Childe Harold's Pilgrimage (1812-1818) is a book length poem by
British Romantic Lord Byron. Published in cantos, the narrative poem is
arranged in four parts, each following the journey of Harold, a
character based on Byron himself. Childe Harold's Pilgrimage
established Byron's reputation as a leading poet of his era, laying the
foundation for many of the elements of Romantic poetry--melancholy,
sublime and beautiful landscapes, a wandering hero--that would inspire
generations of writers, artists, and musicians to come.
Harold, a young and deeply unsatisfied man, wanders across a Europe
divided by war. In Spain and Portugal, he observes the horrible
aftermath of French occupation. While in Greece, though inspired by its
classical architecture and immense beauty, he is overcome with grief by
the daily realities of life under the control of the Ottoman Empire.
Harold makes his way to Belgium, where he visits the battlefield at
Waterloo before departing for Switzerland by way of the Rhine. Toward
the end of his pilgrimage, Harold travels from Venice throughout Italy,
observing its natural wonders and musing on its storied history. Childe
Harold's Pilgrimage--part fictional narrative, part autobiography--is a
moving map of a young man's mind and a continent's historical
experience. It is both a record of Romanticism's influence on literature
and psychology and a testament to the profound influence of trauma and
conflict on the individuals and cultures of nineteenth century Europe.
With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript,
this edition of Lord Byron's Childe Harold's Pilgrimage is a classic
of English literature and Romanticism reimagined for modern readers.
