Napoleon Gets No Love

All three of the authors for Thursday's class have negative feelings toward Napoleon Bonaparte, though their poetic reactions are quite different. Wordsworth's poem is rather short and reflective, and not exactly scathing. Shelley's poem is a much more pointed and passionate take on Bonaparte's evils. The poem begins with, "I hate thee, fallen tyrant!" (1062) Finally, Byron's poem is a long, sectioned piece that tears Bonaparte apart. It is full of exclamation points and graphic imagery, indicating its frenzied meanings. Each author writes of his disdain for the French leader, albeit in very different styles.