Lord Ullin’s Daughter
( Thomas Campbell)
THE ME :„Lord Ullin‟s Daughter‟ depicts a conflict between the rebellious nature of youth and the authoritative attitude of parents. It shows the repentant father‟s tragedy, who blinded by ego and wrath set forth to kill, but saw his daughter drowning, was helpless and lamented her loss.
MESSAGE : The poem conveys the message that rash decisions can lead to disastrous results. The lives of the two lovers could have been saved if not for the egoistic, dictatorial parental attitude and thoughtless stubbornness. Lack of vision and foresight can lead to tragedies.
TITLE : “Lord Ullin‟s Daughter” is a poem revolving around the tragic love story of Lord Ullin‟s daughter. Right from her desperate effort to flee with her lover and cross Lochgyle to her unequal struggle with the tempest and her eventual drowning in the stormy sea. Hence the title is apt for the poem.
LITERARY DEVICES :
Alliteration – repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of successive words.
• The waters wild went o‟er his child („w‟sound occurs repeatedly)
• Her horsemen hard behind us ride („h‟ sound occurs repeatedly)
• The bonny bird („b‟ sound occurs repeatedly)
Metaphor – is an implied comparison, by which two things are compared without the use of „as‟ or „like‟.
• Water-wraith… describes the sea-storm rather than comparing, the poet makes use of metaphor referring to the waves. Transferred Epithet- is an adjective that attributes some human quality to an inanimate thing.
• Fatal shore … It‟s not the shore that is responsible for causing the death. However, since those on the shore were helpless spectators even as the lovers were drowning in the stormy Lochygle, the shore has been called „fatal.‟
Read the extracts and answer the following questions:
1.
“Now, who be ye, would cross Lochgyle,
This dark and stormy weather?”
“O, I‟m the chief of Ulva‟s isle,
And this, Lord Ullin‟s daughter.‟‟
i) Who is the speaker of the first two lines?
ii) What was the difficulty in crossing Lochgyle ?
iii) Why did the chief want to cross Lochygle?
iv) Did the boatman agree to ferry the chief and his beloved? Why / Why not?
2.
“O haste thee, haste!” the lady cries,
“Though tempest round us gather;
I‟ll meet the raging of the skies,
But not an angry father.”
i) Who is the speaker? To whom is the plea made?
ii) Why is the speaker afraid?
iii) Give the rhyme scheme.
iv) What is the obstacle in the way of escape?
3.
„Twas vain: the loud waves lash‟d the shore,
Return or aid preventing:
The water wild went o‟er his child,
And he was left lamenting.”
i) „T‟was in vain. What went in vain?
ii) What changed Lord Ullin‟s wrath into wailing?
iii) Point out the literary device used in the third line.
iv) Explain : „Return or aid preventing‟.
II. Answer the following questions in not more than two or three sentences.
i) Explain the phrase „in the scowl of heaven‟.
ii) “The water-wraith was shrieking”. Explain the symbolism in this line. Is it symbolic of what happens at the end?
iii) Why is the shore called fatal?
iv) „The boat has left a stormy land, A stormy sea before her.” Explain.
III. Answer the following question in about 75 words:
i) Discuss Lord Ullin‟s Daughter as a ballad.
ii) „One lovely hand she stretch‟d for aid” What do you think this shows?
Please click on below link to download CBSE Class 9 English Lord Ullins Daughter Worksheet
