Lord Byron Case

A Broken Man

Lord Byron stated that the poem "When We Two Parted" was written at a different date than it actually was. He did this to protect the mistress within the writing. This intensely personal poem is a brief lyric consisting of only four short stanzas. The first-person speaker takes the reader through an unseen side of himself that contains grief, regret, the mourning of a lost romance, and the loss of his innocence.

In the first stanza the speaker looks back in time with grief and regret about the romantic escapade he had. Feelings of sadness and emptiness overcome the speaker as he says:

When we two parted

In silence and tears,

Half broken-hearted, (1-3)

Ending the romance causes overwhelming pain. Looking back on the relationship with grief and regret, the speaker realizes that he will never have what he truly desires. While the first stanza spoke about the past, the second stanza looks into the cold future. It starts off with deep imagery of coldness striking his brow as Byron states, "The dew of the morning / Sank chill on my brow" (9-10). This imagery is foreshadowing the coldness of the speaker's future. Feeling betrayed, the reader is given insight into the relationship when Byron says, "Thy vows are all broken" (13). Mention of these vows could be two things. It could be talking about broken promises related to her wedding vows, or vows that she had possibly made to Lord Byron. This is something the reader may never know, but later in the stanza it does say that Byron "share in its shame" (16). Sharing in this shame could be talking about the shame they share from having this affair, which could make one believe that Lord Byron was talking about her wedding vows.

The nature of the affair and feeling of regret is revealed in the third stanza. The narrator describes hearing her name as "A knell to mine ear" (Byron 18), a sound or sign announcing a death. Byron reveals his regret and knows that he will continue to have these feelings. Questioning himself, Byron says "Why wert thou so dear?" (20), which is the only suggestion within the poem of the loving connection between the two. A tumultuous feeling overcomes the speaker in the fourth stanza. Betrayal and grief from the affair is overwhelming. The future is also referred to once more as Byron states:

If I should meet thee

After long years,

How should I greet thee? -

With silence and tears. (29-32)

If the speaker were to ever meet his mistress again, it would bring him to tears and would make him silent. This also allows the reader to see that the two are no longer in touch, but will continue to