Written after Swimming from Sestos to Abydos
The poem is a lamentation of the impossibility of love between two people from different cultures and social classes. It describes the speaker's longing to be with his beloved, who is unattainable due to their differences. The poem explores themes of love, loss, and the futility of human endeavor in the face of societal constraints.
By Lord Byron · First published 1819 · Genre: Poetry, Romanticism, Satire · 220 words
First lines
If, in the month of dark December, / Leander, who was nightly wont ( / What maid will not the tale remember? ) / To cross thy stream, broad Hellespont!
If, when the wintry tempest roar'd, / He sped to Hero, nothing loth, / And thus of old thy current pour'd, / Fair Venus! how I pity both!
For me, degenerate modern wretch, / Though in the genial month of / May, My dripping limbs I faintly stretch, / And think I've done a feat today.
But since he cross'd the rapid tide, / According to the doubtful story, / To woo, - and - Lord knows what beside, / And swam for Love, as I for Glory;
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Written after Swimming from Sestos to Abydos is listed on Textopian as a poem by Lord Byron, dated 1819 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: Lord Byron
- Date: 1819 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Poetry, Romanticism, Satire, Classical Allusion, Narrative
- Length: 220 words
- Structure: 1 section, 5 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
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Similar titles
- Translation From Catullus Ad Lesbiam by Lord Byron
- Sonnet To Genevra by Lord Byron
- From Anacreon I by Lord Byron
- Sonnet If By Dull Rhymes by John Keats
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- From Anacreon Ii by Lord Byron
Genres
- Poetry — The work is structured in verse form, utilizing rhyme and meter typical of poetry.
- Romanticism — The poem reflects themes of love, nature, and individual emotion, characteristic of the Romantic era.
- Satire — The poem employs humor and irony, particularly in contrasting the speaker's modern experience with the classical tale.
- Classical Allusion — The poem references the myth of Leander and Hero, drawing on classical themes and stories.
Tags
Poem · Elegy · Sonnet · Greek Mythology · Love Poem · Romanticism · Byronic Hero · Tragic Love Story · Sea Voyage · Sestos to Abydos · Aegean Sea · Ancient Greece