Adonais and Don Juan Explored

¶ … Adonais" and "Don Juan" Explored

Characterization becomes one of the most significant aspects of almost all pieces of literature. When readers can connect with a character in some form, a sense of trust develops between the author and the reader. This relationship can take many forms as not all characters are remotely close to one another. Each is defined in a way to make a statement or evoke a response. Two writers that illustrate how this can be done are Percy Shelley and Lord Byron. Shelley's poem, "Adonais," focuses on the sorrow of a lost friend and the isolation resulting from that loss. This poem is personal and powerful because it draws the reader into the protagonist's emotions. In Byron's "Don Juan," the reader is equally drawn into the piece of work but through different measures. In this poem, Byron wants the reader to identify with the humanity of Don Juan's situation although he is not perfect. Don Juan lives in an immoral and hypocritical world. Byron wants to expose this and he does this best through irony, satire, and wit. "Adonais" and "Don Juan" are poems that mean to reach the reader at a certain level; they succeed by delivering pieces that capture mood and tone precisely. While these poems have very little to with one another on an emotional plane, they are excellent representations of how poetry works. They delve into human emotion and find some aspect of truth to which the reader can relate. The self that emerges from each of these poems may, in fact, be connected to the poet as he attempts to convey his emotions.

The image we haves of "Adonais" reveal s sense of loss and hopelessness. This poem presents us with an image of a mourner in "one frail Form" (Shelley 271) and who is "phantom among men; companionless" (272). The mourner envisions his friend and realizes that he has "gazed upon nature's naked loveliness . . . And now he fled astray / With feeble steps o'er the world's wilderness" (277). The poet is left with his own thoughts "along that rugged way / Pursued, like raging hounds, their father and their prey" (278-80). In these lines, the poet is describing the world in which he lives after his friend's death. His way is rugged and his mind is not free from what had occurred. Instead, he feels as thought his thoughts are being pursued. This image is one of total despair, as the poet feels there is no respite for what he is experiencing. There is anger here but there is also sorrow and he mind is clouded with the suffocating notion that the sorrow will never go away.

The poet next creates an interesting scene in that while others mourn around the grieving, the poet has a clearly identifiable "partial moan" (298) that other simply smile at for they knew that "gentle / band / Who in another's fate now wept his own" (299-300). These lines indicate that the poet is understands his own fate and believes it to be like that of Keats. The reference to Urania is telling in that it introduces a mythological element to the poem and it raises the poet's impression of the dead man. Urania asks the poet to identify himself, a question in which he does not answer except with a "sudden hand / Made bare his branded and ensanguined brow" (305-6). The poet then states that this visual is one that is "like Cain's or Christ's" (307), indicating a type of curse that had befallen him. The final stanza in "Adonais" reveals the depth of the sorrow and hopelessness the poet experiences. He admits that he is "borne darkly, fearfully, afar" (492) while his beloved friend burns through heaven like a star and shines like a "beacon from the abode where the Eternal are" (495). This final scene is one that the reader will not soon forget and this is because the poet had painted such a poignant picture of grief. The mood and tone of this poem leads to nothing but melancholy with no end in sight.

In a significant departure, Byron takes Don Juan in a completely different direction, focusing solely on immorality and hypocrisy. Don Juan is not somber like Shelley's "Adonais," and he it does not attempt to evoke the same emotional response from the reader. Rather, the poet attempts to elicit another response from the reader through satire and irony. In "Don Juan," we are presented with a different character and a different perspective altogether. Byron's "Don Juan" is a character sketch but one that is less inward that Shelly's "Adonais." Shelley attempts to reach into the depth of sorrow while Byron attempts to use a character to points out things about society that are troubling. The narrator in "Don Juan" is extremely important because he stands as a separate entity from the protagonist. However, this narrator is close enough to observe and make commentary. This relationship is important to the feel of the poem and it also helps Bryon establish mood and tone. While Shelley stays focused on one aspect, Byron covers a multitude of subjects with irony and satire, all at the expense of Don Juan.

The character of Don Juan is quite a character in that he seems to have much going for him. He is lacking in morals and the ninth canto reveals a very interesting slice of this character's life. What makes the glimpse more appealing are the references to Don Juan by the narrator. For example, there are no secrets between the two men and the narrator is completely willing to divulge what he knows about his topic. He writes that while Britain and Europe owe him, he has "repair'd Legitimacy's crutch, / a prop not quite so certain as before" (Byron 479). In addition, the narrator states, "And Waterloo has made the world your debtor / (I wish your bards would sing it rather better)" (481).

Byron involves the reader in this poem as well. He speaks to the reader and expects full attention as he makes his points. For example, he writes:

Our hero (and, I trust, kind reader, yours)

Was left upon his way to the chief city

Of the immortal Peter's polish'd boors

Who still have shown themselves more brave than witty.

I know its mighty empire now allures

Much flattery -- even Voltaire's, and that's a pity.

For me, I deem an absolute autocrat

Not a barbarian, but much worse than that.

This stanza is an excellent example of Bryon's style and wit. Here we see how Don Juan was left at the mercy of others who lacked bravery. This stanza also illustrates the poet's ability to present Don Juan in an unusual light. Here we see that he can become a victim of the world in which he lives. In many circumstances, he must respond to what is happening around him. Not all of his experiences are pleasant nor are they fair. Don Juan lives in a morally corrupt world, as do we. This technique allows us to see the hero in a realistic light for he is not all evil and not all good. He suffers at the hands of ill fortune and does his best to cope. With this notion, Byron is shifting responsibility of evil to that of society rather than the individual man. This stanza also illustrates the attitude that Bryon wishes to take with society. He has no qualms addressing issues and he can do so in the form of satirical poetry.