Byronism is a trend in literature that has influenced many of the most talented writers and poets around the world. It was especially popular among Russian writers of the 19th century. Let's find out more about Byronism and its creator, and also consider the most famous Russian writers of this period who were passionate about this trend.
Who is Byron?
Before considering what Byronism is in the literature (the definition and distinguishing features of this trend), it is worth learning about its founder, the British aristocrat poet George Gordon Byron.
The childhood of the future literary idol passed in poverty, because, despite his noble birth, the poet was able to get the hereditary title and money only at the age of 10, when his distant relative died.
While studying at Cambridge University, Byron discovered the poet's talent in himself and began to write poetry. They were well received in literary circles, but the poem about the bored nobleman “Pilgrimage of Childe Harold” brought real fame to the author. Soon after its publication, Byron's noble longing, like a plague, spread not only throughout the UK, but throughout Europe.
As befits an idol, George Byron lived to the fullest: conquered the hearts of beautiful ladies, squandered money without an account, openly criticized the modern political system and fought in duels.
By the fateful tradition of geniuses, Byron died young - at 36 years old. The cause of his death was a cold, but more interesting is how the poet fell ill. Despite his popularity, Byron was known more as a theorist, and the author himself dreamed of proving that he would in fact be as noble as in words. That is why when the Greeks (whose culture the writer admired all his life) started a war with the Ottoman Empire for independence, the poet came to their aid. He spent all his money and influence to equip rebel soldiers. However, he did not live to win, having caught a cold and died.
Byronic Hero
Shortly after the publication of the Childe-Harold Pilgrimage, a concept such as the “Byronic hero” arose in world literature. In fact, Childe-Harold was the first representative of this kind.
In the future, such characters were often found in the works of Russian writers - Pushkin, Lermontov, Turgenev and, of course, Dostoevsky.
What are the hallmarks of a byron hero?
- He is always very smart, has an excellent education and upbringing.
- The hero is inherent cynicism and arrogance. He is almost always in opposition to power - which means that he is doomed to the share of an exile.
- Such a character is a kind of sex symbol that can seduce anyone. However, the classic Byron hero does not find much joy in this and most often does it just like that.
- And the main feature of such a hero is his mystery. A secret is hidden in the heart and past of each such character, which, like a magnet, attracts everyone, especially women.
What is Byronism?
Having learned who Byron is and what features the type of hero of works of art created by him has, it is worth considering the main thing. So, let's find out the answer to the question: "Byronism in literature - what is it?"
This name bears a special trend of 19th century romanticism, whose adherents inherit the traditions of Lord Byron. In other words, at the center of any work of this kind is a byronic lyrical hero.
Special features of this literary movement
Having learned the answer to the question "Byronism - what is this?", It is worth considering the distinguishing features of works written in a similar style.
- Most of the adherents of this trend in creativity are characterized by a mood of disappointment in the world and its social structure.
- Also an important feature of byronic characters is the so-called world longing. As Pushkin wrote about this, “Like the Aglitz’s spline, in short: Russian spleen.”
- Another feature of Byronic works is the feeling of the main character of his own difference from everyone else.
- Despite the ostentatious estrangement from the world and longing, adherents of this movement are characterized by an attempt to elevate their heroes (as well as themselves) to the role of possible saviors of mankind. A peculiar embodiment of this ideal for many at that time was Napoleon Bonaparte. By the way, that is why he in one form or another appears in many works of that time.
Byronism in European literature
After the release of “Pilgrimage ...” almost all the young writers of Europe were captivated by the beauty of the syllable and the ideas of the author.
At the same time, more mature writers saw very well that nothing stood behind the enthusiastic romance and noble impulses of the Lord, except youthful maximalism and a selfish faith in their own uniqueness. But they often were unable to withstand the charm of the poetry of the longing British.
The most famous byronist writers in France are Alfons de Lamartine, Alfred Victor de Vigny and Alfred de Musset.
Even Victor Hugo, gravitating towards realism, shared the desire of Byron's heroes for freedom and their willingness to confront the authorities.
In Italy, the most famous representative of Byronism is Giacomo Leopardi, in Germany - Heinrich Heine, in Poland - Adam Mickiewicz and Juliusz Slowacki.
Byronism in Russian literature of the 19th century
Like other European geniuses, the writers of tsarist Russia were fascinated by the ideas of the British yearning lord and were inspired by them when creating their own works.
Among the fans of Byronism, the most successful were authors such as V. Kyukhelbeker, A. Polezhaev, A. Pushkin. M. Lermontov, A. Griboedov.
In addition, the influence of this trend can be found in the works of F. Dostoevsky, I. Turgenev.
Interesting facts about Byronism in the work of Pushkin
Considering in more detail the examples of Byronism in the work of Russian writers, it is worth starting with the founder of the Russian literary language - A. S. Pushkin.
Like his school friend Küchelbecker, the future classic was in love with Byron's poetry. Moreover, according to contemporaries, Alexander Sergeevich most admired the British's ability to describe exotic countries and their inhabitants.
For this reason, in Pushkin's early poetry (The Prisoner of the Caucasus, The Bakhchisarai Fountain), romantic byronism is quite strongly felt.
When Alexander Sergeyevich matured as a poet, he began to more soberly evaluate the work of his idol. So, his famous novel in verses “Eugene Onegin” became a kind of Russian parody of Childe-Harold.
Throughout the work, its creator is ironic over the passion for society byronism. In particular, the author makes fun of the basic postulates of this movement in the image of Onegin: his “noble yearning”, laziness, superficial education and constant desire for the forbidden. At the same time, the creator of the novel himself actively used in him such a favorite Byron method - witty comments by the author along the way.
Even in later periods in Pushkin's work, Byron's influence was noticeable. It seems that the classic to some extent competed with his British counterpart. For example, in response to the poem of Lord Mazepa, Alexander Sergeevich wrote Poltava.
In the works of Pushkin and Byron there are stories about Don Juan. It is interesting that Alexander Sergeyevich, the famous seducer, has more characteristic features of the Byron hero than the creator of Childe-Harold.
Byronism in the works of Lermontov
Another talented Russian poet - a follower of the current trend is Mikhail Yurievich Lermontov.
It is possible that his adoration of the work of the British genius was due to the poet’s love for Pushkin’s poems. So, in the biography of writers there is an interesting fact: they both wrote poems in the style of Byronism at different times - “The Prisoner of the Caucasus”.
Lermontov’s fascination with Byronism developed according to the same scheme as that of Alexander Sergeevich. The young genius wrote several poems (“Ishmael Bay”, “Haji Abrek”, “Mtsyri”), full of admiration for the oriental flavor of the Caucasian peoples and all the same insatiable melancholy and disappointment in life.
Growing up, the poet also began to rethink his passion for romantic longing, but, unlike Pushkin, he continued to feel the closeness of his fate with Byron's work. Perhaps this can explain the peculiar restlessness of Mikhail Yuryevich and his self-destructive behavior, which cost him his life. Some researchers of his work believe that the poet not only sought to imitate his British idol, but also unconsciously turned into a kind of Childe-Harold.
As for Lermontov’s later work, the example of Byronism in poetry is “Demon”, and in prose - “Hero of our time”.
The image of a demon in the eponymous poem was inspired by Lucifer from Byron's Cain. But the main character of the “Hero of our time” Pechorin is Lermontov’s original find, endowed with many of its own features.
Byron motifs in the works of Turgenev and Dostoevsky
Unlike Lermontov and Pushkin, Turgenev and Dostoevsky were busy people, they did not have time for aristocratic anguish. Despite this, their work was influenced by the current in question.
For example, the main character of Turgenev’s novel “Fathers and Sons”, Yevgeny Bazarov, is a typical Byronic hero, called the fashionable word “nihilist” at that time. Moreover, Turgenev throughout the work not only masterfully demonstrates the utopianism of his ideas, but also once again shows the uselessness of such “heroes of our time” to society. What is the phrase in the finals of “Fathers and Sons” about young Russian students: “... with which Heidelberg is filled and who, surprising at first naive German professors with their sober look at things, subsequently surprise the same professors with their complete inaction and absolute laziness ... not able to distinguish oxygen from nitrogen, but full of denial and self-esteem ... ".
The master of the word Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky went even further in criticizing Byronism. In his epoch-making novel Crime and Punishment, he displays images of not one, but several Byronic heroes at once (Rodion Raskolnikov and Arkady Svidrigailov) whom he contrasts with each other.
Raskolnikov is disappointed in life and finds solace in his “special mission” - saving the world. In the end, he goes on a crime that does nothing good to anyone.
Svidrigailov is a more typical Byron hero. He is mysterious, rich, smart, cynical and devilishly seductive. Waning from the traditional "world longing," he falls in love with Raskolnikov’s sister. In the finale, he has to realize that even her reciprocity will not be able to heal him - therefore the hero kills himself.
In contrast to Svidrigailov, Raskolnikov does not manage to achieve any of the desired, but in the finale he finds not only a new goal in life, but also a new mentor (Sonya), which helps him to take the true path.
Researchers at Dostoevsky’s work suggest that even more features of Byronism can be found in the novel The Brothers Karamazov. Here, Fyodor Mikhailovich not only shows a series of childe-harolds with Russian flavor, but also directly criticizes such a worldview: “Dreamy love longs for the feat of speed, quickly be satisfied and everyone to look at it. Here it really comes to the point that they even give their lives, if only they would not last long, but rather be completed, as if on stage, and so that everyone would look and praise. Active love is work and endurance, but for others it’s perhaps a whole science ... ”
After such a deep analysis of the fundamentals of Byronism in literature and human psychology, as Dostoevsky did in his time, it seemed that this topic should have ceased to excite the minds of writers. However, the magic of the noble point has not dried up to this day.
Therefore, mysterious heroes, languishing from loneliness and misunderstanding, are still among the most common book characters.