On This Day I complete my Thirty-Sixth Year - COMPLETE

Byron

Context - Historical

• Was in Greece during this time, fighting the Greek war of Independence. Rise of philhellenism at the time. Romantic tendency of overthrowing institutions

• First successful liberal-nation revolution in Europe.

• To die fighting would have been an honourable death.

Context - Literary

• The second generation poets were trying to re-revolutionise Romantic poets, moving away from the Britain-centric Wordsworth and Blake and exploring other cultures.

• Such as, more allusions to mythology.

Context - Personal

Known as ‘mad, bad, and dangerous to know’.

Studied Latin and Greek during childhood, which also could be why he fought (since he had an interest in them).

Was known for his scandalous affairs, did not have the best reputation.

Died of a fever at 36, not in battle. Did not have the glory death he wanted.

Structure

Catalectic done by iambic dimeter (two iambs, then an abrupt end) creates slow + heavy feeling are. Only on the fourth line!

Iambic tetrameter (4 iambs) for the first 3 lines.

‘Tis time this heart should be unmoved’

‘For others it hath ceased to move’

• Desire for death, very depressing poem. Maybe also could be a way to show his change from scandalous to wanting to die a glorious death.

• Faced with scandal. However, he was known as the first celebrity - ‘Byromania’ = Annabella Milkbanke.

• Was once in love with his cousin, Mary. Unreciprocated.

• 1816 - Fled failing marriage with Annabella.

• Faced with mortality.

‘Yet I cannot be beloved’

‘Still let me love!’

• Reflecting on life.

• Scandal plagued his life. Affair with his half-sister.

‘yellow leaf’

• Autumn, nearing its end. Winter is often associated with death.

• They also symbolise growth and wisdom in a spiritual journey, which is what Byron wants.

• Still not dead yet, but is changing. Could still survive.

‘flowers and fruits of Love are gone’

• ‘fruits’ can be seen as sexual, whereas flowers are more traditionally romantic.

• However, flowers could allude to the yonic imagery of a rose.

• However, the contrast between romance and sexual shows the attitude Byron previously had, as opposed to the ‘love’ he wants in this poem, which is made more important due to the capitalisation.

‘worm and the canker’

‘and the grief’

• worm’s symbolism is divided between death and renewal, which replicates how this poem is on the edge.

• ‘canker’ is disease in plants, contrasts the fruit imagery.

• worm as death of his old life, and birth of a new life.

• equating his grief to a disease.

‘fire on my bosom preys’

‘like some lone volcanic' Isle’

fire as passion.

island as isolated, isolated passion. Equating his passion to a volcano, which is destructive (his passion destroyed his reputation).

‘No torch is kindled at its blaze’

‘a funeral pile’

• ‘funeral pile’. Ironic choice of wording. No coming back from the dead.

• Death is gloomy.

• ‘No torch’ = no other person. Ironic because he abandoned his wife + he was the one who ended most of his relationships.

‘pain and power of love’

‘the chain i wear, but can not share’

‘pain and power’ is a contrast. Byron indulged in many affairs during his lifetime, but his marriage to Caroline Lamb (which began from an affair) was a scandal which shocked the public, which is likely why he describes wearing ‘a chain’, which drags people down.

‘cannot share’

‘but ‘t’s not thus, and t’s not here’

Volta. Change from mention of death.

was in Greece at the time, due to an obsession with greek culture that was a movement at the time (philhellenism).

‘where Glory decks the hero’s bier’

A bier was part of a coffin frame. Byron wanted the honour that came from dying and the soldier life, which was a great way to boost reputation at the time.

Willing to die to save his reputation.

‘Sword, the Banner, and the Shield’

Capitalisation to give them more importance. Battle imagery.

‘Banner’ suggests he is proud of the cause he is fighting for.

‘The Spartan, borne upon his shield, was not more free’

Byron suggesting he is freer than a Spartan. He is making himself seem better than a Spartan soldier, who were renowned for their discipline and unwavering strength.

‘Awake! Not Greece, she is awake’

Greece being referred to as a ‘she’ is because most countries who were at war were fought by men, who dominated women at the time. A sense of duty was created through this characterisation.

‘My spirit! Parent lake’

Byron came from noble descent, implying that he wants to channel his parents’ nobility.

‘Reviving passions… Unworthy manhood’

‘indifferent should the smile or frown of beauty be’

making an effort to abandon his old ways, rejecting them. Feeding into the belief at the time that unworthy manhood was his old lifestyle, and worthy manhoood was fighting battles.

‘if thou regrets’st your youth, why live?’

Comes back to the depressing words in the first few stanzas.

Death as his only escape.

‘give away thy breath!’

presented as an offering or a gift, again feeding into societal expectations and the depressing tone of the poem.

‘seek out - less often sought than found’

Romanticising death, by making it seem like it is a game, or an enemy. Less focused on the independence of the greek and more focused on his own personal gain.

‘take thy Rest’

Makes death seem trivial and temporary. Ironic because he died of a fever instead of in battle.