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    Rotherham , October 19 , 1827 . Lord Byron was , in our opinion , the greatest and most original poet of his age . It cannot be denied , indeed , that he has borrowed some of his characters and descriptions from the pages of history and romance ; but this has always been the practice of great poets , not excepting Shakspeare himself , from the age of Homer to the present day . Like his great

    predecessors , however , what he has taken from others he has made his own ; he has thrown over naked prose all the embellishments of poetry ; and where he has condescended to imitate , it has not been like a servile copier , but as a great genius . In opposition , then , to those unjust critics who would class this exalted poet with common plagiarists , we cannot but express our admiration of the extraordinary and splendid talents which have left their eternal impress on his works .

    A more plausible charge which the detractors of Lord Byron s talents bring against them is the sameness of his characters . It must be confessed that this sameness does exist , and that the hero of all his poems ( with the exception of his dramas ) is one individual . " Childe Harold , " " The Corsair , " and " Lara , " may be justly considered as different sketches of the same person in different circumstances , and , together , they form a sort of

    poetical biography of his actions and feelings from his earliest years to his death . This individual , however , is always so powerfully described as to render the sameness of Lord Byron more striking and interesting than the variety of other poets . He is , if we ^ may he allowed the expression , the great magician of the story , and always presents himself to our view surrounded with such mighty spells that our senses are charmed , and our reason chained , by their fascinating influence .

    This influence , however , like that of witchcraft , is often dangerous and evil ; and the poems of this noble author too nearly resemble the fatal song of the Syrens , which , though sweet and enchanting , lured to destruction those who listened to its melody . Their general tendency is certainly to cast a gloom . over the mind , and render us dissatisfied with life , the evils of which they continually press upon our attention , without describing the alleviating circumstances that lessen their weight , or even remotely alluding

    to the great moral good that arises from their existence . They are , also , calculated to lower our opinion of human nature , and destroy the strongest motives to honourable exertion ; since they dwell only on the selfishness of man , and deride his noblest pursuits . A worse effect likely to result from , these poems is the scepticism which they are calculated to produce in minds not well fortified by religious principle ; for they represent a future state of existence as , at best , altogether doubtful , if desirable , whilst they call in question even the attributes of the Deity ,

    The most striking characteristic of Lord Byron ' s poetry is , indeed , the moral gloom that envelopes it . Enthroned amidst the dark clouds of scepticism , this mighty , but evil , genius throws forth the illumination of his talent , like lightning in the storm , only upon mournful and distressing objects . He shews us man , tossed on the tempestuous ocean of life , without any light to guide him in safety over it , but the momentary flash that reveals , only to render his situation more dreadful , the dangers that encompass it , and then leaves him to perish amidst theih in despair . He throws a fearful

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    ON THE POETRY OF BYRON .

• Citation
  • Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Dec. 2, 1827, page 868, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1803/page/12/