George Gordon, Lord Byron · England · 1806
You call me still your _Life_.--Oh! change the word-- Life is as transient as the inconstant sigh: Say rather I'm your Soul; more just that name, For, like the soul, my Love can never die.
George Gordon, Lord Byron · England · 1806
You call me still your _Life_.--Oh! change the word-- Life is as transient as the inconstant sigh: Say rather I'm your Soul; more just that name, For, like the soul, my Love can never die.
“You call me still your _Life_.--Oh! change the word--…”
Byron presents a lover's gentle correction to his beloved, asking her to replace the word 'life' with something more fitting to describe their bond. He explains that 'life' is fleeting and unstable—as temporary as a sigh that escapes the lips and vanishes. Instead, he proposes that he is her 'soul,' a term that better captures the eternal nature of true love.
Why this poem matters
This poem is Byron's adaptation of a work from Portuguese literature, demonstrating his engagement with European literary traditions. Written during the Romantic era, when poets frequently explored themes of love, eternity, and the soul, it reflects Byron's characteristic blend of intellectual precision and emotional intensity, all delivered with deceptive simplicity.