Start Date
6 December, 2025
Saturday, 10am - 4pm
Overview
This course offers an introduction to the work, life and many afterlives of Lord Byron. It will give the students 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 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.
This course aims to give students an overview of Byron’s life and work. It will develop students' skills in reading poetry. It will enable participants to understand Byron’s work within the larger context of his life and his historical moment.
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, and those with a love of Byron’s work who are interested in exploring some of his popular and lesser known poems in depth.
Syllabus
- The day will be divided into three sessions
- First Session – Ancestral Homes, First Loves and International Travel: Byron’s Early Poetry
- Second Session – Scandal, Exile and Death: Byron’s Later Career
- Third Session – Byronic Heroes and Villains
Please note that the ‘last date available to book’ date is only a guide. We reserve the right to close bookings earlier.
In order to avoid disappointment, please be sure enrol as soon as possible. Registrations will not be processed until the following day if received after 3pm.
Course Lecturer: Dr Sam Hirst
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.
Courses fees: Full fee £55.
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