Selected Poems (Dover Thrift Editions)
by Byron

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Book Reviews of Selected Poems (Dover Thrift Editions)

Book Review: Enjoyable, Imaginative Poems - Byron Excels in Many Genre
Summary: 5 Stars

I Would I Were A Careless Child recalls an idyllic life of childhood in Scotland. I wondered whether Lord Byron was truly sincere in his request to 'take back this name of splendid sound'.

Contrastingly, in the short poem Damaetas we encounter an untrustworthy, manipulative child 'versed in hypocrisy' who is soon 'old in the world though scarcely broke from school'.

Stanzas To A Lady On Leaving England tells of an enduring love: 'have loved so long, and loved but one'. Nonetheless, soon thereafter Byron playfully describes The Girl of Cadiz, a beautiful Spanish maiden. We also meet Maid of Athens, Ere We Part and the innocent She Walks in Beauty.

To my surprise, the love poem When We Two Parted devolves into betrayal, broken vows, and deceit.

The Prisoner of Chillon is a chilling fable, a narrative of three brothers, chained to dungeon pillars, and dying slowly. The horrific poem Darkness is imaginative terror worthy of Edgar Allan Poe. And don't be misled by the apparently peaceful beginning to the macabre When the Moon is on the Wave (from Act 1, Scene 1, of Manfred).

The long narrative Beppo is totally different, a playful and amusing story that is enjoyable to read again and again. Dear Doctor, I Have Read Your Play is a humorous, rambling rejection note from a publisher, addressed to John William Polidori, Byron's friend and fellow poet.

I especially liked the two short, sentimental poems So We'll Go No More A Roving and My Boat Is on the Shore.

The Vision of Judgment is a lengthy, humorous satire that is still fun to read today, even though some references to topical events and political personalities are now unfamiliar. (It was probably less amusing to those individuals targeted by Byron.). In contrast, the short poem, Who Killed John Keats?, is sharp satire, not at all amusing.

The thirty-one poems in this 100 page Dover Thrift Edition are quite enjoyable. After reading this short collection, apparently only a small fraction of Lord Byron's creative work, I suspect that you will have little choice but to become better acquainted with Byron's poetry.

Summary of Selected Poems (Dover Thrift Editions)

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