Childe Harold's Pilgrimage by Lord Byron
"Childe Harold's Pilgrimage" is a poem by Lord Byron that follows the journey of Childe Harold, a disillusioned young English nobleman seeking meaning in his life after indulging in a life of excess. Discontented with his heritage and the superficiality of his pursuits, Harold leaves England, setting out on a quest that takes him through Portugal, Spain, Albania, Greece, and Italy. Throughout his travels, he is struck by the beauty of the landscapes but is also critical of the moral decay he observes in the people inhabiting these lands.
In Spain, he witnesses a bullfight, which deepens his understanding of human cruelty and suffering. As he journeys into Albania and Greece, Harold's perspective shifts; he encounters a mix of cultures and begins to see both the nobility and hope within humanity amidst the chaos of civilization. The poem evolves from a narrative about Harold's escapades into a more personal reflection, especially in its final Canto, where Byron speaks directly to his experiences and emotions while traversing the remnants of the ancient world. Ultimately, the piece serves as both a personal pilgrimage and a broader commentary on the human condition, intertwining themes of loss, beauty, and the search for purpose in life.
Childe Harold's Pilgrimage by Lord Byron
First published: 1812–18
Type of work: Poetry
Type of plot: Picaresque
Time of plot: 1809–18
Locale: Europe
Principal Characters
Lord Byron , the authorChilde Harold , a young traveler
The Poem
In Canto One, Byron introduces Childe Harold, a young English nobleman who has been wasting his life with drinking, idleness, and making love to unsuitable women. The woman he does love he cannot have. Despondent, he leaves his family, his family home, his heritage, and his lands to travel, albeit with no clear destination. Perhaps, he thinks, he will find happiness and some meaning to his life once he leaves England.
Leaving, he sings a mournful song—the poem “Good Night”—bidding farewell to his homeland, to his parents, and to his wife and sons. Harold encourages the young page who accompanies him over the ocean not to be afraid. When Harold lands on the shore of Portugal, he finds himself moved in strange and unexpected ways. He begins exploring the land on horseback, moving aimlessly in search of his destiny, and he wanders into the mountains northeast of Lisbon, to Cintra, the site of the Convention that allowed the defeated French army to withdraw intact. Harold comments on the disgrace of this event. He makes many such comments on political events. He also reflects on the scenery, finding the land beautiful but the people dirty and immoral. Harold laments on the sorry state of these men and women who live in such a beautiful land. He continues into Spain.
In Spain, Harold is again thrilled by the magnificence of the scenery but appalled at the depths to which the civilization has fallen. His first real understanding of human cruelty occurs in Spain, where he watches a bullfight. He watches the cruelty of the humans tormenting the bull and the courage of the beast, who cannot understand why anyone would try to hurt it. The bullfight, as always, ends in the death of the bull but brings Harold no further in his quest to understand the meaning of his life.
Canto Two shows Childe Harold’s first change of heart when he travels through Albania into Greece, meeting a great many people of various nationalities and religions. He finds the Albanians to be barbaric by his standards but in some ways nobler than the more civilized people he has encountered thus far. His spirits begin to rise as he realizes that, whatever the situation of civilization, there is still great hope as he witnesses both the wonders of nature and the goodness of humankind. However, at the end of the canto, reflecting on death and loss, Harold decides to return home and confront what he had left behind.
In Canto Three, Harold again leaves England, embarking on a second Grand Tour. He travels to Belgium, the Rhine, Switzerland, and the Alps. Harold reflects on the child, Ada, he has left behind, yet he embraces the continuance of his journey. It is at this point that the fiction of Harold is replaced by the reality of Byron’s own voice. This canto includes a description of Napoleon’s defeat at Waterloo, as well as “Harold’s” commentary on Napoleon. In Germany, along the banks of the Rhine, Harold finally feels a sense of hope and begins to see some meaning in the human condition. He continues on his journey, exalting in the beauty of the Swiss Alps and sites that remind him of the courage of the human spirit. Harold reflects on Rousseau and his life and work. The canto concludes with verses to his daughter.
Canto Four is prefaced by a letter to Byron’s friend John Hobhouse. Byron finally does away with the third-person narrator and speaks in the first person. He turns “from fiction to truth,” telling his own story. The canto begins with Byron’s reflections while standing on the Bridge of Sighs in Venice. Byron travels through the Italian countryside and the ancient cities that were once part of the Roman Empire. He comments on sites and on the people who lived there, average men, military leaders, and authors. His journey, like those of many pilgrims, ends in Rome. The stanzas on Rome constitute more than half of the canto. Finally, turning from cities and people, Byron speaks about the ocean and declares his “task is done.”
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