Last Words on Greece by Lord Byron
The poem is a lamentation of the decline and fall of ancient Greek civilization. It expresses a sense of loss and regret for the passing of a glorious era. The speaker reflects on the glory that once was Greece, now lost to time and foreign occupation. The poem is a call to action, urging Greeks to reclaim their heritage and resist foreign domination.
By Lord Byron · First published 1824 · Genre: Poetry, Romanticism, Political · 140 words
First lines
What are to me those honours or renown / Past or to come, a new-born people's cry? / Albeit for such I could despise a crown / Of aught save laurel, or for such could die.
I am a fool of passion, and a frown / Of thine to me is as an adder's eye. / To the poor bird whose pinion fluttering down / Wafts unto death the breast it bore so high; / Such is this maddening fascination grown, / So strong thy magic or so weak am I.
First published, Murray's Magazine, February, 1887, vol. i. p. 146.
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Last Words on Greece is listed on Textopian as a poem by Lord Byron, dated 1824 CE.
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- Work type: Poem
- Author: Lord Byron
- Date: 1824 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Poetry, Romanticism, Political, Tragedy
- Length: 140 words
- Structure: 1 section, 3 paragraphs
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Genres
- Poetry — The work is structured in verse form, utilizing rhyme and meter, characteristic of poetic expression.
- Romanticism — The themes of passion, emotion, and individualism align with the Romantic literary movement.
- Political — References to a 'new-born people's cry' suggest political undertones and commentary on national identity.
- Tragedy — The imagery of death and despair conveys a sense of tragic inevitability.
Tags
Poetry · Travelogue · Autobiography · Memoir · Historical · Nonfiction · Classics · Greek History · Philosophy · Politics · Culture · Society