I wanted to take a step away from the longer pieces we are examining from Byron and I found a short poem called “When We Two Parted.” This poem is about the parting of two lovers, and is most likely about Byron’s affair with Lady Frances Wedderburn Webster who is thought to have broken off their relationship to pursue one with the Duke of Wellington. There is a chilly aspect to this poem that shows how hurt Byron was to be broken up with, stating, “Pale grew thy cheek and cold,/ Colder thy kiss;” and “The dew of the morning/ Sunk chill on my brow.” He conveys the message that the two of them met in secret and had a secret affair, and also broke it off to the point where he was alone because he had nobody to tell (since the affair was supposed to be kept from others). This poem is about grieving lost love. From what we have discussed in class and what I’ve seen online, Byron had a lot of lovers, including his own half-sister. It is interesting to see into his mind through this poem because we can see that he formed a close relationship with one of his lovers (and potentially with others as well) and that he was not solely seeking sex. His relationship with the subject of this poem involved an emotional connection, since he is so hurt by her absence.
When we two parted
In silence and tears,
Half broken-hearted
To sever for years,
Pale grew thy cheek and cold,
Colder thy kiss;
Truly that hour foretold
Sorrow to this.
The dew of the morning
Sunk chill on my brow—
It felt like the warning
Of what I feel now.
Thy vows are all broken,
And light is thy fame;
I hear thy name spoken,
And share in its shame.
They name thee before me,
A knell to mine ear;
A shudder comes o’er me—
Why wert thou so dear?
They know not I knew thee,
Who knew thee too well—
Long, long shall I rue thee,
Too deeply to tell.
In secret we met—
In silence I grieve,
That thy heart could forget,
Thy spirit deceive.
If I should meet thee
After long years,
How should I greet thee?—
With silence and tears.
Did he ever publish or intend to publish this poem? Even without a name, the line “In secret we met” seems a bit . . . transparent.
This is what I could find online: “The poem was first published in 1816, but Byron falsely attributed its writing to 1808 in order to protect the identity of its subject, Lady Frances Wedderburn Webster. Many scholars believe the poem to have actually been written in 1816, when Lady Frances was linked to the Duke of Wellington in a scandalous relationship.” https://www.gradesaver.com/lord-byrons-poems/study-guide/summary-when-we-two-parted
As always, one has to suspect Byron of publishing in order to project some notion of his public persona. This poem suggests he’s the faithful and hurt one, but there’s no doubt that he was generally the one doing the hurting in most of his many relationships.
This poem makes me wonder about the nature of secrecy surrounding Byron’s relationships. Some were with married women, invoking a necessary secrecy, and some were with boys/men, and I’m not sure how much caution would have been needed at the time (but I assume a good amount!). The emphasis on keeping the relationship so private that nobody even knew they knew each other made me think about Byron’s love affairs as a man who was attracted to both men and women.