The Debt to History in Byron’s Don Juan

Dr. Robert D. McColl, Assistant Professor of English Literature at Alfaisal University, presented a talk entitled “Kept Words: The Debt to History in Byron’s Don Juan”. His discussion dealt with the procedure of Byron’s Don Juan; how it overcomes threats to its progress and identity. Focusing particularly on Cantos VII and VIII of the poem, it asked why Byron insists upon historical detail, and whether this insistence is likely to impede or ameliorate the poem’s romance credentials, therefore its continuation. At the conclusion of the presentation there was a spirited discussion. The Colloquium which runs every other week on Wednesday at 12 PM was well attended by faculty, students and staff.