Leander
Young man who falls in love with Hero, but lives on the opposite side of the Hellespont, a strait of water in which is today known as the Dardanelles in Turkey which separates Europe from Asia. Each night Leander would swim across the strait to reach Hero and this ancient myth was the inspiration behind Lord Byron’s twice attempting to replicate Leander’s swimming feat.
Hero
Priestess of the goddess Venus with whom Leander falls in love. In order to guide Leander across the Hellespont during his nightly swim, she would guide him with a light. During a storm one night, the light was extinguished and Leander drowned.
Lord Byron
The poem is autobiographical. The speaker who narrates the tale of duplicating Leander’s feat—but for glory, rather for love—is Byron recounting an actual historical event. The first attempt having failed, Byron tried again on May 3, 1810 and this time was successful. In counterpoint to Leander ultimately drowning to death for his efforts, Byron confesses that he only suffered a chilly case of shivering.
