Lord Byron to Contessa Guiccioli
As promised, I am sharing with you some of the most romantic love letters ever written - by the masters of romance themselves.
Today is a letter from that handsome English poet, George Gordon, Lord Byron, to his beloved, Contessa Guiccioli. I am sure you will gather from the letter what kind of relationship these two had!
A letter from Lord Byron to Contessa Guiccioli
You sometimes tell me that I have been your first real love - and I assure you that you shall be my last Passion. I may well hope not to fall in love again, now that everything has become indifferent to me. Before I knew you - I felt an interest in many women, but never in one only. Now I love you, there is no other woman in the world to me.
You talk of tears and of our unhappiness; my sorrow is within; I do not weep. You have fastened on your arm a likeness that does not deserve so highly; but yours is in my heart, it has become part of my life, of my soul; and were there another life after this one, there too you would be mine - without you where would Paradise be…?
My sweetest treasure - I am trembling as I write to you, as I trembled when I saw you - but no longer - with such sweet heartbeats. I have a thousand things to say to you - and, alas, how many Sighs! Love me - not as I love you - for that would make you too unhappy, love me not as I deserve, for that would be too little - but as your Heart commands. Do not doubt me - I am and always shall be your most tender lover.
P.S. How much happier than I is this letter: which in a few days will be in your hands - and perhaps may even be brought to your lips. With such a hope I am kissing it before it goes. Goodbye - my soul.
Now that is what I call a love letter! If you haven’t guessed yet why these two lovers are unhappy despite the love they share, leave me a love note and I’ll tell you. Also, which part of the letter do you like the best?
Come back for more of these love letters!
3 Love Notes for “Lord Byron to Contessa Guiccioli”
January 9, 2008
i havent encountered this, so can you please tell me why both of them are unhappy? sad story.
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January 9, 2008
Hi Anna! The answer to your question: it was an illicit affair. The Contessa was already married to someone else. In those days though, women are allowed to have extra marital affairs as long as they were discreet. Same went for men.
Thanks for swinging by and hope you come back another time!
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January 15, 2008
i like the postscript “How much happier than I is this letter: which in a few days will be in your hands - and perhaps may even be brought to your lips. With such a hope I am kissing it before it goes. Goodbye - my soul.”
am i right to assume that the Contessa is the “inspiration” for his poem “When We Two Parted”?
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