Since poetry is no longer widely read, even towering luminaries like Byron and Shelley are dismissed out-of-hand. Yet lessons gleaned from such famous persons often tower over any other source of wisdom. The greatest 19th century literary hero was George Gordon, Lord Byron. His supposed exploits in Childe Harold's Pilgrimage fascinated the public, making him Elvis-like. Part of his fame lay in his apparent autobiographical verse, whereas his scandalous reputation as a womanizer also won fans, as well as enemies. He left the UK under extraordinary criticism, yet died a revolutionary hero in Greece.