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Byron: Man, Myth and Legacy

A single session on campus on Saturday 6 December, 10am-4pm.

Overview

This course offers an introduction to the work, life and many afterlives of Lord Byron. It will give you opportunities to encounter Byron’s poetry in the context of his life, from his first obscure publications to the works that made his name and the ones that mired him in scandal. We will also explore Byron’s impact on his contemporaries and later literature and examine how he used his poetry to comment on issues of the day.

Each session will look at a selection of Byron’s shorter poetry or extracts from his longer poems. Gaining an overview of Byron’s life and work, you'll develop your skills in reading poetry and gain an understanding of Byron’s work in the wider context of his life and place in history.

The course is ideal for anyone who is interested in Byron’s poetry, from those who’ve heard his name but never dived in, to those put off by the sheer length of his most famous works. If you're interested in exploring some of his popular and lesser known poems in depth, this is the course for you.

Syllabus

  • Ancestral homes, first loves and international travel - Byron’s early poetry
  • Scandal, exile and death - Byron’s later career
  • Byronic heroes and villains.

Course lecturer

Sam Hirst completed their PhD at Manchester Metropolitan University and later turned this research into their first book Theology in the Early British and Irish Gothic, 1764-1834. They are currently working on a book on demonic representation in Gothic fiction. They have published and spoken widely on the Gothic, popular romance, and theologies of the supernatural. They run the weekly lecture programme Romancing the Gothic which invites expert speakers from around the world on all topics more or less Gothic. They are also a regular collaborator with Newstead Abbey, Byron's ancestral home, and the Bronte Parsonage. They have taught English at the universities of Liverpool. Sheffield, Manchester Metropolitan and Oxford Brookes and have conducted post-doctoral research on Byron's life and legacy at the University of Nottingham.

Course fee

£55.