George Gordon Byron, Hours of Idleness

Adam White (The Open University)

Ed. by Daniel Robinson, Widener University
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.2.1.06: English Writing and Culture of the Romantic Period, 1789-1837.
Vol. editors: Daniel Cook (University of Dundee), Daniel Robinson (Widener University)

Dates

First circulation or publication 1807

Places

England (Country of Origin)

Genres and Modes

Poem collection

Resources

Hours of Idleness is impressive in its generic range, featuring odes, elegies, dedicatory “stanzas”, love lyrics, and translations of various sorts. In many respects it also serves as an appropriate chronological and thematic starting point for exploring Byron’s poetry, especially for those readers daunted by his longer, later, more famous works. Yet while it has garnered a modest amount of critical attention over the years (Gleckner 1–39; Blackstone 3–40), Hours of Idleness does seem to occupy a still too minor place in Byron’s oeuvre given the ambition and range apparent in the volume, though scholars such as Caroline Franklin (4–5) and Peter Cochran (15–16) have outlined recently the historical and …

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1382 words

Citation: White, Adam. "Hours of Idleness". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 29 February 2016 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=4695, accessed 22 November 2024.]

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