Change In Childe Harold's Pilgrimage

Lord Byron used several complex metaphors to describe the contrast between past and present through his famous novel, Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage. These contrasts are rather negative in most forms, as the Romantic in Byron prefers natural surroundings rather than humanity, which in his eyes has taken over the world. He runs away from his problems with humanity to find himself, but there are still several cases where the past comes back to haunt him. Considering the time lapsed between all four cantos of the novel, it is apparent that Byron himself has changed along with the world as well, which he represents through his main character, Childe Harold. Time makes a considerable change to both Byron’s character and the world itself. The very first

The dark complexity of his past haunts him, as he is aware of the past greatness of his familial extension. However, he is not suited to this lifestyle. He has pushed against this way of living by living a life of lust and desire, with concubines and possibly drugs and alcohol as well. The author stops himself abruptly, showing the pain of his past and how it is less than worth mentioning to the readers. By doing this, Byron is showing how the past and present have worked out for him, resulting in his journey from his homeland of Albion. Aside from his own personal past, Byron’s character Childe Harold also describes the once-great places he visits and their past glory. One example of this is:
“In Santa Croce’s holy precincts lie
Ashes which make it holier, dust which is
Even in itself an immortality,
Though there were nothing save the past, and this,
The particle of those