The poem Lord Ullins Daughter is a ballad which tells the tragic story of two

unfortunate lovers, whose story ends in a tragedy.

A Scottish chieftain of Ulvas Isle falls in love with Lord Ullins daughter. Lord Ullin was
simply disgusted with the alliance, so the lovers run away to escape the wrath of Lord
Ullin. The lovers are chased on horse-back by Lord Ullin and his men. The lovers reach
the shore of a tempestuous sea. The chieftain asks the boatman to row them to the other
shore. He tells the boatman that he and his beloved would not be left alive if the
boatman does not help them. The boatman is reluctant at first because of the tempest in
the sea. Later he agrees to undertake the deadly voyage because he is awed by the
girls beauty. He also rejects the chieftain's offer of a pound of silver.
As the boat enters the tempestuous waters, the storm grows more fierce, the waves rise
very high. Soon the storm grows fiercer and the waves get menacing. Forceful wind and
the raging water sink the boat. Lord Ullins daughter raises one hand for help and puts
the other arm around her lover. Meanwhile Lord Ulllin reaches the shore and helplessly
watches his daughter perish in the raging water before his eyes. His come-back call and
a promise of forgiveness prove to be of no avail because the lovers perish in the sea.
Lord Ullin is full of remorse and regret but that proves useless after the death of his dear
daughter.
Terms and Meanings form the Poem
Tarry delay
Ferry passenger boat
Lochgyle a sea loch which separates Gribun on Mull from Ulva to the north.
Isle an island
Glen - a deep narrow valley, especially in the mountains of Scotland
Heather - low, spreading plant with woody stems, small spiky leaves and purple, pink or
white flowers.
Bonny attractive
Slain killed
Winsome - pleasing because of a childlike charm and innocence.
Raging angry
Apace quickly
Wraith ghost
Scowl dirty look
Adown - coming down
Trampling - walking over
Amidst among
Prevailing overcoming
Fatal - deadly
Wrath anger
Wailing crying

 Sore in pain
Dismayed shocked
Vain useless
Lashed beat against
Lamenting - moaning

Lord Ullins Daughter by Thomas

Campbell- Analysis
Posted on June 25, 2014 by writetoscore.com

The poem, written as a ballad, is about the tragic drowning of a young man
and his beloved while trying to escape the wrath of the latters father.
Lord Ullin is the father of the girl. Being the lord of Ulva, he wields
considerable power. His young beautiful daughter is madly in love with a
chieftain in the same place. Lord Ullin can not reconcile to his daughters
romantic relationship with the young chieftain. He puts a strong foot down on
the idea of the two getting married. The daughter dreads the rage and fury of
her father.
Seeing no way to formally marry the chieftain, whom she has already given
her heart to, she elopes with him. This infuriates Lord Ullin so much that he
sends three horsemen to haunt down the duo and smother the chieftain on
the spot.
The duo, frantically trying to evade their pursuers plan to cross the stretch of
sea known as Lochgyle. The sea separates Ulva and Gribun on Mull. Gribun
can be the duos safe haven.
They approach a boatman to ferry them across. But, the weather has become
hostile. Darkness is descending and a storm is beginning to blow.
Understandably, the boatman is hesitant to venture into water. The chieftain,
very eager to get away to the other side, offers a silver coin to the boatman
and beseeches him to make the trip somehow or the other.
The boatman learns that the man and woman, deeply in love, are in the run.
The boat journey stood between them and their death.
The boatman proudly spurns the lure of the silver. Pulling himself up, he
declares that he would make the trip for the sake of the boney damsel in
distress.
In the mean while, the weather deteriorates further. It gets darker and the
storm begins to blow stronger. Thunder rumbles and lightning flickers.
Just then the sound of the three galloping horsemen is heard. It drives the
young man and the lady to extreme nervousness and fright. It becomes clear
that the horsemen will soon find them out and behead the chieftain with the

swish of their sword. The girl would then be left to confront the wrath of her
monstrous father.
Seeing the plight of the two lovers, the boatmans heart melts.He sets out
with the duo in his boat on the perilous journey. The weather worsens further
making the journey very fraught. The ruthless storm blows without any
remorse swaying the boat dangerously.
Lord Ullin soon reaches the sea shore, but just a short while too late. He sees
the boat capsizing and his daughter clinging to her lover with one hand and
waving to her father for help with the other.
Lord Ullin realizes that this is the last glimpse of his dear daughter who would
soon meet her watery grave. His heart is plunged in remorse. Revenge and
anger are replaced by a torrent of forgiveness and affection. He is ready to
accept the duo and allow them to marry.
But, it is too late. He would see his daughter no more. He realizes how his
senseless fury and obduracy have extracted a deadly toll. There was no way
he could atone for his folly.
0. Read the following lines and answer the questions that follow
His horsemen hard behind us ride;
Should they our steps discover,
Then who will cheer my bonny bride
When they have slain her lover?
(a) Who is his in line 1? Who does us refer to?
(b) Explain cheer my bonny bride.
(c) Why would the lover be slain?
Answer
(a) Lord Ullin is his here. Us are the Scottish Chieftain and Lord Ullins
daughter, his beloved.
(b) The Chieftains worry is that in case he is killed by Lord Ullin, his lonely
beloved will have nobody to console and support her.

(c) The lover would be slain because Lord Ullin did not approve of the match and was
angry at the chieftain for eloping with his daughter.

11. The water-wraith was shrieking. Is the symbolism in this line a premonition of what
happens at the end? Give reasons for your answer. (Stanza 7)
Answer
Yes, the symbolism is a premonition of the tragic death of ill-fated lovers. It is a device of
'fore shadowing' The noisy waves were crying for blood. And they overtook them
ultimately. So their shriek suggests in advance what happens at the end.
13. In Stanza 10, the poet says
The boat has left a stormy land,
A stormy sea before, her, -(a) In both these lines, the word stormy assumes different connotations. What are
they?
(b) The lady faces a dilemma here. What is it? What choice does she finally make?
Answer
(a) The land is stormy because of the presence of the furious Lord Ullin. The sea is
stormy because of the furious waves.
(b) Lord Ullin's daughter has to make a decision between choosing the 'stormy land' or
the 'stormy sea' that is, the fury of her father or the tempestuous weather. Mortally afraid
of her father's fury she chooses to venture into the stormy sea and run the risk of getting
drowned in the stormy sea.
14.
(a) Lord Ullin reached that fatal shore just as his daughter left it. Why is the shore
called fatal? (Stanza 11)

Answer
The shore is called fatal as beyond the shore the sea was so turbulent that anyone
embarking to sail through the sea would face death. The shore acted as the gateway to
death. Lord Ullins daughter crossed the shore only to meet her tragic end.

(b) Why does Lord Ullins wrath change into wailing on seeing his daughter?
Answer
Lord Ullin noticed that the storm wont spare his daughter. He feels helpless and guilty.
His anger cools down and he starts moaning for his child.

15. One lovely hand she stretchd for aid. Do you think Lord Ullins daughter wanted to
reach out to her father? (Stanza 12) If yes, why?
Answer
Lord Ullins daughter wanted to reach out to her father as her father cried in grief for her
return and even promised to forgive her lover if she returned back.

analysis of the Poem

Stanza -1
A chieftain, to the Highlands bound,
Cries, ``Boatman, do not tarry!
And I'll give thee a silver pound
To row us o'er the ferry!''

Paraphrase-

A chieftain who is going to the highlands cried and said to the

boatman not to make late. If he takes him and his beloved (Lord
Ullins daughter) across the Lochgyle, he will give him a silver
pound. (Money)

ChieftainThe chief or head of a clan.

ClanA group of families among the Scottish Highlanders, the heads of

which claim to be descended from a common ancestor, the
Mackenzie clan.

Tarry delay

Thee (Archaic word) you.

Ferry The commercial service of takings persons across a river.

Stanza- 2
``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.

ParaphraseThe boatman asked who he was willing to cross Lochgyle is this

stormy and dark weather .The Chieftain answered that he was the
chieftain of Ulvas island and with him was Lord Ullins daughter,
his beloved.

Ye- (archaic) you

Loch a lake

Lochgyle or Loch- Na-Keal is the sea loch which separates

Gribun on Mull from Ulva to the North.

Ulva It is an island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland.

Archaic word ye

Stanza -3
``And fast before her father's men
Three days we've fled together,
For should he find us in the glen,
My blood would stain the heather.

ParaphraseAnd take us before her fathers men come and get them. We have
fled together for three days. If her father (Lord Ullin) finds us, he
would stain the heather plant with my blood.

Glen A glen is valley. Typically one that is long, Deep, And often
U shaped.

Heather A plant with pinkish Purple flowers.

Stanza -4
``His horsemen hard behind us ride;
Should they our steps discover,
Then who will cheer my bonny bride
When they have slain her lover?''

Paraphrase-

Lord Ullins armed horsemen are chasing them close. If they find
and get them, then who will make his beautiful beloved happy
because he is sure that they will kill him.

Slain kill, murder

Bony skinny but beautiful

hard behind close chase

Stanza-5
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:

ParaphraseThe boatman who is the strong and brave one belonging to the
high mountain region said that he would go taking them across
the river. But not for money he would take for the beautiful lady.

Hardy sturdy/strong

Weight A strong person

Winsome innocent and beautiful

Stanza-6
``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.''

ParaphraseThe boatman says that he swears not to keep the lady, Lords
Ullins daughter in danger any more. Though waves are getting
violent and furious and foaming (white). He will take them across
the Lochgyle.

By my word swearing by my word

Bony bind (here) lord Ullins daughter, meaning beautiful lady.

Tarry- (delay) here to remain to stay

Stanza -7
By this the storm grew loud apace,
The water-wraith was shrieking;
And in the scowl of heaven each face
Grew dark as they were speaking.

ParaphraseIn the meantime the storm turned to be a rough and

violent. It seemed as if the water ghost was shouting. The sky
turned darkish and the turbulence of the sky looked as if of
frowning look which brought darkish flush on the face of all three.

Stanza -8
But still as wilder blew the wind,
And as the night grew drearer,
Adown the glen rode armd men,
Their trampling sounded nearer.

ParaphraseThe wind was blowing rough and violent, night started

to grow darker and rough. . Suddenly from the glen sounds of the
armed soldiers were heard coming towards them.

Wilder rougher

Drearer more dark and dismal

Adown (downward) archaic English word.

Stanza -9
``O haste thee, haste!'' the lady cries,
``Though tempests round us gather;
I'll meet the raging of the skies,
But not an angry father.''

ParaphraseLord Ullins daughter requests the boat man to move faster.

Though wild windstorm is there she would prefer to face the
anger of the sky than to face her angry father.

Tempest- violent windstorm

raging- Angry

Stanza-10
The boat has left a stormy land,
A stormy sea before her,-When, O! too strong for human hand,
The tempest gather'd o'er her.

ParaphraseAfter they left the stormy land, they got the stormy
sea before and storm was more powerful than them and ensured
their defeat.

Too strong for human hand The storm was much stronger than
the three on the boat.

The tempest gathered over her: - The storm and the rain was
strong and soon overturned the boat.

Stanza-11
And still they row'd amidst the roar
Of waters fast prevailing:
Lord Ullin reach'd that fatal shore,-His wrath was changed to wailing.

ParaphraseThey fought hard against the deadly waves of water

till their last breath. In the meantime Lord Ullin came to the fatal
shore, - the anger he bore against them changed into mournful
wailing.

Stanza-12
For, sore dismay'd through storm and shade,
His child he did discover:-One lovely hand she stretch'd for aid,
And one was round her lover.

Paraphrase-

Through the storm and shade, in pain and Shock he found his
child. The beautiful girl stretched her one lovely hand towards
her father meaning to save and the other was around the lover
which was even very dear to her.

Stanza-13
``Come back! come back!'' he cried in grief
``Across this stormy water:
And I'll forgive your Highland chief,
My daughter!--O my daughter!''

Paraphrase
At this situation Lord Ullin understood his fault and requested his
daughter to come and promised to forgive her lover. He was
wailing at the shore.

Stanza -14
'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

ParaphraseAs the big violent loud waves had made the lochgyle terrible, so
no aid from outside on no return of them from water was
possible. A big wave dashed over his child and he was left
mourning.