Byron's Don Juan is one of the greatest poems in the English language. Byron's friends initially agreed that 'it will be impossible to publish this'. Byron prevailed, however, and the first two cantos were issued anonymously after substantive revision. Even in its revised form, Don Juan was perceived as a radical attack on establishment values; the poem has remained a beacon for freedom of speech and retains its power to shock.
Since it was published in 1819-24, all printed editions of the poem have used the text prepared by Byron's publishers, John Murray and John Hunt. This is the first new text of the poem to be printed in two hundred years. The Longman edition is based on a comprehensive line-by-line analysis of the manuscripts, so the text of the poem follows Byron's own voice, pace and pauses, rather than the grammatical punctuation and more cautious word choice inserted by his nineteenth-century editors.
The Longman Don Juan has been annotated afresh, allowing readers to see where Byron left open the choice of words or rhymes, and demonstrating the extraordinary breadth and depth of his literary allusions, topical and cultural references, and socially coded jokes. Text and annotation are supported by extensive bibliographies and a detailed chronology, allowing readers to understand Don Juan's place in the literary, scientific, political, and social life of the early nineteenth century.
About the Author: Jane Stabler teaches at the School of English, University of St Andrews, Scotland. Her books include Byron, Poetics and History (CUP 2002), The Artistry of Exile: Romantic & Victorian Writers in Italy (OUP 2013), the Longman Byron Critical Reader and the Palgrave Byron Advances volume.
Gavin Hopps is Director of ITIA and Senior Lecturer in Literature and Theology at the University of St Andrews. His publications include The Extravagance of Music (with David Brown; 2018).
