Résumé
The poem introduces a fictional character named Childe Harold, a young, dissolute nobleman who has grown weary of a life of vice and debauchery in his homeland.
Feeling a deep sense of disgust and a need to escape, he embarks on a journey to foreign lands, leaving his family behind. The narrative begins with his departure and initial sea voyage, describing his arrival in Portugal and the city of Lisbon.
The author, in the preface, describes his character as a "modern Timon" and explains that the poem was written during his own travels through Spain, Portugal, and Greece.