390 Matching Annotations
  1. Mar 2017
    1. an actor of a part that has not been written for him

      This reminds me of Wilde's mask quote.

    2. He has a very bad influence over all his friends, with the exception of myself

      So far, both Dorian and Lord Henry have a form of influence over others. Will it be found out later on that Basil too has a share in this power? Or is Basil really the only person effected by these men?

    3. Schumann’s “Forest Scenes

      Schumann was a very famous piano player and composer of his time period, but he was also known for his marriage troubles. Is this a possible allusion to Wilde's life?

    4. You like your art better than your friends.

      I personally really like this, and think there is some humor as well as some truth in it, in regard to all artists.

    5. “Basil,” cried Dorian Gray, “if Lord Henry goes I shall go too. You never open your lips while you are painting, and it is horribly dull standing on a platform and trying to look pleasant. Ask him to stay. I insist upon it.”

      This quote makes me think of almost like a love triangle because Basil loves Dorian, Dorian seems to love Lord Henry, and the Lord Henry is close friends with Basil and it makes me think of this photo.

    6. “It is not my property, Harry.” “Whose property is it?” “Dorian’s, of course.”

      I wonder if this was after the dispute over Wilde's image, in which case, I think it's clear where he stood on the matter of the ownership of his portrait.

    7. They spoil every romance by trying to make it last forever.

      throwback to the discussion about the value of beauty being that it is fleeting, and if you take that away, it loses its value

    8. It is only shallow people who do not judge by appearances. The true mystery of the world is the visible, not the invisible.

      When he says 'judge by appearance' I think he means what you see people do, not just what they look like. The unseen then would be a judgement made about someone that is not founded. I think he's saying this under the assumption that there is more than one kind of beauty, (I'm not sure if I'm making any sense, but I don't think Lord Henry is speaking only of what an individual looks like when referencing beauty)

    9. Of course I am not like him

      I feel that there may be a theme surrounding identity throughout the novel.

    10. Her body swayed, as she danced, as a plant sways in the water. The curves of her throat were like the curves of a white lily. Her hands seemed to be made of cool ivory.

      I like this description of his love interest as it contributes well to the overall love aspect tying in with the social status of the people Dorian interacts with.

    11. If a personality fascinates me, whatever the personality chooses to do is absolutely delightful to me.

      This ties in to Dorian's views on one's personal conduct as well as how people are expected to interact with one another in our society regardless of wealth and social status.

    12. I choose my friends for their good looks, my acquaintances for their characters, and my enemies for their brains. A man can’t be too careful in the choice of his enemies. I have not got one who is a fool. They are all men of some intellectual power, and consequently they all appreciate me

      I think this is an interesting view on how people choose friends and enemies. I believe that this is foreshadowing the personalities and characteristics of the other characters in this story.

    13. There was something in his face that made one trust him at once. All the candor of youth was there, as well as all youth’s passionate purity.

      I believe that this is Wilde's way of expressing who he wishes he could be as well as that ideal self-image that he strives for. However I think by seeking an idealized self this could come back to haunt him later on.

    14. “Oh, I am tired of sitting, and I don’t want a life-sized portrait of myself,” answered the lad, swinging round on the music-stool, in a wilful, petulant manner. When he caught sight of Lord Henry, a faint blush colored his cheeks for a moment, and he started up. “I beg your pardon, Basil, but I didn’t know you had any one with you.”

      Dorian reminds me a lot of Lord Bryon's boy Possy. Could he have modeled Dorian after him as a way to let out what he really thought of Possy and his relation ship?

  2. Feb 2017
    1. Now and then, however, he is horribly thoughtless, and seems to take a real delight in giving me pain.

      This is actually the same as how Bosie was toward Wilde, on a childish whim he'd be so rude and careless while Wilde was so blindly devoted to him.

    2. They feel that drunkenness, stupidity, and immorality should be their own special property, and that if any one of us makes an ass of himself he is poaching on their preserves.

      I just really like this and it's so relevant to the hypocrisy seen today, where if we do something wrong it's excusable, but if another does the same thing they will be subject to criticism.

    3. I couldn’t be happy if I didn’t see him every day. Of course sometimes it is only for a few minutes. But a few minutes with somebody one worships mean a great deal.” “But you don’t really worship him?” “I do.”1

      This was about where I was pretty sure there was a connection between Basil's feelings toward Gray and Wilde's feelings toward Bosie. Both used the other as inspiration for their art (conscious or otherwise) and both older admire the youth and potential in the younger. It is even suggested that there are times Gray is harsh or unkind to Basil, as Bosie was to Wilde.

    4. Those who are faithful know only the pleasures of love: it is the faithless wh

      Discussion game passage

    5. And Lord Henry struck a light on a dainty silver case, and began to smoke a cigarette with a self-conscious and self-satisfied air, as if he had summed up life in a phrase.

      Discussion game passage

    6. 3) How will I grade your annotations?

      The Wilde text will be open for notations starting [fill in blank]. The book has thirteen chapters. Each of you are required to make one annotation per chapter; you may do more! (These posts will be part of your overall grade for the online discussion forums.) Two other small rules to encourage liveliness: at least once, you must reply to someone else’s annotation; at least once, you must annotate with an image!

    7. 2) How to annotate?

      Start by thinking of annotations (your commentary in the margins of the text) as existing on a spectrum! I will illustrate with a fancy diagram:

      INF__INT

      At the left end of the spectrum, purely INFormational; at the right, entirely INTerpretive. “INF” have to do with providing facts or context that aid in reading the text; “INT” have to do with the question of what the text means. Potentially, a single annotation could do both these things… Like a claim, an annotation can seem either too obvious (we know where London is) or too obscure (a response that seems unlinked to the text). These marks the ends of the spectrum: your annotations should be somewhere in between.

      Please note: Gifford has provided 155 footnotes for the text. If you choose to annotate a passage that is footnoted, you are telling your readers “this footnote is controversial/inadequate/intriguing”—you are supplementing that footnotes. And this can be interesting: so if one of the footnotes you check surprises you, you should feel free comment and tell the rest of us why!

      If your annotation is research-based, leave a link/ links in your comments / anotations; you can also provide an image. An image alone, at the right moment, might be an effective annotation!

    1. This biographical entry is relatively recent, contains an extend ed bibliography, and offers a different emphasis than does the biopic Wilde In annotations, I want you to locate moments where you think the interpretive, argumentative aspect of Edward's essay is most evident. Where do you see signs of his particular "take" on Wilde? (We can then discuss the implications of this take: if responding to a comment, please take that approach)

    1. It u evident th8lt mmtructiD1 or ~nn~ Byron11 :nmmdve of mlebd~ or ~ of creatiDI die "aurhendc0 Bymn apart fmm die cclebri11y, from die multitude of muroes ava .. le,, including die poet's 'd '1-L _a:_ ·•· '---both IL! __ ,.,U• ti' • owa wns1 er.111ua: c:norts to Dllml!pUllilu:: __ 1m r ..... tc or uteury •mage sod his priviue or pmorud identity, u well a dKl imende-4 or umntrend~ ed mmvendom .~ by radlm. pubUahm, CDCUU>ri, biopaphen. sod othm, ~a eomplex sod dmintln1 ~wk, aubhe eone dudei his essay with a Clll for "all mother major biography ••• written hy someone ... caring of the words roo Ile11 than rivaed by the ~ife. some--om alble to forge lab between dKlm u vital! u their realio/ meritl .. (15). Sudl a biopap!iy would not mie B,mn's ~n a a eelebri~ for he diarly \WI OM, but would pm k m the proper mnfat reJMive ID lhe mmt important huU of our in~ m him: die worb themsehe&

      The author is saying that no matter how someone views Bryon he is seen as a celebrity. A key term here is celebrity. The paragraph quotes Clubbe and mentions Bryon's works.

    2. Byron and the Discourse of Celebrity

      Annotate a paragraph from the reading you’ve chosen (Ward or Throsby’s article). Set your annotations to private: this is an individual assignment. I’ll ask you all to reset them to public in class on Tuesday.

      1. Highlight and paraphrase what you consider to be the major claim of the paragraph.

      2. Highlight keyterms (these will be either terms that the article repeats or otherwise foregrounds, or terms that you recognize from readings/discussion thus far in the course). These terms don’t need to be nouns; verbs are also possible candidates! If you think a keyterm is “Academic English”, indicate that fact in the text of your annotations.

      3. What sources does the paragraph cite in relation to the keyterms it deploys? Picking a verb for each source, characterize the relation of that source to the author’s argument. (Eg. "Ward applies Gabler's idea of the "discourse of celebrity" to the case of Byron.") Attach your annotation to the name of the cited author(s).

    3. ·""T··· Byron and the Discourse of Celebrity

      The quotation I used for your essay #1 prompt contains one of Ward’s claims, one piece of his thesis:

      The problem in Byron’s case is that interest in his life, largely prompted by his celebrity, has at times threatened to overwhelm his “real achievement” as a poet. (65)

      You’ll see that the words “real achievement” are quoted from Neal Gabler in fuller form earlier in this same paragraph.

      It’s important for us to notice that Ward’s own perspective, even when it appears relatively clearly, is interwoven with the perspectives of other writers. Trying to skim this essay and pick out “what it says” (what Ward says) is not an easy task.

      Can you find, and annotate, phrases/sentences where Ward comes forward in his own voice? If we assemble those pieces, we can put Ward’s main claim, his thesis, together–and then we can think about why the essay is organized the way that it is!

    4. ia Clubbe and ShWlemzs judgments iinappropriatdly ~

      Here's Ward's claim: some say (C & S) that it's "inappropriate" for recent biographers to treat Byron like a "media-generated celebrity". But Ward never QUITE comes out and agrees until the final sentence of the paragraph.

    5. bdudins such '~slly mmparlsom, 11 u CluY. all them (14). u Madonna. Pdnm, Mick Jager. James ~ Norman Mailer, Che Guewra, even Prinaes1 Diana.

      I think the author is mad about these comparisons even though they are very accurate.

    6. nw mon IOOIOdou Ulu1tmdon of an effort to manlpulm md alter a disoourse of 'Bymn's liwd mmdve ·Of cdiehW:y aewaHy oeeurm{, konicaUy, after his death: the huming of his Memoirs at Murny's London office on Mq 17, 1824, just three days afier news of Byron's ~ reached 1Bn~l1l)nct

      I believe that the author is, understandably, angry that his work was burned.

    7. However, by 1ihe time he wrote 1ihe prefatory ~ m Chi!J, HllnlltJ IV two Jftfl lam, Bymn had liven up the attmnpt. mqnldog thm k was m win that he mmted the ·~ betweea lduwlf and .. ha@ea and expUddy ooUlapang his identky into th• oE the charaau.

      I think this is something that happens with a lot of celebrities and I think the author is saying as fans we do this to celebrities even though we shouldn't.

    8. In Byrons ~of ooune,, de major area of ooncention during his Bfmme WU b O>Dtwt b~ the fiedtioUI Bfmnie hero, UMUEd by may oonmnporuy readm m be the "ral'® Bym~ and the aaatll ~r~ ma, living o~ ~r wHll~ or nfocuw~ hil narradw oE ~ricy and endeavoring. ulrimately unsuo::essfully. to disuooe hims.df from tha[ 6ctive image.

      The author seems to be mad that people saw Bryon this way.

    1. Byron

      The verb i am picking out of this quotation is "shine". In relation to the key words "textual responses", this quote from Byron illustrates that he was aware and was excited about the amount of attention, in the physical form of letters, his work was getting.

    2. boudoirs

      Academic English. Boudoirs could be replaces with bedrooms.

    3. the Byronic persona

      Key words. Related to the Byronic hero, which we have talked about numerous times by now.

    4. textual flirtation,

      Academic English. Alternative wording: through he flirtation of his poems.

    5. textual responses

      I view "textual responses" as keywords to the paragraph as well as academic english. This could have been written as "written responses" or "letters or response".

    6. The very fact that Byron kept all his fan letters suggests that he was certainly interested in his readers attitudes towards him and was not, as Lucy Newlyn suggests, '[impervious] to his own popularity' .41

      I believe that this sentence is the main claim of the paragraph. The claim is stating that Byron was captivated by his readers responses to his work. He was aware of his fame, and worked with his fame to maintain his popularity.

    7. I believe this to be the major claim of the excerpt. I believe Throsby's intentions to clarify and define a separate view behind the motives of Byron's poetry.

    8. What is striking about these nineteenth-century letters is their expression of concerns and desires common to fan letters published in contemporary young women's magazines. It seems useful, then, to examine the issues raised in the letters in the light of the 'star' theory which emerged as a subsection of film theory in the late 1970s.

      -Key terms in this would be "expression of concerns and desires" and the "'star' theory". -I would say the reference to the star theory is Academic English, but Throsby goes on to explain it well enough that it's easily understood. -Throsby explores Dyer's star theory in relation to Byron's creation and employment of the 'byronic hero' and his use of it in his work to create a recognizable persona.

    9. void

      keyterm

    10. disclosure

      keyterm

    11. denial

      keyterm

    12. rejection

      keyterm

    13. importance

      keyterm

    14. imitation

      keyterm

    15. desire

      keyterm

    16. eroticised

      keyterm

    17. literary 'lover'

      keyterm

    18. presumptuousness

      keyterm

    19. Byronic hero

      keyterm

    20. identities

      keyterm

    21. attractive

      keyterm

    22. awakens

      keyterm

    23. unambiguously bio-graphical

      keyterm

    24. uncertainty

      keyterm

    25. reality

      keyterm

    26. fantasy

      keyterm

    27. audience

      keyterm

    28. star-audience relationship

      keyterm

    29. Byron flirts, so do his readers flirt

      Flirt is also a key word that is used a lot.

    30. Although the primary concern of this essay is the response of Byron's readers to his poetry and persona, I will begin by briefly investigating how the poet consciously courted female consumers through a process of 'flirtation' with the reader

      This is a strong claim that basically states that this is going to be about the response of byron's audience but also how he flirted with girls through his writing. This is the thesis.

    31. melancholic

      keyterm

    32. personalities

      Personalities/Personality is definitely a key term that is used a lot and has a lot to do with the thesis because of how Byron's personality shines through his reading.

    33. celebrity

      keyterm

    34. Richard Dyer's pioneering celebrity study, Stars.

      Here the author uses Richard Dyer's Stars as a source and the keyterm here is celebrity.

    35. The peculiar simultaneity of malignancy and softness in the Byronic character type meant that women were able to place themselves in the role of Byron's benevolent reformer.

      This is the major claim of the paragraph. The persona Byron created in his writing is connected to Byron himself in the minds of his readers and the softness that underlies even his evil deeds draws women to him with the idea they can help.

    36. emotional investment

      Key term: The basis of the special relationship between Byron and his readers that made him more than an ordinary poet and turned his readers into fans. The emotional connection Byron's readers feel to him transforms him into one of the characters of his novels and bestows upon him a personality that his fans can connect to.

    37. letters demonstrate how the Byronic persona encouraged a deep emotional investment from Byron's readers.

      Main theme: There is evidence that Byron's fans thought they had a personal connection to him.

    38. Byron's melancholy

      Key term: Byron's brooding element that aids him in forming such emotional poetry and is at the basis of so much of his character. Throsby equates Byron's melancholy with his Rebel character stating that together, these draw women to him with the idea that they can help.

    39. reform

      Main theme: Many of Byron's fans feel that they would be able to impact him in a real way because they think that they know him through his writing. Key Term: Byron made many mistakes and discrepancies in England, and this added to his fame, yet many women were willing to forgive his faults because they believe they saw in his writing a desire for reform. The idea of reform permeated Byron's celebrity interactions because many people saw him as living in sin and put it upon themselves to change that.

    40. Byron's formation of what Dyer would call 'the Rebel' character type and its strong appeal to women.

      Main theme: the Rebel persona that Byron creates for himself, whether true or not, is what draws this female attention.

    41. he Rebel' character type

      Key term: A persona that attracts interest by not conforming. Dyer defines Byron's celebrity persona with "the Rebel" character type.

    42. Byronic persona

      Keyterm: The celebrity that Byron created that was his personality in public and that showed throughout his writings. Throsby connects the Byronic persona to Byron's social successes.

    43. predatory power, controlling the entire meeting

      adds to the claim that she had other motives besides actually meeting Byron.

    44. fantasy

      repeated term

    45. By writing the letter, she is able to play the part of the mysterious, all-controlling 'Echo', and in a sense become the Byronic hero in her 'relationship' with Byron

      ties into one of the overall arguments of the selection in that the writer is arguing that some of these women who wrote to Byron about their fantasies with him weren't meant to be literal, but more about imitation and projection.

    46. there is still a strong element of fancifulness in her letter

      the claim is that Echo doesn't actually want to meet with Byron, but just wants to be able to fantasize about it.

    47. fantasy relationship

      repeated terms

    48. desire

      key term

    49. Echo

      Echo's letter is the evidence for the paragraph. It exemplifies one of Byron's letters that is more interested in an imagined fantasy than an actual encounter with Byron, which the author argues many of the mystery letter writers were more interested in.

    50. With his textual flirtation, Byron invites the reader to invest themselves in his image and participate in the creation of the Byronism.

      I know we were supposed to look for the thesis, but I thought this would be the conclusive statement, as it seemed to answer or further elaborate on the initial claim made at the beginning.

    51. Many others are more concerned to save Byron's soul: 'I am anxious that it should return to its natural bias before it is too late, that while you have time you should repent'

      I just thought this was interesting and it reminded me a lot of Anne Byron's portrayal in the BBC Biopic

    52. At the heart of Dyer's theory is the idea that the audience grows to feel as if they know a star because of the actor's development of an immediately recognisable and consistent persona.

      I know I've passed up the thesis, but I thought this was vital to Thorsby's claim, as it gives an explanation as to why the readers get so attached to Byron, as well as a strategy Byron may have used to build this relationship with his readers.

    53. Annotate a paragraph from the reading you’ve chosen (Ward or Throsby’s article). Set your annotations to private: this is an individual assignment. I’ll ask you all to reset them to public in class on Tuesday.

      1. Highlight and paraphrase what you consider to be the major claim of the paragraph.

      2. Highlight keyterms (these will be either terms that the article repeats or otherwise foregrounds, or terms that you recognize from readings/discussion thus far in the course). These terms don’t need to be nouns; verbs are also possible candidates! If you think a keyterm is “Academic English”, indicate that fact in the text of your annotations.

      3. What sources does the paragraph cite in relation to the keyterms it deploys? Picking a verb for each source, characterize the relation of that source to the author’s argument. (Eg. "Ward applies Gabler's idea of the "discourse of celebrity" to the case of Byron.") Attach your annotation to the name of the cited author(s).

    54. Flirting With Fame: Byron's Anonymous Female Fans

      I suspect you’ll find this essay somewhat easier to read than Ward's, for various reasons. She favors shorter sentences; she uses the "I" more frequently; finally, she writes using more of what I will call "metacommentary": statements that tell the reader what the argument has done/is doing/will do.

      How far into the essay do we have to go to locate Thorsby's thesis?

    1. soul

      Byron tends to uses the word soul a lot in his poems and this could be due to the tarnished soul he believes he has.

    2. unchangeable–unchanged

      What is he trying to imply here. the use of this oxymoron makes me think its important

    3. Noneareallevil–quickeningroundhisheart

      This could may be something that annabelle may have read that would've prompted her to think of Byron as better than he sees himself.

    4. Heknewhimselfavillain

      this could possibly reflect byron. he always considered himself a bad person and was never confident in his writing.

    5. Betraynofurtherthanthebittersmile

      this is interesting because betrayal in the form of a smile doesn't seem like it could hold a lot of weight but it definitely can.

    6. I feel anxious to avail myself of this latest

      He is probably the biggest critic of himself and is really afraid to show the world his work and dedicate it to someone in case they disapprove.

    7. TO THOMAS MOORE, ESQ

      A letter of dedication / dedicatory epistle is an old literary tradition. It implies a patronage relationship between author and patron: the former pays graceful compliments to the latter. The reality behind such letters varies widely; Moore was a decade older and Byron's first biographer (& present at the letter-burning!)

    8. Be it so – if I have deviated into the gloomy vanity of “drawing from self,” the pictures are probably like, since they are unfavourable; and if not, those who know me are undeceived, and those who do not, I have little interest in undeceiving. I
    9. latest and only opportunity of adorning my pages with a name, consecrated by unshaken public principle,

      citation

    10. with which I shall trespass on public patience

      citation

    11. it might be of some service to me, that the man who is alike the delight of his readers and his friends – the poet of all circles –and the idol of his own,

      citation

    12. Onedoubtfromothers’half-withheldesteem
    13. Opinionvaryingo’erhishiddenlot,Inpraiseorrailingne’erhisnameforgot;
    14. May I add a few words on a subject on which all men are supposed to be fluent, and none agreeable? – Self

      Class evidence excercise

    15. Hestoodastrangerinthisbreathingworld

      This represents the way one might feel when something changes. The world around you becomes unfamiliar and you can feel out of place. I imagine this is how he feels.

    16. Thesoultohateforhavinglovedtoowell

      Is this similar to the idea of being hurt after a good relationship ends?

    17. Attimesattracted,yetperplexedtheview,210AsifwithinthatmurkinessofmindWorkedfeelingsfearful,andyetundefined

      I think the repetitive use of yet represents his conflicting mind. He is trying to understand something.

    18. Yettherewassoftnesstooinhisregard,Attimes,aheartasnotbynaturehard

      Just like a pond covered by thin ice, the hardest of hearts are still thawed underneath an icy exterior.

    19. He,whowouldsee,mustbehimselfunseen.

      Byron could be referring to the English society at the time. It was politically correct to keep personal business/mistakes/dark desires hidden from public knowledge..

    20. TherewasalaughingDevilinhissneer,Thatraisedemotionsbothofrageandfear;Andwherehisfrownofhatreddarklyfell,225Hopewitheringfled–andMercysighedfarewell!

      In reference to his personal life, Byron could be talking about his "sinful" behavior. He saw himself as evil, and without being able to be changed.

    1. membered, or with

      He is feeling the pressure of possibly not having a name that lives on and he wants to be remembered for his achievements.

    2. I shall never attempt to replace its fading leaves, or pluck a single additional sprig from groves, where I am, at best, an intruder.

      Here he again discredits himself by saying he is an "intruder"

    3. boyish mind, this is, perhaps, unnecessary information.

      He is really discrediting himself and his work here

    4. ut they derive considerable fame, and a few not less profit,9 from their productions, while I shall expiate my rashness, as an interloper, certainly without the latter, and in all probability, with a very slight share of the former

      in class exercise

    5. . The opinion of Dr. Johnson on the Poems of a noble relation of mine,* “That when a man of rank appeared in the character of an author, his merit should be handsomely acknowledged,” can have little weight with verbal, and still less with periodical, censors, but were it otherwise, I should be loth to avail myself of the privilege, and would rather incur this bitterest censure of anonymous criticism, than triumph in honours granted solely to a title.

      In class exercise.

    6. It is probable that I may have dared much and done little; for, in the words of COWPER, “It is one thing to write what may please our friends, who, because they are such, are apt to be a little biassed in our favour, and another, to write what may please every body, because they who have no connection, or even knowledge of the author, will be sure to find fault if they can.”

      in class exercise

    7. To a few of my own age, the contents may afford amusement

      In class exercise

    8. In submitting to the public eye the following collection, I have not only to combat the difficulties that writers of verse generally encounter, but may incur the charge of presumption for obtruding myself on the world, when, without doubt, I might be, at my age, more usefully employed. These productions are the fruits of the lighter hours of a young man, who has lately completed his nineteenth year

      In class exercise

    9. Poetry, however, is not my primary vocation

      In class exercise.

    1. British Romantic poet and satirist whosepoetry and personality captured the imagination of Europe

      This is good evidence for our paper because it states that his poetry and his personality is what made him important

    1. have been thinking over the other day on the various comparisons, good or evil, which I have seen published of myself in different journals English and foreign. This was suggested to me by accidentally turning over a foreign one lately; for I have made it a rule latterly neverto search for anything of the kind, but not to avoid the perusal if presented by Chance.

      In the era of social media and Google, I suspect that this passage will have a very modern ring to some of your ears!

    1. e blue eyes, fair locks, and snowy hands

      possible citation

    2. old had a mother – not forgot, Though parting from that mother he did shun; A sister whom he loved, but saw her not Before his weary pilgrimage begun: 85 If friends he had, he bade adieu

      possible citation

    3. like moths, are ever cau

      possible citation?

    4. ngs would flash along Childe Harold’s brow; 65 As if the memory of some deadly feud62 Or disappointed passion lurke

      possible citation (ft. byronic hero?)

    5. the boy was grieved to leave the lake On whose firm banks he grew from Infancy, Eftsoons his little heart beat merrily With hope of foreign nations to behold, And many things right marvellous to see, Of which our lying voyagers oft have told, In many a tome as true as Mandeville’

      possible citation

    6. re drugged he almost longed for woe, And e’en for change of scene would seek the shades

      possible citation

    7. hough he loved but one,52 And that loved one, alas! could n’er be his. 40 Ah, happy she! to ’scape from him whose kiss Had been pollution unto aught s

      possible citation

    8. prose, nor honeyed lies of rhyme, Can blazon evil deeds, or consecrat

      possible citation

    9. Soregiventorevelandungodlyglee; 15FewearthlythingsfoundfavourinhissightSaveconcubinesandcarnalcompanie,Andflauntingwassailersofhighandlowdegree.

      possible citation

    10. hed he in his native land to dwell, 35 Which seemed to him more lone than Eremite’s sad cell.

      in class exercise

    11. hom he loved, but sa

      in class exercise

    12. d to many though he loved but one,52 And that loved one, alas! could n’er be his. 40 Ah, happy she! to ’scape from him whose kiss Had been pollution unto aught so chaste; Who soon had left her charms for vulgar bliss, And spoiled her goodly lands to gild his waste, Nor calm domestic peace had ever deign

      in class exercise

    1. Forgetfulness22 around me – it shall seem 35 Tome,thoughtononeelse,anotungratefultheme.

      This idea of forgetfulness can refer back to this same point that was made in A Fragment when Byron talks about his legacy being remembered or forgotten. Here the idea of forgetfulness is seen as a positive attribute.

    2. inthattaleIfindThefurrowsoflongthought,anddried-uptears,Which,ebbing,leaveasteriletrackbehind,25O’erwhichallheavilythejourneyingYearsPlodthelastsandsoflife–wherenotaflowerappears

      This could parallel Byron's life in the way that his accomplishments, or lack thereof, followed behind him and may have covered up various parts of his life that he wanted to forget.

    1. See the "courseblog" entry for discussion of this poem and the events surrounding it.

      I’ll cite two brief summaries of the events of early 1816. (Note that we already have biopic and Britannica versions...)

      1. W. Paul Elledge (1986):

      Following the birth of Augusta Ada on 10 December 1815, relations between Byron and his wife continued the rapid deterioration notable from early November when normal anxiety over the approaching confinement was exacerbated by a bailiff’s occupation of the house. Byron appears to have vented a good deal of rage and frustration over financial pressures in occasional verbal abuse of his wife, some of it hinting at his amorous relations elsewhere and at plans for a foreign excursion without her. Bewildered and apprehensive,she cultivated a suspicion that he was mentally deranged (possibly a murderer) and delayed a scheduled visit to her parents’ home in the hope of securing medical verification of it. On 15 January 1816 she left Piccadilly Terrace for Kirkby,but wrote Byron admonishingly and yet with good will that evening, in route. By private messenger on Friday, 2 February, after the letter had been intercepted and returned by a well-meaning Augusta the previous Monday, Byron received notification from his father-in-law that separation arrangements were underway. After weeks of distressed appeals and stubborn resistance on his part, coolly determined letters but often distraught behavior on his wife’s, and feverish consultations among their associates-during which time Byron’s mood ranged from initial astonishment through an agitation and depression that led Augusta to fear his suicide, finally to an exhausted and nearly despairing exasperation rendering him particularly susceptible to the importunities of Claire Clairmont- the preliminary Separation Agreement was signed on 17 March. The next day Byron wrote “”Fare Thee Well”” but held it for forty-eight hours before posting it along with a brief note to his wife. Two days later, Hobhouse found him in good spirits, eager to embark for foreign shores. On Byron’s instructions,””Fare Thee Well”” was first printed for private circulation on 8 April, and then without authorization was reproduced with “”A Sketch”” on 14 April in the Champion newspaper. Amidst the scandalized public outcry, directed almost entirely against “”A Sketch,”” Byron fled to Dover on the 23rd, the day after signing the final separation agreement, and thence to the continent on the 25th.

      1. Susan Wolfson (2010),:

      In a match that seemed absurd to all, Lord Byron and heiress Miss Milbank wed on 2 January 1815. Daughter Ada was born in December, and within a month, a little month, on 15 January 1816, Lady Byron packed her up and left for her parents’ home. Early in February Lady Byron’s father sent Byron a letter notifying him of her wish for a separation. Byron was stung; rumors and gossipbubbled and boiled, the press got involved in mid-April...”Fare thee well!” [began as] some lines of poetry that Byron sent to his “Dearest Bell” in late March or early April (BLJ5: 51-52), just after the draft Separation Agreement, before the finalization five weeks later. “I had a copy of Verses from his Lordship yesterday-very tender and so he talks of me to Every one,” Bell wrote to her mother (Elwin 448). Intimacy notwithstanding, copies were legion. Byron showed his friend Moore the lines (“the tears, as he said, falling fast over the paper as he wrote”), then sent either this paper, blotted, or a fresh copy off to Murray, who quickly shared it (Byron knew he would) with Gifford, Rogers, Canning, Frere, and many others, even Caroline Lamb. Byron then asked Murray to print it up, along with a nasty “Sketch” on Lady Byron’s Maid. Murray relished this last piece, cheering for the general male-clubbing. “It is tremendously exquisite,” he wrote to Byron on 1 April; “the most astringent dose that was ever presented to female Character” (L 159). Byron’s private label debuted a week later, on April 8, for distribution to fifty close friends. The network quickly went wide. Old nemesis Henry Brougham poached a copy, dashing it over to the Champion’s editor John Scott, who featured the two poems in the 14 April Sunday paper, elaborated with attacks on Byron’s character. A feeding frenzy ensued, piracies erupted, and within days everyone from Wordsworth to Stael had weighed in...The whole world interacted. Shops filled with cartoons and caricatures; pamphlets volleyed parodies, gossip, poems cast in the voice of Lady Byron (in a range of tones), spuriously attributed to her or the Lord, and so forth.

  3. Jan 2017
    1. Byron's celebrity can be seen in Gabier's sense as an ~ or related diismurse, a~ or namdve that brinp 1£0Flher author, the text of his JI&., mruier~ and 01hm m complex, ~II ways.

      I think he is saying that Bryon should not be considered a celebrity.

    2. But oo~ng such a c:elllelbriey' nar~ disoourse enib!ills in own pmblem1

      He seems go disagree with who we consider celebrities.

    3. witty obse:ll'W-tion bit a eelebriq ii someone who ii bawn for~ bown, ~ one who mm to ~ pablimed wlmher he or she desenw the attention (B7); mmmendn1 oa matentporary po~NN ~

      He sounds very sarcastic.

    4. It is impouible for JOO to haw a more purely~ friend thmi I mn-My iftmM la m:n~ -..d with 70m Fame"

      Ward is saying that if it had not been for Bryon then no one would know who Murray was and this would have likely caused murray fear of loosing his writer so he probably had to go though a lot of hurtles to keep Bryon.

    1. Noneknewnorhow,norwhy,butheentwinedHimselfperforcearoundthehearer’smind;Therehewasstamped,inliking,orinhate,

      Could Bryon be talking about how is writing makes other's feel and think?

    2. NoroutragedReason’srulesbyflawnorstart,Hismadnesswasnotofthehead,butheart

      Could this be Bryon's way of talking about his feelings for his sister?

    3. WithmorecapacityforlovethanEarthBestowsonmostofmortalmouldandbirth,

      This is a confusing statement because he is talking about love for the earth which is usually lumped with the people of earth but he is also talking about the mortal mould which is very fragile and almost insignificant.

    4. Withthemhecouldseemgayamidstthegay

      This would show that the poems are not the same person because the other man was feared and it did not mention him seeming gay amidst the gay.

    5. theirunhoped,butunforgottenlord

      How can someone be unhoped but unforgotten? Are they saying he is a demon or the devil?

    6. Theheartsthatloathedhim,crouchedanddreadedtoo.

      This makes me think of the phrase "is it better to be feared and loathed or better to be loved and afraid". I can't remember where I heard this but it is a great question.

    7. Within–within–’twastherethespiritwrought!Loveshowsallchanges–Hate,Ambition,Guile

      Could he be representing himself in this poem by saying he may not seem cursed but he is?

    8. nConrad’sformseemslittletoadmire

      I understand that it is important to have imagery but Bryon said in the letter said "an author should not think himself better than his characters" so why would he create an unattractive character? Did he see himself as unattractive or is he being hypocritical?

    9. I have written much, and published more than enough to demand a longer silence than I now meditate; but for some years to come it is my intention to tempt no further the award of “Gods, men, nor columns.”

      While he may have written a lot he is acting very argent and rude to someone who he just called his friend.

    10. It is said among those friends, I trust truly, that you are engaged in the composition of a poem6 whose scene will be laid in the East; none can do those scenes such justice.

      If he believes that this is not possible then why would he not have told his friend before he had left to go to Turkey? And why would he believe that it is not possible to describe?

    11. ra is a man of uncontrollable violence, unlike Conrad, whose propensity towards gentlemanly self-government is one of two qualities (the other being his military incompetence) which militates against the convincing depiction of his buccaneer’s calling.

      If these men are opposites then how could the be the same men? Could Bryon have meant they are a pair in a different way?

    12. THE CORSAIR and LARA

      See my page note for annotation guidelines!

    13. The two short selections I provide, from Cochrane’s editions of “The Corsair” and “Lara” (1814), consist of portraits of the hero(es) of each of these tales.

      These poems are two of Byron’s “Turkish Tales,” all written in the aftermath of the massive success of Childe Harold. As did CHP, they draw upon Byron’s experiences in the Mediterranean. Many readers saw them as following in the line of that poem (perhaps as revisions of material originally intended for CHP before Byron had suspended it). I’ll cite Cochran:

      Nothing like the “Turkish Tales” had ever been seen. Their convincing Oriental colours, the wildness of their characters, and the violent events portrayed – or supposedly portrayed – in their plots, made them a phenomenon. As soon as the cessation of war in 1815 permitted, they were translated into French; and within ten years, most were available either in that lingua franca, in continental English-language editions, or in other languages. Between them, they and [Sir Walter] Scott’s Waverley Novels transformed European literature, painting, and music. Never before or since had or has English literature been so influential with such speed. Shakespeare took much longer to percolate through.

      Annotation guidelines: we're going to focus on literary analysis AND the analysis of argument. As you read, look at how Byron, in his prefatory prose, discusses the relationship between his protagonists and himself. Then consider how the poetic portraits match, or fail to match, Byron's critical position. Does he really mean what he says in his prose; is the poetry good evidence for these claims; are there any particularly revealing moments?

      (I've provided Cochran's 3-page "Bibliography" simply so you could see how these texts circulated)

    1. clear that Byron was more than usually insecure and self-conscious as an adolescent, and publishing such a self-revelatory sequence of poems must have been an act of bravado agonizing in its riskiness

      It was a heroic act to publish poems involving the deep topics that Byron wrote about. At this point in time it was sort of tabooed to talk about one's struggles.

    2. It is highly improbable, from my situation, and pursuits hereafter, that I should ever obtrude myself a second time on the Public;

      I can't tell if, in saying this, Byron is genuinely only intending on publishing his work this once, or if he's doing that thing where he publicly talks himself down, expecting people to think he's humble, and be kinder toward him or encourage him in return.

    3. air – Frowns become not one so fair. ’Tis

      When I first read this, it reminded me of the controversial "you'd be prettier if you smiled" compliment. Most women I think revert to being defensive when told that, but I don't think Byron intended it to be rude.

    4. is given to some others – That is to say, unskilled to cozen, It shares itself among a

      I like how this shows despite the compliments Byron has given until now was not with the intent to flatter Marion, but as genuine advice. He says his heart is "unskilled to cozen," or can't mislead her, and he means and believes what he's saying to her.

    5. To produce any thing entirely new, in an age so fertile in rhyme, would be a Herculean task

      It is a pity that he saw himself as incapable of producing anything creative or original. But while the perception of a creator is understandable (that it is difficult to create something that does not share anything in common with the works of someone else), this is still no excuse not to try. It sounds like Byron gave up before even trying.

    6. and that a poem in the present day, to be read, must contain at least one thought

      He did not believe that Byron's rhymes were without musicality, but rather, without soul. He saw his poems as empty works that did not convey any true emotions.

      However that is very much a vague critique. It is up to the reader to perceive the 'thought' contained in a poem, just like it is up to the reader to perceive the complexity behind Joyce's Ulysses. Brougham was only after Byron's discrediting.

    7. say, unskilled to cozen, It shares itself among a

      Is he openly admitting his promiscuity?

    8. and that the tenth man writes better verse than Lord Byron

      This man was really offended by Byron's excessive pride.

    9. ll love, and all admire; While that icy aspect c

      Somewhat stereotypical topic of women being mysterious to men yet object of their admiration.

    10. ere my mode

      Are there any second intentions to Byron's poem? Or is he just using her as an inspiration to write, and nothing else?

    11. He meant what he wrote, but was at the same time terrified at what the impulse to self-revelation was making him do.

      Understandably, Byron was scared about having all of his inner most thoughts and feelings available for everyone to read and critique.

    12. the want of them is to be attributed to the years, rather than to any want of genius in our noble author.1

      Bryon's poems "want" to be remember by their words and meanings alone, not as the brilliant works of Byron.

    13. east, or seem t

      He is claiming that she has to act happy but what could have made her so unhappy? Did he say or do something to her? Because for him to be saying something like this to her he must have seen her happy before.

    14. gust to life hast thou? Change that disconten

      I think this is an interesting because a lot of poems from this time when they talked about women they just talked about their beauty; but he is saying you are pretty but your hatred is making you ugly.

    15. h shall be my na

      I think that this claim is very different for this time because it used to be that your family was who you are, but he is bringing in a new way of thinking by saying "No my family will not define me". (sorry my computer is acting weird and is not showing that I highlighted the whole line 8)

    16. To the dictates of young ambition, may be ascribed many actions more criminal, and equally absurd

      I do not like this claim. I realize that in this time young ambition was bad but I do not think it would be criminal.

    17. Some few were written during the disadvantages of illness, and depression of spirits: under the former influence, “CHILDISH RECOLLECTIONS,” in particular, were composed.

      While in this time poetry was more mature, it was also usually written by old men. So while his ideals may be "childish" to the older generation they would not be considered childish to his generation.

    18. as more than usually insecure and self-conscious as an adolescent, and publishing such a self-revelatory sequence of poems must have been an act of bravado agonizing in its riskiness

      While I do agree that the poems were an act of bravado (and different from other poetry that I have read from that time period (it is a lot more out there and obvious what he was saying compared to others) he did not seem very insecure to me; he actually seemed really arrogant.

    19. I believe in general they have been favourably received, & surely the Age of their Author, will preclude severe Criticism

      I'm not how true this statement is because usually both poetry and music create mixed feelings and they are not all good feelings.

    20. “to this sin;

      Byron seems very self-deprecating in this prologue and seems to see poetry as more of a distraction from living than anything very important. I wonder if this view of poetry and his poetic ability changed after his rise to fame, or if he was constantly doubting his skill even with all the confirmation.

    21. 1LORD BYRON: HOURS OF IDLENESS

      See my "page note" for annotating guidelines--& remember our class tag: p2r2017 (you can go back and add it with the "edit" pencil if you forget!)

    22. Hours of Idleness was Byron’s debut publication. Our text has a short introduction by Cochrane, Byron’s own “Preface” and the review of the volume, by Henry Brougham, published the next year in the Edinburgh Review. I've included only two poems, as a way of capturing two sides of Byron's early relationship to traditional poetic forms.

      This selection gives a much larger context for “A Fragment”; it lets you see what a young poet was “supposed to” sound like at the beginning of the 19th century, and, via Brougham, also gives you a counter-argument against that perspective.

      More generally, these documents reveal that poetry around 1800 was already part of a "scene": there existed an ongoing, fast-paced, sometimes vitriolic conversation in the media about the poetry of the day!

      In your annotations for this reading, I'd like you to focus on claims: those made by Lord B, in his poetry or in his prose; or those made by others. In particular, claims about poetry and the cultural role of "the Poet": but any other claims that you find of interest are also worthy of comment!

    1. to most women, he could be tender,melancholy, and idealistic. But this weakness was also Byron’s strength. His chameleon-like character was engendered notby hypocrisy but by sympathy and adaptability, for the side he showed was a real if only partial revelation of his true self.

      This quote supports Byron's portrayal in the movie, as he had a harder shell through the most of it, but around people he was close to (Augusta, and sometimes Hobhouse) he would be a bit more vulnerable, making him easier to sympathize with. This is again reflected in the movie when Byron first talks to Annabella (in part 1 at 23:40) she says she sees a sincerity in him, and believes in his good nature even if he does not.

    2. I don't think the Britannica article and the Biopic present Byron in the same light. I think the two "texts" more or less present the same facts about Byron, but I believe that the Biopic presents Byron in a over characterized light. Or in other words, I believe the Biopic to be too dramatized.

    3. bisexuality

      They only really show this in the beginning of the movie in Greece and then don't really show any continuing relations with other men.

    4. Byron arrived in Pisa in November 1821, having followed Teresa and the Counts Gamba there after the latter had beenexpelled from Ravenna for taking part in an abortive uprising. He left his daughter Allegra, who had been sent to him by hermother, to be educated in a convent near Ravenna,

      They briefly discuss this part of his life in the movie, but they don't really go into much detail about his involvement in the uprising or about his daughter being sent to him to be educated.

    5. bisexuality.

      With this not being mentioned in the movie, were they simply trying to allude that this was false or were they trying to create his character in a way that they would be able to avoid the controversial discussions that this term often creates?

    6. Lamb,

      While the movie shows Byron very affected by this liaison, it also mentions that he had many such affairs while abroad- the difference being that now there are more obvious consequences to his actions. However, this doesn't seem to influence his future actions, except for an effort to keep some of his affairs more secret.

    7. He followed this up with theOriental tales, which reflected the gloomy moods of self-analysis and disenchantment of his years of fame

      It the movie it would show him as being a happy "playboy" but then acting all gloomy out of nowhere. Could he have been acting to the point where he could not shake his gloom or could he have had something mentally wrong.

    8. His body was brought back to England and, refused burial in Westminster Abbey, was placed in thefamily vault near Newstead

      However this is very different from the end of the movie because it showed his body being cremated.

    9. Byron made efforts to unite the various Greek factions and took personal command of a brigade of Souliot soldiers,reputedly the bravest of the Greeks.

      This is the same as the end of the movie.

    10. who had been sent to him by hermother, to be educated in a convent near Ravenna,

      This is different from the movie because the movie said she was trying to get her daughter back from him.

    11. found Byron grown fat, with hair long and turning gray, looking older than his years

      While in the movie his hair and turned long and gray he did not look that much older and he did not look fat. However these may be a difference in times because what we would view as fat now they may not have viewed as fat then

    12. At the end of the summer the Shelley party left for England, where Claire gave birth to Byron’s illegitimate daughter Allegrain January 1817

      The movie did not mention that Claire went with them; in fact the movie made it sound like he took his daughter and left.

    13. “half dust, half deity, alike unfit to sink orsoar

      Lord Byron gives great imagery here of what it would feel like to just be and to not have and real purpose or meaning in life.

    14. bisexuality

      In the movie it did not mention him being bisexual. So did bisexual mean something different when this was written or could the movie have left it out?

    15. Byron’s sojournin Greece made a lasting impression on him. The Greeks’ free and open frankness contrastedstrongly with English reserve and hypocrisy and served to broaden his views of men and manners.He delighted in the sunshine and the moral tolerance of the people.

      Byron was able to be completely himself in Greece. Returning to London brought him back to reality. He was forced to face his debt. Byron was also pressured to conform to the social norms and rules.

    16. the strength of his heterosexual drive

      I think that Byron was with so many women, because he wanted to be able to take control of both sex and women. These were things Byron lacked control over when he was being abused as a child.

    17. Lady Frances Webster

      She is also never mentioned in the movie yet plays a key role in the attempt at keeping the affair with his half sister a secret.

    18. his mother died before he could reach her

      They imply that this happened but there isn't a strong emphasis on the death of his mother or how he feels about it.

    19. Mary Chaworth

      She isn't mentioned in the movie but I feel like that would be important.

    20. This short biographical encyclopedia essay is the counterpoint to the Byron movie; both are part of what I will call the “myth” of Lord Byron. Both are part of the conversation about him, his image, his reputation...

      This essay is roughly twenty years old. Its author, Leslie Marchand, is also the author of the “standard” 3-volume biography of Byron (“standard” meaning accepted by most/many specialists as the best existing biography): he’s a renowned scholar. Of course, this doesn't mean he will have a "neutral" attitude towards Byron...

      If possible, I want you to link your annotations to places in the text where this version and the BBC biopic version of Byron's life seem significantly different; or where the movie treats a particular moment in a manner you think worthy of commenting on.

      You may also make general comments (do the two versions seem to “match”?), using the "Page Note" setting, if you have a point that does not naturally link to any specific text.

      This is the first time we've used Hypothes.is, so part of what we're doing here is practicing with the interface. Be sure to "post to public" (either right away, or reset "only me" annotations after rereading/editing). Remember: you can reply to existing annotations!And please use our course tag (see below): you can add tags after the initial post by editing as well...

    21. George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron (English poet)

      I've added instructions for your annotations as a "Page Note" (the page icon)