Still for ever, fare thee well

These words grace the beginning of the last part of Pushkin?s Eugene Onegin, in which the figure of Lord Byron appears as a model (quite literally) of romanticism run rampant. In stark contrast to the rolling cynicism and ironic lambasting of his fellow poets, Fare Thee Well shows Byron playing the role that he is known for, the emotionalist. Taken by itself, Fare is a pleasant, and endearing piece of sentimental literature. In conjunction with the epic snicker that is Don Juan, it is a startling reminder of Byron?s seemingly disingenuous versatility. Byron, more than any other romantic, is playing with models and modes, striking whatever pose suits him for any given moment. While that cheapens his poetry a bit, it makes the reader appreciate his talent for playacting all the more when he or she considers how synonymous his name has become for a movement he himself has a great deal of fun mocking.