Heritage and Innovation in Byron’s Narrative Stanzas

Abstract

Aespite his political radicalism, Byron has always been admired for his poetic decorum, especially in his ottava rima verse. I use the word “decorum” without apology, in full recognition that it brings with it the label of “formalist.” Formalism has been admirably defended against a previous generation of theorists’ criticisms by several recent books on the subject (Clark 1–22; Levine 6). Among these, Susan Wolfson’s Formal Charges demonstrates that, far from being by nature quietist and conservative, formalist criticism may actually be quite radical (227–32).