Lord Byron

George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron, was born in London in 1788 and became one of the most influential poets of the Romantic era. His early success came with "Childe Harold's Pilgrimage" (1812), which made him a celebrity. Byron's major works include the narrative poems "The Giaour" and "The Corsair," as well as the dramatic poem "Manfred." His masterpiece, the unfinished epic satire "Don Juan" (1819–1824), showcases his wit, skepticism, and mastery of ottava rima. Byron's life was marked by scandal and self-imposed exile, leading him to Italy and later Greece, where he died in 1824 while supporting Greek independence. His literary legacy includes the creation of the "Byronic hero"—a brooding, defiant figure—and his influence on later writers from the Brontës to Nietzsche. Byron remains a central figure in English Romanticism, celebrated for his lyrical power and rebellious spirit.