SECOND GENERATION OF ROMANTIC POETS
romantic spirit, Unhappy, isolated
George Byron P 359
Percy Shelley P 364
John Keats P 373
Style more refined, artificial, elaborate
All three died quite young
They implemented romantic ideals in their lives:
they dared to defy conventions, crushed by
reality
Byron believed so much in freedom that he went
to fight with the Greeks against Turkey in the
name of freedom, he died in Greece at 36. 
embodiment of the romantic rebel
Shelley, husband of Mary Shelley, he believed in
freedom, broke every rule of society, married
Mary Shelley after he already married a very
young girl who committed suicide, Mary lost
some of her children, she thought that God was
punishing her, he drowned in the sea at 30, Mary
came back to England, poor, rejected by
everyone in society.
John Keats died at 24 because of tuberculosis, in
love with a girl, but did not marry (film: bright
star) because he didn’t want to leave her a widow
BYRON
Lord
Handsome aristocratic young man, Symbol of
Parties, drugs, drinking
“dandy”  fashionable young man, witty,
admired, courts young ladies who adore him,
considers himself superior, he needs the approval
of others, womanizer, always bored “ennui”
“world weariness”
Politically engaged
Narrative poems
Went to live in Greece for a while
Incestuous relationship with his half sister, with
whom he had a daughter
Incapable of having a relationship, of love
Byronic hero cruel but irresistible
Some men admired him, others hated him
Flee England, surrounded by scandal 
Switzerland, Italy  revolution against
authorities
“Don Juan”  left unfinished
SHELLLEY
Radical, rebel, atheist, non-conformist, anarchist
Poem: “Prometheus unbound”  symbol,
rebellion against authority  it’s just that
Prometheus is unbound
Pamphlet: “The necessity of atheism”
Financial difficulties
Scotland, married a young girl  Harriet Shelley
kills herself because he had an affair
New wife, Mary  moves to Italy
Poem: “Ode to the West Wind”  Italian terza
rima, 5 stanzas
Immense lyric powers

Poets are the unacknowledged legislators of the

world  prophet of social change

Did not manage to establish a family