Childe Harold's Pilgrimage

Childe Harold's Pilgrimage by Baron George Gordon Byron Byron

Child Harold lives the frivolous life as a member of the aristocracy, feeling the absence of joy and fulfillment so he decides on leaving for a journey. The journey should be served as an emotional kind of pilgrimage with cathartic effects. He wants to remove himself far away from the restricting walls and laws of civilization and try to experience the absolute freedom in exploring the paths of wilderness.

As every other journey, his begins with leaving his homeland. As he observes his homeland going under the horizon, he farewells, feeling a bit nostalgic and blue without any particular reason.The people surrounding him cry as they are leaving their loved ones, parents, wives, and families, but Childe feels no sorrow as he was outcast off the society.

He doesn't emphasize with the feeling of love for another human being, feeling nothing but a current nostalgia. He feels a bit sorry because of his inability to feel.Childe doesn't' understand a man who cries over leaving his wife, as he despises all of the women considering them evil,remembering them as the ones who scarred him and left him in pain.

He first visits Spain and Portugal and, enthusiastic about visiting these countries with rich history,culture fine wine and a lot of fun. He ends in being deeply disappointed, as the current state under the Napoleon's power only caused misery and poverty, clashing with the vision he had.

Second part leads him to Albania, where he is admired by the untouched nature. He is delighted with this different culture and pride of people there, soon leaving for Greece, out seeing his expectations of seeing a lot of the famous history and the buildings from the ancient times.

But slavery was ruling the Greek nation, and Harold gets disgusted by their situation, trying to inspire them into organizing a rebellion as a way for ending the slavery. He is motivated by his motions horrified with the way Greeks are acting towards their own nation and the old monuments as well. Many of the monuments were crushed down or damaged due to the many of irrelevant fights.

The third part of the poem takes place in Germany, Belgium, and Switzerland where we feel nostalgia and sorrow for old times. He remembers Napoleon's destiny and his defeat in Waterloo as he leaves for Italy.In Italy, he mostly contemplates about artists and art present in this country. We begin noticing the descriptions of scenery and Italian beauties of nature as seen in nature and architecture.

Harold still feels deep sorrow that could easily be applicable to the entire world. This universal feeling of pain inspires him for rethinking his own life and acts, and the persons he used to care for as well. The atmosphere of solitude prevails throughout this part of the poem, with a deep feeling of the melancholy present while Harold observes his wasted youth.

Harold is thinking about the glory he once earned and the way it faded seamlessly. He tries in finding the comfort in nature from all the hard feelings, isolating himself on purpose far away from the people and their creations. He remains to be alone within the wilderness, but still being haunted by the life's troubles and eternal suffer and inner fights.

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