I propose to read Byron’s poetry as “orientalist” texts that serve poetical and political functions: inseminate poetic imagination that craves the uncanny and strange, and vent the poet’s political criticism of the Western Imperialist project.
Part I considers Byron’s Oriental taste, both as product of historical/ cultural circumstances and personal inclination, and its effect in stimulating his creative imagination. Part II recaptures specific aspects of Edward Said’s Orientalism, the scholarly discussions it has inspired, and the extent to which it is applicable to Byron’s Turkish Tales, namely The Giaour. Part III deliberates upon Byron’s political ambivalence, probing the currency and effectiveness of his orientalism.
