost
emotion, emotion that is significantly more intense than
that of most 19th century writers. Studying Byron may
be considered a study of life itself and an opportunity
for literary and historical experience on a uniquely
intimate level.
Byron left England with his friend Hobhouse to travel
through Portugal, Spain, Switzerland and Italy in 1809.
At this time he wrote Childe Harold, which brought him
great fame after his return. The second and final time
Byron left England was in 1816. At this time the intense
emotional experience and social criticism contained in
his poetry brought on severe public criticism which caused
him to leave in self-exile.
During Byron's second exile he traveled throughout
Italy, Turkey and Greece. He ultimately died in
Missolonghi, Greece, in 1824 while helping the Greek people
fight in a civil war with the Turks. Byron felt that
it was important to remain in Greece and help the people,
even though his health was failing, ultimately resulting
in his death.
Byron sought a hero through the writing of Don Juan,
and the catharsis he achieved as a result of writing his
truth uncovered the hero he was seeking. / Graduation date: 1999
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ORGSU/oai:ir.library.oregonstate.edu:1957/33683 |
| Date | 15 April 1999 |
| Creators | Greene, Wanda S. |
| Contributors | Frank, Robert J. |
| Source Sets | Oregon State University |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis/Dissertation |
Page generated in 0.0021 seconds