Literary ventriloquism in Byron's the lament of tasso and the prophecy of dante

Abstract

This article deals with significant aspects of Byron's propensity to ventriloquize when appropriating the character of famous figures in literature and his tendency to transform them into Byronic heroes and, in some ways, representations of himself. His visit to Tasso's cell in Ferrara inspired his Lament of Tasso, a dramatic monologue spoken by the poet Tasso who had been, in Byron's view, unjustly imprisoned. The second part of this paper focuses on The Prophecy of Dante a dramatic monologue composed in terza rima and written at the request of Teresa Guiccioli who wanted Byron to enter the lists and break a lance on behalf of the revered Italian poet by defending him against his denigrators, who had impugned Dante's patriotism while acknowledging his greatness as a poet.