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Alexander Ishutenko Professor Gregory Munna English 201 - 1002 5 December 2019 George Gordon Lord Byron “Prometheus” The poem “Prometheus” was written by George Gordon Lord Byron in the last period of his life. It has the theme of uncompromising resistance to oppression. The Promethean fearless struggle for the freedom of the oppressed has become one of the key themes of Byron's work in the last years of his life when he himself fought for the independence of Italy and Greece. In the poem, "Prometheus" Byron used the ancient legend of Prometheus, a fighter against the tyranny of the gods, for the happiness of mankind. The image of the Titan was one of Byron's favorite characters. He turned to this image in his youthful translations from Greek and in such mature works as The Bronze Age and Don Giovanni. In the poem Prometheus, a call is made to resist tyranny, the noble feat of the Titan, the protector, and patron of people is magnified. Resistance against tyrannical power is one of the natural desires of mankind. Realizing that the struggle against tyrannical power is one of the natural rights of mankind and foreseeing that the next century for Europe will be an era of social revolutions and national liberation uprisings, many European poets turned to the image of the titan Prometheus. This, despite the ban of Zeus, brought people a spark of divine fire, for which for thousands of years he was chained to a rock in the Caucasus Mountains. The conflict between Zeus and Prometheus was considered by writers, among whom were Voltaire, Goethe, and others, not only
as an epitome of self-sacrifice for the sake of humanity but as a confrontation between titan and a tyrant. The poem shows a heroic character Prometheus who is a Greek god, has been shown as a symbol of an angel and a sacrifice. Also, we see in the poem Zeus who was the most important of the Gods, has been shown as a symbol of the dark power of oppression and terror. The poem begins with a scene where Prometheus was seen tied to a rock with chains and he looks miserable. He is in a terrible condition as if he is going through punishment. But he doesn’t moan or cry, he just takes the pain while the eagles eat greedily his liver and come back repetitive, so he recovers after damages and act of torture continues. The poet tries to describe the events in a manner that the readers feel pity and respect for Prometheus. The poem is written about an episode of Greek mythology, which describes a conflict between good and evil. The poet shows the story through three perspectives: Prometheus, Zeus, and People. Prometheus was a Greek god, who stole fire from Olympus and gave it people. Later, he was present to intense punishment for this act by God, Zeus. He was punished for acting against the will of God. The poem is written in free verse, with the first stanza having fourteen lines, the second stanza twenty-one lines, the third stanza twenty-five. The poem consists of eight iambs in a line. The Fire in the poem is a symbol of awakening and enlightenment. The god Zeus is shown as a symbol of the dark power. Prometheus has been shown as a symbol of goodness. The dedication of ancient Greek Titan became the main motive of the work of Lord Byron. The poem consists of three parts, each of which begins with an appeal to Titan. It is important to note that in the first lines the poet reveals the attitude of the Titan towards ordinary people. Byron’s “Prometheus” looks at people without disrespect on their mortal destiny, we can
proud Lord Byron’s “Prometheus” accepted a bitter gift as an honor, he writes, “The wretched gift Eternity” (24). Only the strong-willed can endure inhuman torture, therefore the hero is not broken by the universal anger of the tyrant. The thunderous Zeus receives a proud look and silence in response to his verdict and sends trembling arrows of lightning that cannot crush the spirit of proud Prometheus: And in thy Silence was his Sentence, And in his Soul a vain repentance, And evil dread so ill dissembled, That in his hand the lightnings trembled. (31-34) The third part of the poem is an appeal to people to look and act like an ancient Greek hero. Kindness to people has become his crime. The hope of making everyone happy turned into an indelible sin. This act is a free choice of the hero which should become a great role model for the human race. Prometheus was guilty according to the inhabitants of Olympus. Not only by reducing the suffering of people. The most important sin of the Titan is that he armed people to fight. His act became an example for people and made them believe in themselves. In this poem, Prometheus acquires the features of citizenship, courage and fearlessness characteristics of the heroes of romantic poetry, “Thou art a symbol and a sign/ To Mortals of their fate and force;/ Like thee, Man is in part divine,” (45-47) The idea of the final part of the poem takes on a slightly different meaning. Prometheus can be a model of strength and fearlessness for people, but a man has the right to choose the path
himself, even if he chooses to be a consumer or to be creator, his life would have an unpredictable path but a certain ending. Therefore, a person can triumph, and despise, and turn death into victory: To which his Spirit may oppose Itself—and equal to all woes, And a firm will, and a deep sense, Which even in torture can descry Its own concenter'd recompense, Triumphant where it dares defy, And making Death a Victory. (53-59) So, the call to fight tyranny, which Zeus is representing in this poem, is replaced by a proud hymn to a man who can become a real fighter for freedom. It can be a fight that starts from basic feelings to a beloved one, to family or the motherland. Only a strong feeling drives human actions to change their lives. The image of Prometheus, a titan that brought fire to people, was and still one of the most popular in literature. The source of this poem is the ancient Greek myth, which Byron sees with his understanding. The courage, rebellion, and victory of Byron's Prometheus inspire people. The poem represents a romantic attitude towards revolution and big changes. From time to time nations face a choice to stand up for certain ideals or to be bent by destiny. Lord Byron in the poem gives a clear and simple image, so the ending of the poem sounds like an anthem of the fight of human life with the obstacles that the gods presented to us.
