Epistle to a Friend, in Answer to some Lines Exh
The poem is a response to a friend's advice to be cheerful and banish care. The speaker argues that it is impossible to do so when faced with the hardships of life, including poverty, illness, and death. They express their own feelings of melancholy and despair, but also acknowledge the importance of maintaining a sense of dignity and self-respect in the face of adversity.
By Lord Byron · First published 1817 · Genre: Poetry, Romanticism, Epistolary · 621 words
First lines
‘OH! banish care' - such ever be The motto of thy revelry! Perchance of mine, when wassail nights Renew those riotous delights, Wherewith the children of Despair Lull the lone heart, and `banish care. ' But not in morn's reflecting hour, When present, past, and future lower, When all I loved is changed or gone, Mock with such taunts the woes of one, Whose every thought - but let them pass Thou know'st I am not what I was.
But, above all, if thou wouldst hold Place in a heart that ne'er was cold, By all the powers that men revere, By all unto thy bosom dear, Thy joys below, thy hopes above, Speak - speak of anything but love.
What this Textopian page supports
Epistle to a Friend, in Answer to some Lines Exhorting the Author to be Cheerful, and to Banish Care is listed on Textopian as an essay by Lord Byron, dated 1817 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Essay
- Author: Lord Byron
- Date: 1817 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Poetry, Romanticism, Epistolary, Philosophical, Autobiographical
- Length: 621 words
- Structure: 1 section, 8 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Very Easy (5th Grade or below)
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Discussion starters
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Similar titles
- Epistle To Charles Cowden Clarke by John Keats
- Lines Written Beneath An Elm In The Churchyard Of Harrow by Lord Byron
- Sonnet Why Did I Laugh To Night by John Keats
- Elegy by Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe
- Epistle To George Felton Mathew by John Keats
- Epitaph On A Beloved Friend by Lord Byron
Genres
- Poetry — The work is written in verse form, employing rhyme and meter, characteristic of poetry.
- Romanticism — The themes of personal emotion, introspection, and the focus on individual experience align with Romantic literary traditions.
- Epistolary — The work is structured as a letter or epistle, addressing a friend directly, which is a hallmark of the epistolary genre.
- Philosophical — The text reflects on themes of despair, love, and the human condition, engaging in philosophical contemplation.
Tags
Poem · Elegy · Friendship · Cheerfulness · Care · Mortality · Philosophy · Literary · 18th Century · English Literature · Romanticism · Byronic