Speaker or Narrator, and Point of View
The speaker of this poem is a man who believes he is nearing the end of his life and mourns the joys of his youth.
Form and Meter
The poem is made up of ten quatrains, and has an ABAB rhyme scheme.
Metaphors and Similes
The speaker uses the metaphor of a volcano on a remote island to describe himself.
Alliteration and Assonance
"Glory and Greece around us see!"
Irony
Ironically, the poet was only thirty-six when he wrote this poem.
Genre
Romantic poetry
Setting
This poem is set in Greece, where the speaker is fighting a battle.
Tone
The tone of the poem is one of grief and sorrow.
Protagonist and Antagonist
The speaker is the protagonist and the antagonist is age.
Major Conflict
The major conflict is the speaker coming to terms with the fact his youth is behind him.
Climax
The climax of the poem is when the speaker decides he will have an honorable death to make up for his transgressions.
Foreshadowing
The proclamation of the speaker at the beginning of the poem ("Still let me love!") foreshadows the image of the remote volcanic island.
Understatement
The speaker understates the fact he is still relatively young at thirty-six. This being said, when Byron lived people generally didn't live as long as they do now.
Allusions
The poem alludes to Sparta, an ancient Greek city-state that is now known for its accomplished warriors.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
"Bosom" is used as a metonym for emotions and feelings.
Personification
Fire is personified as preying.
Hyperbole
N/A
Onomatopoeia
N/A
