Топик: Outstanding people
- Can tell us about a great British poet?
- Yes, certainly. I shall to tell you about Lord Byron, an English Romantic poet and satirist whose poetry and personality captured the imagination of Europe. Renowned as the "gloomy egoist" of his autobiographical poem "Childe Harold's Pilgrimage" in the 19th century, he is now more generally esteemed for the satiric realism of "Don Juan".
- What family did Byron come from?
- Byron came from a well-to-do family but his father squandered most of his mother fortune. At the age of 10, Byron unexpectedly inherited the title and estates of his great-uncle William, the 5th Baron Byron. Byron went to Harrow, one of the most prestigious schools of England. In 1805 Byron entered Trinity College, Cambridge.
- Were Byron's first books popular?
- In 1806 Byron had his early poems privately printed in a volume entitled "Fugitive Pieces". Byron's first published volume of poetry "Hours of Idleness" appeared in 1807. A sarcastic critique of the book in "The Edinburgh Review" provoked his retaliation in 1809 with a couplet satire "English Bards and Scotch Reviewers" in which he attacked the contemporary literary scene. This work gained him his first recognition.
- Was Byron interested in politics?
- Yes, of course. In 1809 Byron took his seat in the House of Lords. In February 1812 he made his first speech in the House of Lords.
- What poem brought Byron fame?
- "Childe Harold's Pilgrimage" did. At the beginning of March 1812, the first two cantos of "Childe Harold's Pilgrimage" came out and Byron "woke to find himself famous." The poem describes the travels and reflections of a young man who, disillusioned with a life of pleasure, looks for distraction in foreign lands. Besides the description of Byron's own wanderings through the Mediterranean, the first two cantos express the melancholy and disillusionment felt by a generation weary of the wars of the post-Revolutionary and Napoleonic eras.
- What other verse tales did Byron create?
- Byron created a number of gloomy verse tales. "The Giaour". "The Bride of Abydos", "The Corsair" sold 10,000 copies on the day of publication. Byron went abroad in April 1816, never to re turn to England. At Geneva Byron wrote the third canto of "Childe Harold". In 1817 he created the poetic drama "Manfred" whose protagonist reflects Byron's own Romantic spirit. In 1817 Byron wrote his greatest poem "Don Juan". In this poem Byron was able to free himself from the excessive melancholy and reveal other sides of his character and personality - his satiric wit, and his unique view of the comic rather than the tragic discrepancy between reality and appearance.
- Did Byron take part in any war?
- In 1823 Byron participated in the struggle of the Greeks for their independence from the Turks. He sent ? 4,000 of his own money to prepare the Greek fleet for sea service. Byron made efforts to unite various Greek factions. He took personal command of a brigade of Greek soldiers. But a serious illness in February 1824 weakened him, and in April he contracted the fever from which he died. Deeply mourned, he became a symbol of disinterested patriotism and a Greek national hero.
- What do Byron's works reveal?
- Lord Byron's writings are more autobiographic than even those of his fellow self-revealing Romantics. Upon close examination the paradox of his complex character can be resolved into understandable elements. Byron early became aware of reality's imperfections, but the scepticism and cynicism bred of his disillusionment coexisted with a lifelong tendency to seek ideal perfection in all of life's experiences. Consequently, he alternated between deep-seated melancholy and humorous mockery in his reaction to the disparity between real life and his unattainable ideals. The melancholy of "Childe Harold" and the satiric realism of "Don Juan" are thus two sides of the same coin.
- Can you tell us about an American outstanding personality?
- Yes, I shall tell you about Abraham Lincoln.
- What is Abraham Lincoln notable for?
- The 16th president of the United States, Abraham Lincoln preserved the Union during the Civil War and brought about the emancipation of the slaves. Among American heroes, Lincoln continues to have a unique appeal for his fellow countrymen and also for people of other lands. This charm derives from his remark able life story - the rise from humble origins, the dramatic death - and from his distinctively human and humane personality. His relevance endures and grows especially because of his eloquence as a spokesman for democracy. In his view, the Union was worth saving not only for its own sake but also because it embodied an ideal, the ideal of self-government, which was of interest to the people of the entire world. Hence the universality of his continuing appeal.
- What is known about Lincoln's childhood?
- Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, in a backwoods cabin in Kentucky.
- What was Abraham Lincoln's father?
- His father, Thomas Lincoln was a sturdy pioneer.
- What is known about Abraham Lincoln's youth?
- In December 1816 Abraham Lincoln's family moved to south-western Indiana. There his father built a cabin. Abraham helped to clear the fields and take care of the crops. The unhappiest period of his boyhood followed the death of his mother A year later his father married Sarah Bush Johnston. Later Lincoln called her his "angel mother". She encouraged the boy's taste for reading. Yet the original source of Lincoln's desire to learn remains a mystery. Both of his parents were almost completely illiterate, and he himself received little formal education. In March 1830 the Lincoln family moved to Illinois, with Lincoln himself driving the team of oxen. Having just reached the age of 21, he was about to begin life on his own. He was especially noted for the skill and strength with which he could wield an axe. Good-natured though somewhat moody, talented as a storyteller, he readily attracted friends. Later he demonstrated his other abilities.
- What did Abraham Lincoln do when he arrived in Illinois?
- After his arrival in Illinois, having no desire to be a farmer. Lincoln tried his hand at a variety of occupations. He worked as storekeeper, postmaster, and surveyor. He considered blacksmithing as a trade but finally decided in favour of the law. Al ready he had taught himself grammar and mathematics, and now he started to study lawbooks. In 1836, having passed the bar examination, he began to practice law.
- What is known about Lincoln law career?
- The next year Abraham Lincoln moved to Springfield, Illinois, the new state capital, which offered many opportunities for a lawyer. From 1844 he was a partner of William H. Herndon. Lincoln had to work hard. About 20 years after launching upon his legal career, Lincoln had made himself one of the most distinguished and successful lawyers in Illinois. He was noted not only for his shrewdness and practical common sense, which enabled him always to see to the heart of any legal case, but also for his invariable fairness and utter honesty.
- When did Lincoln become the USA President?
- In 1861 Lincoln became President of the USA.
- Who else do you admire?
- I admire American aviator Charles Lindbergh. He is one of the best-known figures in aeronautical history. Charles Lindbergh is remembered for the first non-stop solo flight across the Atlantic.
- What did Charles Lindbergh do early in life?
- He was born on February 4, 1902, in Detroit. His formal education ended during his second year at the University of Wisconsin, in Madison, when his growing interest in aviation led to enrolment in a flying school in Lincoln, Nebraska. After a year at the army flying schools in Texas he became an airmail pilot.
- When did Charles Lindbergh make his famous flight?
- On May 20-21, 1927 in the monoplane "Spirit of St. Louis" Charles Lindbergh made his famous night from New York to Paris in 33 1/2 hours. Overnight Lindbergh became a folk hero on both sides of the Atlantic and a well-known figure in most of the world.
- Did Charles Lindbergh take part in World War II?
- When the United States entered World War II Charles Lindbergh became a consultant to the United Aircraft Corporation. He flew 50 combat missions during a tour of duty in the Pacific; and later, after the end of the war in Europe, he accompanied a navy technical mission in Europe.
- What did Charles Lindbergh do after the war?
- Following World War II, Lindbergh lived in Hawaii where he died in 1974.
- Did Charles Lindbergh receive any honours and awards for his deeds?
- Charles Lindbergh was a member of a number of boards and committees. He received many honours and awards, in addition to the Medal of Honour that had been awarded to him by special act of Congress in 1927. For his services to the government he was appointed brigadier general in the Air Force Reserve by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1954. His book "The Spirit of St. Louis", describing the flight to Paris, was published in 1953 and gained him a Pulitzer Prize.
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