The Development of Lord Byron´s Satire

• Thesis title in Czech: Vývoj satiry lorda Byrona
• Thesis title in English: The Development of Lord Byron´s Satire
• Key words: George Gordon Byron, poezie, romantismus, satira,
• English key words: George Gordon Byron, Poetry, Romanticism, Satire
• Academic year of topic announcement: 2012/2013
• Thesis type: Bachelor's thesis
• Thesis language: angličtina
• Department: Department of Anglophone Literatures and Cultures (21-UALK)
• Supervisor: prof. PhDr. Martin Procházka, CSc.
• Author: hidden - assigned and confirmed by the Study Dept.
• Date of registration: 30.09.2013
• Date of assignment: 30.09.2013
• Administrator's approval: not processed yet
• Confirmed by Study dept. on: 07.10.2013
• Date and time of defence: 07.09.2015 00:00
• Date of electronic submission: 10.08.2015
• Date of proceeded defence: 07.09.2015
• Submitted/finalized: committed by student and finalized
• Opponents: Mgr. Miroslava Horová, Ph.D.

Guidelines

As the aim of the thesis is to trace the development of Lord Byron's satirical voice, I have chosen to analyze three of his shorter satirical works (the analysis of Don Juan is omitted on purpose, since it has been thoroughly examined by many scholars) significantly different from each other both in form and content, and thus allowing me to map Byron's satirical technique and to show the contrast between the texts. The following works will be analyzed: English Bards and Scotch Reviewers (1809), Beppo: A Venetian Story (1817) and The Vision of Judgment (1822). To understand satire it is essential not only to analyze the texts, but also to put them into context, which will also be part of the thesis. While English Bards and Scotch Reviewers presents Byron's sharp opinion on his contemporaries (including the Lake poets) and serves as the poet's defence against literary critics, Beppo marks a new approach. The novella shows strong Italian influence – not only the anecdote is set in Italy and thus allows the author to satirize both Italian and English society, but Byron also adopts the form of ottava rima typical of Italian literature. The themes covered in the novella are less local in contrast to English Bards; Beppo has a fictional plot and characters that serve as a background for the narrator's satirical remarks. The form of ottava rima and the Italian influence is also to be found in The Vision of Judgment, one of Byron's last works. As the poem is Byron's reaction on Robert Southey's A Vision of Judgement, it modifies and further develops Byron’s critical approach presented in English Bards and Scotch Reviewers. Byron's long-standing offensive attitude towards Southey will be examined, too since it is a theme that reappears throughout his writing career. The Vision of Judgment requires analysis with regard to Byron's other works of similar motifs published at approximately the same time, i.e. the mysteries Cain and Heaven and Earth or the Dedication of Don Juan. Last but not least, Byron was conscious of the political situation both in Britain and in the countries he exiled to, notably of the oppressed Greece and the question of its independence; as satire provides space to express political remarks, attention will also be given to the issue of interrelating Byron's satirical works with politics. His political views developed and became more sceptical and critical; this feature of his writings will also be examined. The thesis shall highlight the major themes covered in the three texts and thus provide a coherent image of Byron's satire. Furthermore, I aim to discover both the connecting and diverging features of the works in terms of satire. This will be achieved by close textual analysis together with putting the poems in the historical context.
Structure
I. Outline of the historical and political context II. Overview of Lord Byron's satirical works III. Analysis of English Bards and Scotch Reviewers IV. Analysis of Beppo: A Venetian Story V. Analysis of The Vision of JudgmentVI. Comparison of the three works based on the analysis prior to this chapter, identifying contrast in the technique, determining characteristic features of Lord Byron's satire VII. Conclusion

References

Primary Source

Byron, George G. B, Jerome J. McGann, and Barry Weller. The Complete Poetical Works. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 2003.


Secondary Sources

Beaty, Frederick L. Byron the Satirist. DeKalb, Ill: Northern Illinois University Press, 1985.
Bogel, Fredric V. The Difference Satire Makes: Rhetoric and Reading from Jonson to Byron. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 2001.
Bone, Drummond. The Cambridge Companion to Byron. Cambridge, GB: Cambridge University Press, 2004.
Cardwell, Richard A. The Reception of Byron in Europe: Vol. I. London: Thoemmes Continuum, 2004.
Cardwell, Richard A. The Reception of Byron in Europe: Vol. II. London: Thoemmes Continuum, 2004.
Christensen, Jerome. Lord Byron's Strength: Romantic Writing and Commercial Society. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1993.
Ellis, David. "Byron's Sense Of Humour." Romanticism 17.1 (2011): 106-115. Humanities Source. Web.
Fuess, Claude M. Lord Byron As a Satirist in Verse. New York: Russell & Russell, 1964.
Goode, Clement T. Byron As Critic. New York: Haskell House, 1964.
Griffin, Dustin H. Satire: A Critical Reintroduction. Lexington, Ky: University Press of Kentucky, 1994.
Kelsall, M. M. Byron's Politics. Brighton, Sussex: Harvester Press, 1987.
McGann, Jerome J. Don Juan in Context. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1976.
Rutherford, Andrew. Byron: A Critical Study. Stanford, Calif: Stanford University Press, 1961.
Sutherland, James R. English Satire. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press, 1967.