George Gordon Byron, the Romantic poet, was one of the first celebrities to receive a deluge of fan mail from anonymous women whose amorous epistles he treasured, research has revealed. The unpublished letters show the ardour of Byron‘s fans, who often laced their notes with daring sexual undertones and breathless fantasies. Contrary to the popular opinion of Byron as an aloof and reclusive poet who did not invite public adoration, the letters suggest that he relished being adored and wrote suggestive poetry that “flirtedŽ with his readers, inviting them to respond in kind.
The letters, dated between 1812 and 1814, were studied for the first time by Corin Throsby, an academic at Oxford University. Many of the notes were brief and untidy, and were kept by Byron despite the fact that most of their female authors asked him to dispose of them, as their language would have scandalised respectable 19thcentury society. That he ignored the women‘s pleas and apparently kept the correspondence as “trophies further undermines the myth that Byron was a reluctant literary hero.
Burn this letter!
While the letters of notable women who wrote to Bryon have been studied in the past, these 45 epistles - the remains of hundreds of unnamed fan letters that Byron admitted to receiving - have never before been published. The letters, Ms Throsby added, marked the advent of celebrity fan mail which became a staple phenomenon in the 20th century but was rare in Byron‘s lifetime.
“They were often personal outpourings - some were written as poetry and some cast him as one of his own poetic characters,Ž she said. “Some writers even sent him their own work while others spoke of their own circumstances and how they felt much better for writing to Byron. Many of them were furtive and embarrassed and said: ,Can you burn this letter as soon as you have read it‘ ... The fact that he kept them suggests he really did care what people thought and although he struck a pose of aloofness, he appears to have treasured these letters.Ž The women, who ranged in age and social class, may have been spurred on by Bryon‘s cultivated image as the brooding Romantic hero who had suffered heartbreak in early life, she added.
The letters often contained sexual metaphors, as well as poetic elements such as one note written in verse that said: “Why, did my breast with rapture glow?/ Thy talents to admire? Why, as I read, my bosom felt?/ Enthusiastic fire.Ž The writer later spoke about “trembling as she gazed at Bryon‘s portrait. The correspondence, which is soon set to be digitised for public view by the National Library of Scotland, also reveal a darker side to his devotees‘ zeal.
You will see Echo...
A woman who called herself Echo wrote to Byron as a “kindred spirit who might be able to heal his “wounded heart. But the language in a second letter is far more ominous, suggesting a meeting after midnight and casting herself as a sexual predator. She wrote: “Should curiosity prompt you, and should you not be afraid of gratifying it, by trusting yourself alone in the Green Park at seven o‘clock this evening, you will see Echo. If this evening proves inconvenient, the same chance shall wait you tomorrow evening at the same hour ... Should apathy or indifference prevent your coming, adieu forever!
On 15 July 1817, Byron wrote to his publisher, John Murray: “I suppose in my life I have received at least 200 anonymous letters - aye - 300 - of love, literature, advice, abuse, menace or consolation, upon all topics and in every shape. Dr Jane Stabler, a reader in Romanticism at the University of St Andrews and herself a Byron scholar, said the anonymous fan letters have never before been investigated in detail, and may give yet more credence to the theory that Bryon was heavily preoccupied with his image.
Dr Stabler said: “The fact that Byron kept the letters is important. He was absolutely fascinated by his own reception and the way he was perceived. He even mingled his poetry with his own selfcreation. He pretended not to care about his reader while at the same time making huge efforts to keep track of what his readers thought about him.
The Independent
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I Love You, Lord Byron
poet [‘peuit] básník, poeta
postbag [‘peustbeg] poštovní pytel, došlá pošta
bulge with [baldž wiü] být nacpaný/napěchovaný
admirer [ed‘maiere] obdivovatel, ctitel
deluge [‘delju:dž] záplava
amorous [‘emeres] milostný, zamilovaný
epistle [i‘pisl] epištola, list
treasure [‘treže] cenit si, pečlivě opatrovat
reveal [ri‘vi:l] odhalit, ukázat, prozradit
ardour [‘a:de] vášeň, zanícenost, zápal
lace a note with [leis e neut] ozdobit/zkrášlit zprávu
daring undertone [‘deerin ‘andeteun] odvážný podtón/náznak
breathless [‘bre°les] napjatý, se zatajeným dechem
aloof [e‘lu:f] odměřený, chladný, rezervovaný
reclusive [ri‘klu:siv] samotářský, odloučený
invite adoration [in‘vait ede‘reišn] vítat/žádat uctívání
relish [‘reliš] vychutnávat si, kochat se
suggestive [se‘džestiv] dvojsmyslný, lechtivý
in kind [in kaind] v naturáliích
brief and untidy (-ie-) [bri:f an‘taidi] stručný a neupravený
dispose of [di‘speuz ev] zbavit se, zlikvidovat
respectable society [ri‘spektebl se‘saieti] počestná/vážená společnost
plea [pli:] prosba, žádost
apparently [e‘perentli] zjevně, očividně
trophy (-ie-) [‘treufi] trofej
undermine [ande‘main] podkopat, podlomit, podrýt
reluctant hero [ri‘laktent ‘hiereu] zdráhavý hrdina
burn (burnt, burnt) [be:n] spálit
notable [‘neutebl] významný
unnamed [an‘neimd] anonymní, beze jména
admit (-tt-) to [ed‘mit tu:] připustit, přiznat
staple phenomenon [‘steipl fe‘nominen] základní/běžný jev
rare [‘ree] vzácný, zřídka se vyskytující
outpouring [‘autpo:rin] citový výlev
cast [ka:st] obsadit, angažovat, vrhnout
circumstance [‘se:kemstens] okolnost, situace, poměry
furtive [‘fe:tiv] tajnůstkářský
be embarrassed [im‘beresd] cítit se trapně/rozpačitě
strike (struck, struck) a pose of [strail e peuz] předstírat
range [reindž] zahrnovat, pohybovat se
spur (-rr-) on [spe: on] pobídnout, podnítit
brooding [‘bru:din] hloubavý, dumající
heartbreak [‘ha:tbreik] hluboký žal, hoře
breast [brest] hruď, prsa
rapture [‘repče] extáze, blaženost
glow [gleu] kypět, zářit, žhnout
thy [üai] tvůj (arch.)
bosom [‘buzem] poprsí, ňadra
enthusiastic [in°ju:zi‘estik] nadšený, náruživý
trembling [‘tremblin] třas, chvění
gaze at [geiz et] zírat na
devotee [deveu‘ti:] ctitel, nadšenec
zeal [zi:l] nadšení, horlivost
kindred spirit [‘kinded ‘spirit] spřízněná duše
wounded [‘wundid] raněný, zraněný
ominous [‘omines] zlověstný, znepokojující
curiosity (-ie-) [kjueri‘oseti] zvědavost
prompt [prompt] pohánět, pobízet
gratify (-ie-)[‘gretifai] uspokojit
inconvenient [inken‘vi:nient] nevhodný, nevyhovující
indifference [in‘difrens] netečnost, nezájem, lhostejnost
aye [ai] ano, baže
advice [ed‘vais] rada
abuse [e‘bju:s] nadávka; zneužívání
menace [‘menes] hrozba, výhrůžka
consolation [konse‘leišn] útěcha, potěcha
investigate [in‘vestigeit] zkoumat, studovat
credence [‘kri:dens] víra, důvěra
be preoccupied with [pri‘okjupaid wiü] dělat si starosti s, myslet na
perception [pe‘sepšn] chápání, vnímání
mingle [‘mingl] míchat, směšovat
keep track of [ki:p trek ev] sledovat, být informován o
