Lord Byron

She walks in beauty, like the night
Of cloudless climes and starry skies;
And all that’s best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes…
–From “She Walks in Beauty”

Satirical, shocking, romantic and dramatic, Lord Byron remains a stellar figure as a poet and as a man. His most celebrated poems appear in this magnificent compilation, from “Inscription on the Monument of a Newfound Dog,” in which man contrasts unfavorably with his canine companion, to excerpts from “Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage,” “Beppo,” and “Don Juan.”