The works of George Gordon, Lord Byron have long been controversial,
nearly as controversial as his lifestyle. Gordon Byron was born with a
clubfoot and his sensitivity to it haunted his life and his works. Despite
being a very handsome child, a fragile self-esteem made Byron extremely
sensitive to criticism, of himself or of his poetry and he tended to make
enemies rather quickly. The young Byron was often unhappy and lonely any many
of his works seem to be a sort of introspective therapy. Throughout his
writings and life history there is much evidence to suggest that his poetry
was greatly influenced by his mental instability. In many ways, Byron seems
to use his work as an escape from a difficult reality. The lengthy poem Don
Juan offers an especially intimate glimpse of Byron's psyche.
In order to understand the depth of Byron's psychological troubles and
their influence on his poetry, it is important to examine Byron's heritage
and his upbringing. Young George Gordon inherited the title of Lord Byron at
the age of six. This him a rank in society and a bit of wealth to go along
with it. Byron's heritage is a colorful one. His paternal line includes the
"Wicked Lord", "Mad Jack and "Foul Weather Jack (Grosskurth 6)." The family
propensity for eccentric behavior was acerbated by young George Gordon's
When Byron was just three his financially irresponsible father died,
leaving the family with a heavy burden of debt. Byron's mother then proudly
moved from the meager lodging in Aberdeen, Scotland to England. Young Byron
fell in love with the ghostly halls and spacious grounds of Newstead Abbey,
which had been presented to the Byron's by Henry VIII, had received little
care since. He and his mother lived in the run down estate for a while. While
in England he was sent to a "public" school in Nottingham w...