Byron and the Age of Sensation

Jonathan Bate explores the life and work of the original celebrity poet Lord Byron. Byron was simultaneously a Romantic and an anti-Romantic.

A lecture by Sir Jonathan Bate , Gresham Professor of Rhetoric 11 June 2019

Jonathan Bate will explore the life and work of the original celebrity poet - Lord Byron.

He will show how Byron was simultaneously a Romantic and an anti-Romantic, and how his influence spread to almost every corner of Europe, from the Russia of Pushkin to the Greek War of Independence.

[josie_posie]

Sir Bate's lectures are like sermons to my soul. These poets left a blueprint for radical expression they are truly rockstars including Sir Bate. Knowing their stories and works and influence helps me breathe.

[professorhamamoto]

A brilliant talk. I'm currently reading systematically the Gothic novels published by Oxford university press and as suspected have found them to be relevant to the present rejiggering of the world system by AI and algorithm rather than sense and sensibility.

[kevinmoore]

The soul of Adonis beacons from afar indeed.
Amazing lectures.
A lovely mind and sensibility.

[roniquebreauxjordan]

..taking the whole series...Ovid to Shakespeare to Byron... World Lit.📚📚📚

[somnathsardar]

Sir, your voice is encouraging and engaging with magical charm. ..

[jackcooper]

Such a shame for Shelley to be so disregarded, possibly the most underrated poet ever

[postrock]

The clip of The Rolling Stones quoting Shelley for Brian Jones was interesting

[uhoh]

Byron and Ovid, quietly censored giants in an age of epic hypocrisy.

[jackbailey]

Why can't the Brits pronounce 'Juan'?

[ericadler]

Byron was the eternal teenager who is his own worst enemy.

[nephytania]

Was it really about Byron? With all these huge fragments from jane Austin and whatever... Byron had wonderful poems about love and friendship: where on Earth does the lecturer mention it? What about Byron's political views? Byron had some political as well as artistic disagreements with Wordsworth and Coleridge: why not mention it? What about... well, Cain, Manfred, Prometheus and the significance of these pieces? What about some pieces devoted to Italian history which were perceived as hymns for Italian revolutionary movement? Where is at least something important told here?! And everybody writes - brilliant lectures!
Such lectures are the killing of culture, nothing more.

[scottk]

I wonder what they'll call this age in a few hundred years. The age of stupid problems maybe.