Short Biiography Of George Gordon, Lord Byron

Meet George Gordon, Lord Byron

"Mad, bad, and dangerous to know" is how one contemporary described George Gordon, Lord Byron. Indeed, ByronÐ'--aristocrat, poet, member of Parliament, athlete, expatriate, and freedom fighterÐ'--was perhaps the most colorful figure of his day.

Descended from two noble but flamboyant and violent families, Byron inherited his title and property at the age of ten when his great-uncle, known as the "Wicked Lord," died. Byron had been born with a clubfoot, and the physical suffering and acute embarrassment it caused him profoundly affected his temperament. "No action of Lord Byron's lifeÐ'--scarce a line he has writtenÐ'--but was influenced by his personal defect," Mary Shelley wrote. To compensate for his condition, Byron succeeded in becoming a masterful swimmer, horseman, boxer, cricket player, and fencer.

After graduating form Cambridge University, Byron toured southern Europe and Asia Minor. While traveling, he worked his adventures into poetry, including the first part of his long poem Childe Harold's Pilgrimage. This he published on his return to England at age twenty-four, and as he quipped, "I awoke one morning and found myself famous." His books sold well, and he influenced art and fashion, as well as literature, with his flamboyant style. Soon, however, the fame of the handsome young writer turned to notoriety. Personal scandals plagued him as he pursued a self-indulgent lifestyle involving many love affairs.

At twenty-eight, Byron exiled himself from England, never to return. He spent most of his remaining life in Italy. Shortly after his thirty-sixth birthday, Byron died of fever, having exhausted his energies training Greek troops fighting for independence from the Turk. His efforts in support of the Greek independence movement made him a national hero in Greece.