Book excerpt: Moving chronologically from Byron's earliest writings to those at the end of his life, Liberty and Poetic Licence brings together a distinguished group of Byron scholars to consider every aspect of Byron's poetry and prose. The focal point of the collection—and, arguably, of Byron's life and work—is freedom, and particular essays relate the concept of freedom to topics such as grammar, animal rights, and morality. The wide range of issues addressed by the prominent international contributors insure that Liberty and Poetic Licence will be essential to scholars of Byron and English Romanticism.