George Gordon Byron, The Prisoner of Chillon

Mary O'Connell (University College Cork)

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 1816

Places

England (Country of Origin)

Genres and Modes

Poem

Resources

The Prisoner of Chillon is a poem which explores the effects of the denial of physical freedom. It is also an investigation into whether intellect and imagination can ever compensate for or alleviate the loss of freedom. While Byron and Percy Bysshe Shelley were living in Switzerland, they visited the Castle of Chillon on the shores of Lake Geneva in June 1816. After touring the Castle and its dungeons (which had been used to hold political prisoners), Byron was inspired to write a monologue based on the history of Francois Bonnivard, a Swiss patriot who was imprisoned in Chillon from 1530-1536.

The poem is prefaced by a “Sonnet on Chillon” which celebrates the “Eternal Spirit of the chainless Mind!” (l.1) and …

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1283 words

Citation: O'Connell, Mary. "The Prisoner of Chillon". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 19 October 2010 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=7460, accessed 25 November 2024.]

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