This poem, “Lord Ullin’s Daughter” is by Thomas Campbell. It has 14 stanzas of four liners. The poet was born on July 27, 1777 in Glasgow, Scot and died on June 15, 1844 in Boulogne, France. “Scottish poet, remembered chiefly for his sentimental and martial lyrics; he was also one of the initiators of a plan to found which later was known as the University of London. Campbell went to Mull, an island of the Inner Hebrides, as a tutor in 1795 and two years later settled in Edinburgh to study law.
In 1799 he wrote The Pleasures of Hope, a traditional 18th-century survey in heroic couplets of human affairs. ” (minstrels…. ) Though the poem has the tragic end, it is highly enjoyable to read. The galloping rhythm is the main attraction of the poem. It is a typical ballad, confirming to the standard, containing some fine imagery. The heptameter remains the same throughout the long poem, the rhyme scheme remains constant, and as you read the poem, you are transported back to the 18th century, to the era of Noblemen, Chieftains and Kings.
This poem by Thomas Campbell (1777-1844) is one of the ten most requested poems at the Scottish Poetry Library. Thomas Campbell is buried in Westminster Abbey. The summary of the poem: It is the same old story through the Ages. It is about Him and Her! Lord Ullin’s Daughter is a tragic love story. The two lovers elope as the father of the girl, Lord Ullin would not agree for the marriage of her daughter with a Highland Chief. They are hotly pursued by the men of Lord Ullin.
The lovers request a boatman to take them across the stormy sea, so that they can reach a safe place to escape the wrath of their pursuers, led by none other than Lord Ullin. The boatman’s response is full of affection and courageous. He is aware of the dangers of sailing in the stormy sea and may have to pay with his life. Yet, he never forsakes, what he considers as his scared duty to ‘save the winsome lady. ’ “Out spoke the hardy Highland Wight, — “I’ll go, my chief –I’m ready: — It is not for your silver bright; But for your winsome lady:
“And by my word! the bonny bird In danger shall not tarry; So, though the waves are raging white, I’ll row you o’er the ferry. ” (minstrels…. ) Before that, the chase is on for 2 days. The pursuers reach the seashore; Lord Ullin spots her daughter, desperately seeking help in the turbulent mid-sea, their boat being tossed by the powerful waves. Lord’s Ullin’s anger turns to wailing, with the prospect of the certain death of his daughter. He pleads her to return, with the promise of forgiveness to her lover. But it was too late.
The waves of the sea prevent her return or the possibility of any aid reaching her. He watches the boat being consumed by the powerful waves, taking with it to the watery grave, the Highland Chief and his Daughter. The awesome end to the poem, wherein the two lovers meet their watery graves is heart-rending: ‘Twas vain: the loud waves lash’d the shore, Return or aid preventing: The waters wild went o’er his child, And he was left lamenting. ” Campbell’s other poems are, “Ye Mariners of England,” “The Soldier’s Dream,” “Hohenlinden,” and, in 1801, “The Battle of the Baltic.
” He also launched a movement in 1825, and that led to the founding of the University of London. That was to admit the students excluded from Cambridge or Oxford by religious standards and for the ones who could not afford the education on account of paucity of funds. The poem gives us several lessons in human emotions, both positive and negative. To what a sad pass the uncontrolled anger can lead to-read the poem Lord Ullin’s Daughter! How the young lovers ready themselves for the ultimate sacrifice- their lives- for the sake of love!
How the father of the girl gives in and pleads for her return, promising to forgive the Highland Chief, but it is too late. History and Geography related to the poem: “Ulva is a small island off the island of Mull and the “Lochgyle” in the poem is Loch na Keal. On the nearby island of Tiree, there is a mound said to be the burial mound of Lord Ullin’s daughter, although a site on Mull, close to Ulva ferry also claims the honor. The ferry crossing to Ulva takes less than a minute, in very sheltered water, and even in very bad weather would be unlikely to have waves” raging white”.
The crossing referred to in the poem would probably have been from the south side of Loch na Keal. ”(minstrels…. ) The exact historical details about Lord Ullin are not known. Conclusion: The main characters in the poem are Lord Ullin, Chieftain, Lotd Ullin’s Daughter and the Boatman. It is a beautiful poem composed out of a beautiful and touching story that will leave life-long impression in the minds of the readers. ======== References: minstrels] Lord Ullin’s Daughter — Thomas Campbell <www. cs. rice. edu/~ssiyer/minstrels/poems/199. html >Retrieved on October 15, 2008. .