Don Juan

Don Juan is Lord Byron’s satirical epic poem, begun in 1819, that reimagines the legendary libertine not as a seducer but as a man easily seduced. Told in rhymed ottava rima, the poem follows Juan’s picaresque adventures through Europe and beyond, mixing romance, absurdity, and biting social critique. Byron’s irreverent tone, sharp wit, and poetic brilliance challenge moral hypocrisy and literary conventions. Though unfinished at his death, Don Juan stands as one of Byron’s greatest achievements and a landmark in English satire.