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3 votes
1 answer
235 views

In Lord Byron's "Don Juan," what was the lead character "half-smother'd" by?

This would be the character's first adventure. Julia, a married woman, became his mistress. Her husband, Don Alfonso, was told that she was cheating on him and ran into the bedroom, accompanied by ...
Ricky's user avatar
  • 181
8 votes
2 answers
1k views

Are Don Juan and Haidée both Greek, as this line in the poem seems to suggest?

Canto II of Don Juan contains the following, which I found absolutely hilarious: They look upon each other, and their eyes Gleam in the moonlight; and her white arm clasps Round Juan’s head, and his ...
CDR's user avatar
  • 3,388
2 votes
2 answers
110 views

Antecedent of a pronoun in Byron's "The Bride of Abydos"

What is the antecedent of the pronoun they in the context below, from Byron's The Bride of Abydos, Canto I, stanza 5? He is an Arab to my sight, * Or Christian crouching in the fight. – (145) But ...
balteo's user avatar
  • 1,003
2 votes
1 answer
145 views

Meaning of dashes and "no more" in Byron's "The Bride of Abydos"

I came across this verse in Canto I, stanza 5, of Byron's The Bride of Abydos: That blood – he hath not heard – no more – Can someone explain the use of the dashes here and the meaning of no more? ...
balteo's user avatar
  • 1,003
3 votes
2 answers
74 views

Meaning of "work me more annoy" in Byron's "The Bride of Abydos"

I am reading Byron's The Bride of Abydos and I came across this sentence in Canto I, stanza 5: 'Much I misdoubt this wayward boy Will one day work me more annoy – (133) How are we to understand the ...
balteo's user avatar
  • 1,003
2 votes
2 answers
51 views

Meaning of "let the old and weary sleep" in Byron's "The Bride of Abydos"

I am unsure about the meaning of a passage from Lord Byron's The Bride of Abydos (Canto I, stanza 3). How are we to understand the sentence between dashes: let the old and weary sleep below? What ...
balteo's user avatar
  • 1,003
3 votes
1 answer
44 views

Meaning of the word "award" in a stanza of Byron's "The Bride of Abydos"

I am reading a poem by Lord Byron: The Bride of Abydos and I am unsure about the meaning of the word award in Canto I, stanza 3, quoted below. Does it mean a sum of money such as a tip or does it have ...
balteo's user avatar
  • 1,003
5 votes
1 answer
557 views

Use of 'city' in Byron's poem "Darkness"

In his poem "Darkness", Lord Byron writes: [...] The crowd was famish'd by degrees; but two Of an enormous city did survive, And they were enemies: they met beside [...] Is Byron employing ...
TomDot Com's user avatar
  • 1,227
7 votes
1 answer
902 views

The grammatical function of "Nor" without "Neither" or "Not" in poetry

I've seen a number of examples of poetry, where "nor" appears without a preceding negative. In these examples, I'm unsure of whether I'm meant to understand the sentence as: "neither&...
user1365680's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
334 views

What does this quote in Don Juan by Lord Byron mean? "Sweet is a legacy, and passing sweet The unexpected death of some old lady"

Sweet is a legacy, and passing sweet The unexpected death of some old lady I saw this quote in C. S. Lewis's The Inner Ring and I'm having trouble figuring out what it means. What does this quote in ...
breeda1's user avatar
  • 13
2 votes
1 answer
162 views

Who is "Luna" in Byron's "To Mary, On Receiving Her Picture"?

Here are the fourth and fifth stanzas of "To Mary, On Receiving Her Picture" by Lord Byron: Here, I behold its beauteous hue;     But where's the beam so sweetly straying, Which gave a lustre ...
Soumee's user avatar
  • 473
5 votes
1 answer
136 views

Meaning of "Was given to her favorite, and now bore his" in Byron's Don Juan

From Byron's Don Juan (Canto The Tenth, XLIX): While this high post of honour's in abeyance, For one or two days, reader, we request You'll mount with our young hero the conveyance Which wafted him ...
CopperKettle's user avatar
  • 3,059
6 votes
1 answer
118 views

Meaning of "and those things which for an instant clip enjoyment's wings" in Byron's Don Juan

Canto 10, stanza 5, from Byron's Don Juan: We left our hero, Juan, in the bloom     Of favouritism, but not yet in the blush; And far be it from my Muses to presume     (For I have more ...
CopperKettle's user avatar
  • 3,059
5 votes
1 answer
120 views

Meaning of "all game and bottom" in Byron's "Don Juan"

From Byron's Don Juan: That drinks and still is dry. At last they perish'd -- His second son was levell'd by a shot; His third was sabred; and the fourth, most cherish'd Of all the ...
CopperKettle's user avatar
  • 3,059
3 votes
1 answer
117 views

Meaning of "With Ismail's storm to soften it the more" in Byron's "Don Juan"

Canto 8, stanza 68, from Byron's Don Juan: So much for Nature: -- by way of variety, Now back to thy great joys, Civilisation! And the sweet consequence of large society, War, pestilence, ...
CopperKettle's user avatar
  • 3,059

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