Bonny Barbara Allan
Theme: To love is easier than to hate.
- Barbara could not forgive William due to her pride and for that she suffered greatly.
- had she forgiven William she would have saved them both a lot of pain.
Diction
- "Hardhearted"
- "long and narrow"
- "ringing"
- "singing"
Literary Devices
- Ballad
- repetition
- personification
- metaphor
- symbol
Rhythm/ Rhyme
Critique
"and I think that Death's upon me
But one sweet kiss from Barbara's lips
will save me from my dying"
irregular rhyme scheme with an anapestic and iambic meter
- I really loved this poem.
- It has lasted for hundreds of years.
- The "unknown author" makes it so everyone can be a part of it.
- it involves real feelings that everyone encounters.
- However, I still think it is slightly irritating that Barbara won't save William.
Author Unknown
Summary
- Scottish Folk ballad from around the 14th century
- A love story
- A man, William, is dying and requests the kiss of his lover, Barbara, to save him. Barbara refuses because she is mad at William for being unfaithful.
- His last words are "Hardhearted Barbara Allan". He dies and because of guilt she dies too
- They are buried side by side. Out of her grave, a briar grows. Out of his grave, a rose grows. The rose and thorn become intertwined in a "true love's knot"
- Speaker- 3rd person objective
- Tone- The tone changes several times. In the beginning a very romantic feeling is given to the reader. It speaks of "the merry month of may" and courtship between Barbara and William. Although William becomes ill, a romantic mood is still given when he says "one sweet kiss from Barbara's lips will save me from my dying". This, however, changes in stanza 3 when Barbara accuses William of being unfaithful to her and then refuses to kiss him. The mood becomes dark and somewhat disturbs the reader. The mood returns to a romantic mood at the end of the poem when the rose and briar "tied in a truelove knot"
- Occasion- Ballad; meant to be sung. It was first a scottish folk song that was sung at work or perhaps used as a drinking song. This song has been used many times since its creation by artists such as Simon and Garfunkel and Joan Baez.