First published at 02:09 UTC on March 26th, 2018.
Originally published on 2/13/2017
A performance of "Written After Swimming from Sestos to Abydos" by George Gordon, Lord Byron
Hero and Leander is an ancient Greek tragedy about two lovers who lived on opposite sides of the Hellespont. E…
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Originally published on 2/13/2017
A performance of "Written After Swimming from Sestos to Abydos" by George Gordon, Lord Byron
Hero and Leander is an ancient Greek tragedy about two lovers who lived on opposite sides of the Hellespont. Every night, according to the story, Leander, would swim across the strait to meet Hero, a distance of about a mile. One stormy night, Hero's lamp, which she used to guide him, went out, and Leander got lost and drowned.
George Gordon, who was kind of crazy and kind of a badass, decided to show that this actually could be done, and swam the Hellespont himself, a mile across the open seas in frigid water with deadly currents. This poem is his report on the attempt.
I hope you enjoy my reading.
Upon reviewing this, I realize that I've bungled the last line. It should be: "For he was drown'd, and I've the ague." I apologize for this error.
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