Thy Days are Done by Lord Byron
Lord Byron’s “Thy Days Are Done” was published in 1815. The war was around him in Greece during this time period. It is heavily influenced by the themes of honor and death. Lord Byron spends most of the poem discussing the achievements of a valiant soldier and how he will never be forgotten.
Thy Days are Done
BY LORD BYRON
Thy days are done, thy fame begun;
Thy country’s strains record
The triumphs of her chosen Son,
The slaughter of his sword!
The deeds he did, the fields he won,
The freedom he restored!
Though thou art fall’n, while we are free
Thou shalt not taste of death!
The generous blood that flow’d from thee
Disdain’d to sink beneath:
Within our veins its currents be,
Thy spirit on our breath!
Thy name, our charging hosts along,
Shall be the battle-word!
Thy fall, the theme of choral song
From virgin voices pour’d!
To weep would do thy glory wrong:
Thou shalt not be deplored.
Analysis of Byron’s “Thy Days Are Done by Lord”
Lord Byron was an English romantic poet. He was considered the most fashionable, and he created a persona of a Romantic hero who was melancholy and defiant. In general, his poems were inspired by his numerous love affairs or reflected war times and the glory days as he was a part of the Greek Independence War. Lord Byron is thought to be an equal of John Keats and Percy Shelley, but some say he exceeded them due to his experiences with war.
“Thy Days are Done” was published in 1815. The war was around him in Greece during this time period. Bearing that in mind, Lord Byron’s own experiences with war and the death of the soldiers can be viewed as the major influences for this poem. On the other hand, the death of a loved one, or the divorce from his first wife are also speculated to be an influence, or the source of inspiration.
Some may feel that this poem is about Byron’s days coming to an end, but actually, he is talking about a soldier. He discusses how a soldier of the war in Greece is heroic and will receive great recognition. Bryon’s tone is that of admiration for a soldier who died for his country.
The two major themes that are highlighted in this poem are honor and death. For example, the lines, “The deeds, the fields he won, the honor he restored” illustrates that the soldier was not scared of the war, he led everyone to victory for his country, and did it with great honor. Then lines such as “The generous blood that flow’d from thee” refers to the fact that he sacrificed himself in the war for the freedom of those he was fighting for. So, Lord Byron discusses the many achievements of a valiant soldier.
