Byron’s posthumous reputation is a complex – not to say controversial – topic. This is highlighted by the stark dichotomy between Goethe’s laudatory assessment of Byron’s poetic genius and Wordsworth’s disparaging dismissal of Byron as an immoral and poetically incompetent madman. Widely revered in the initial decades after his death, with a large statue in Hyde Park and countless new editions, piracies and forgeries of his works testifying to his continued popular appeal, nevertheless the residual whiff of scandal and morally suspect poetry disbarred him from a spot in the Poet’s Corner of Westminster Abbey for over a century.
As definitions of Romanticism coalesced in the early 20th century, with Wordsworth at their heart, Byron was increasingly sidelined – widely perceived as an aberrant and undesirable outlier whose prolific low-quality output had been inexplicably popular with contemporary audiences. This ungenerous and inaccurate assessment has since been overturned, with Byron resuming his place in both the poetic canon and international curricula.
Following the global celebration of Byron’s life and works throughout 2024, the 2025 Newstead Abbey Byron Conference will reflect on the aftermath of Byron’s death and offer an opportunity to discuss the shaping of his posthumous reputations – encompassing both the period immediately after his demise and the longer term damage to, and redemption of, his reputation as both a man and a poet.
The conference will be held in Newstead Abbey, and delegates will have the opportunity to tour the house and gardens during the conference. We are also exploring opportunities to visit additional sites of importance to Byron’s life and works, and will add further details as things are confirmed.