Copyright

Anne Barton

Published On

2024-03-21

Page Range

pp. 3–14

Language

  • English

Print Length

12 pages

1. Lord Byron and Trinity

A Bicentenary Portrait

  • Anne Barton (author)
Chapter of: Byron and Trinity: Memorials, Marbles and Ruins(pp. 3–14)
In this chapter, entitled ‘Lord Byron and Trinity: A Bicentenary Portrait’ (1988), Anne Barton examines Lord Byron and his relationship with Trinity College, Cambridge, reflecting on the contradictory assessments of Byron during the bicentenary year of his birth. The chapter then explores his tumultuous years as a student at Trinity College, where he engaged in various activities which clashed with the College’s norms. Byron’s interactions with tutors and his temporary departure from Trinity are highlighted. The chapter also touches upon Byron’s academic challenges, the first publication of his poems, and his satirical critique of the Trinity fellows, before discussing the influence of Cambridge on his later poetic endeavours. The chapter concludes with a reflection on Byron’s departure from Cambridge and the enduring impact of his experiences there on his life and work.

Contributors

Anne Barton

(author)

Anne Barton (1933–2013) was an eminent Shakespeare scholar and literary critic. Her most celebrated book Shakespeare and the Idea of the Play, adapted from her doctoral thesis at Girton College, Cambridge and published in 1962 under her former name Anne Righter, looked at Shakespeare’s historical and theatrical context to examine his relationship with plays, actors, and the audience. Some of her other publications include Ben Jonson, Dramatist (1982), The Names of Comedy (1990), and Byron: Don Juan (1992). Barton was a distinguished academic, holding positions as a Professor of English at Cambridge University and Fellow of Trinity College. She was also the first woman fellow at New College, Oxford where she taught for ten years. In 1991, she was elected a Fellow of the British Academy.