George Gordon Lord Byron (1788-1824)
Don Juan: Canto the Twelfth
(excerpt)
LIV
425But now I will begin my poem. 'Tis
426 Perhaps a little strange, if not quite new,
427That from the first of Cantos up to this
428 I've not begun what we have to go through.
429These first twelve books are merely flourishes,
430 Preludios, trying just a string or two
431Upon my lyre, or making the pegs sure;
432And when so, you shall have the overture.
LV
433My Muses do not care a pinch of rosin
434 About what's call'd success, or not succeeding:
435Such thoughts are quite below the strain they have chosen;
436 'Tis a "great moral lesson" they are reading.
437I thought, at setting off, about two dozen
438 Cantos would do; but at Apollo's pleading
439If that my Pegasus should not be founder'd,
440I think to canter gently through a hundred.
Online text copyright © 2009, Ian Lancashire (the Department of English) and the University of Toronto.
Published by the Web Development Group, Information Technology Services, University of Toronto Libraries.
Original text: Byron, Works, 17 vols. (London: John Murray, 1832-33). PR 4351 M6 1832 ROBA.
First publication date:
1823
RPO poem editor: M. T. Wilson
RP edition: 3RP 2.552.
Recent editing: 2:2002/1/10
Composition date:
1822
Rhyme: abababcc
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