I : XCIII A Wrap! To Be Continued...

The first part of Childe Harold's expedition wasn't the most uplifting and cheerful one. Many a place has he been to and many a sorrowful history has he recognized. Let us now pause and think about what we have seen through Harold's eyes: the flame of war, the love of people who love their countries and fought for their family, the beautiful and brutal culture in different corners of the world, and the equally beautiful living people everywhere. 

It's equally easy to destroy them all with just a little bit too much desire for power. Freedom comes with a great cost, but once you give the idea to the well deserving people, they will fight for it til the end.

It was certain that the poem will stir up some turbulence in the London society, especially since the war had still been going on when Byron sent this first canto to Dallas, his publisher at the time. Not the most patriotic piece of literature for an Englishman to be sure. Of course, the flourishing words and exotic scenes with such detailed descriptions in the poem helped to ease the controversy and tension.

Since this is a wrap for Canto the First of Childe Harold's Pilgrimage, shall we recount the top 5 important characters in Byron's life that got included in this poem?

1. His mother Catherine Byron 
2. His Half sister Augusta Leigh 
3. His page Rushton 
4. His valet Fletcher 
5. His best friend John Cam Hobhouse

Catherine Byron: The Idiotic Mother of The Poet

All teenagers throughout the entire universe who had a mother would understand this: Byron had an intense and interesting relationship with his mother, a plain, ignorant heiress who didn't know anything about raising a child or how to give him proper education. It was Byron himself who demanded to go to study, interesting after a tutor from America, or as he said, he would become a "dunce". His mother got a temper: sometimes shower her little boy with kisses, while at other times with scathing and pointless screaming. She had also been a fury and gave Byron much embarrassment at Harrow.

Still, Byron was devastated when she eventually died before the two of them meet again, right around the time Byron returned to England after the first voyage oversea. He wept and stayed at her bedside and called her his only friend. He was exaggerating about the only friend but...losing his closest, possibly only relative that had been in his life all his childhood was some kind of viscous experience for a twenty something young man.

Augusta Leigh: The Lovely Half Sister That Got Maybe A Little Too Close

George and Augusta didn't grow up together. Augusta was several years senior of George, being the laughter of "Mad Jack" Byron's daughter from his previous marriage. The siblings loved each other and the relationship went beyond the kind of intimacy between a brother and a sister. It's no longer certain whether the rumored illegitimate daughter Medora and really been Byron's or not, but Augusta had definitely been one of Byron's dearly beloved.

Rushton: The Page and The Boxing Buddy

Early in the canto a little page was mentioned. Rushton was Byron's boxing buddy aside from his usual page duties. Although lame, the poet was an excellent sportsman in several fields including boxing and cricket.

Fletcher: The Typical Loyal English Valet Who Got Grumpy at Sea 

Fletcher had a simple life before beging "forced" onboard with his master. He was a most loyal valet, although not happy about having to leave his wife and English beer behind. He was one of the few who stayed by Byron's side until the very end, as the travelling companions often change from time to time.

John Cam Hobhouse: The Travelling Companion and "Balancing Wheel" in Byron's Life

John Cam Hobhouse, one of the quartet from Cambridge. Davies, Matthews, Hobhouse and Byron were college buddies who were all into poetry. Later on Davies' gambling habit eventually caused his deportation, Matthews, an open homosexual which was quite uncommon in early 19th century even in the high society, drowned while swimming in River Cam three days after Byron's mother died. Hobhouse was the only conscientious one and ended up in Parliament. The moral of the story? You choose your own path, and getting in a good college doesn't mean you're set for life.

In the following Cantos there will be more characters from Byron's life: just like all the writers ever, he's got the habit of making parodies of real people in his literature, the best known example being making his wife Annabella Milbanke the mother of his later literary hero Don Juan.