Project Director

Jordan, Joseph

Department Examiner

Guy, Matthew

Department

Dept. of English

Publisher

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Place of Publication

Chattanooga (Tenn.)

Abstract

This thesis explores the major theme of homosexuality throughout the poetry of Lord George Gordon Byron, ultimately focusing on his 1819 iteration of Don Juan. It presents historically relevant information regarding the sodomy laws, religious sermons, anti-sodomite publications, and other obstacles that, I argue, prevented Byron from expressing his sexuality openly. The queer Byron, of course, exists elsewhere. Through close readings of Byron’s correspondence and of his verse, my thesis argues that we can read Byron’s highly coded, homoerotic jargon for what it is, shedding new light on the active but concealed homosexual community of nineteenth-century England.

Acknowledgments

I would like to acknowledge Dr. Joseph Jordan, who knows precisely how to bring out the best in my research and writing. I am incredibly fortunate to have had his guidance throughout this process and could not have chosen a better director. Additionally, I would like to thank my partner, who aided me in seeing this thesis to completion with unyielding support and love.

Degree

B. A.; An honors thesis submitted to the faculty of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Bachelor of Arts.

Date

5-2020

Subject

Homosexuality in literature; Literature--History and criticism; Queer theory

Name

Byron, George Gordon Byron, Baron, 1788-1824

Keyword

English literature; George Gordon Byron; literary criticism; poetry; queer history; queer theory

Discipline

Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies | Literature in English, British Isles

Document Type

Theses

Extent

52 leaves

DCMI Type

Text

Language

English

Rights

http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/

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