Thoughts on Lord Byron's Don Juan

The mock epic poem Don Juan is considered by many scholars to be Lord Byron's greatest work. What are your thoughts as to the literary worth of the first two cantos that we have read? Are they good poetry?

I haven't read any of Byron's other works, and so i cannot judge whether or not Don Juan is his greatest work. But after reading the first two cantos, I can tell that it is really a masterpiece. The language is so rich- it is full of diverse allusions and refernces, which reveal Byron's well-rounded intellectual background. In my opinion, Byron chose to write in simple, straight-forward language that flows easily to keep to readers interested and captivated by the story, despite its length. I thought that he was able to establish a laudable mock-epic by using satyr, which was good-natured at times and cuastic at others, and through the characters. For, contrary to typical "epic heroes", Don Juan is naive and lacks the physical strength. Byron uses this poem as an outlet for expressing his feelings towards certain individauls and aristocratic groups of people. However, his humourous sarcasm makes the poem light and enjoyable rather than offensive. All in all, i think that this poem is worthy of all the praise and recognition it has acquired.

Hours of magic

Eyes that scream with burning lust

for what’s so close yet Out of reach.

Silence.

No one else could hear.

At dusk, the eyes are weary

and will now

retreat,

once more,

to sleep.

Madness in a whisper that echoes only in a dream.

Can you see the colors in the dark?

Do you feel the laughter on your skin?

Release. Live

the trance you’re in.

A life that’s parallel to what is real.

The night is young but Time moves fast.

Live,

Relive the trance you’re in.

Soon, the sun will rise

without a sound.

And who would dare escape the day?