Introduction to Lord Ullin’s daughter: The poem Lord Ullin’s Daughter, is a romantic set in the medieval period in which two lovers namely the Lord Ullin’s daughter and Scottish Chieftain elope together and have to cross a stormy sea. God had other plans for them, he was not on their side, they both meet a tragic end , as they were engulfed by the fury of the stormy sea. Summary of Lord Ullin’s Daughter In the poem , Lord Ullin’s Daughter Lord Ullin’s and his men chased Ullin’s daughter and the chieftain on that historic night.
The chieftain and Lord Ullin’s daughter tried to escape from the clutches of Lord Ulin and his trusted soldiers ,by sailing away in a boat. In the poem, Lord Ullin’s Daughter the boat man was reluctant to row as the weather was dark and stormy. The chieftain offered the boatman a silver pound to row them across the Lochgyle, he also told the boatman that she was the daughter of Lord Ullin and that they had been fleeing Lord Ullin and his men since the past three days. He also told the boatman that once they were caught he would be killed by Lord Ullin’s men.
The lovers persistence made the boatman change his mind and he conveyed very explicitly to the chieftain that he was doing so for the fair maid and not for the silver offered by him. Lord Ullin’s daughter and the chieftain were now sailing in the stormy sea which seemed to get vicious with every passing minute . In the poem , Lord Ullin’s Daughter when Lord Ullin reaches the shore with his men, his wrath changed to angst . He finds his lovely daughter caught in the storm, the violent waves had overturned the boat and both the chieftain and she were engulfed by the hungry waves.
On seeing this Lord Ullin is besot with grief and he falls to the ground sobbing and repenting for being so callous. In the poem ,Lord Ullin’s Daughter we have a repentant Lord Ullin shouting frantically and requesting his daughter to return to the shore. Alas! It was too late. Both his daughter and the chieftain were swallowed by the hungry waters of the sea. Lord Ullin is now left alone lamenting his beautiful daughter’s death. Iu8 bbbbb[pic] Question: And I’ll give thee a silver pound to row us over the ferry! a) Who said this to whom? b) Whom were they running away from?
Answer: a) The lover, the son of the chief of Ulva’s said this to the boat man. b) Lord Ullin Question 2 Question: By this the storm grew loud apace. The water wraith was shrieking. a) Why was the storm terrifying? b) What does the 2nd line mean? Answer: a) They had to cross the loch and this was dangerous during a storm. b) The water wraith is the water ghost or spectre. The poet is describing the loud noise made by the storm and the water. Question 3 Question: I’ll meet the raging of the skies But not an angry father a) Why is the father angry? b) How does she meet the raging of the skies?
Answer: a) She has chosen to marry the son of the Ulva isle’s chief. Lord Ullin is unhappy with the choice. b) She goes into the loch or lake in a boat during a terrible storm. Question 4 Question: The boat has left a stormy land A stormy sea before her a) Why is the land said to be stormy? b) Why is the sea stormy? Answer: a) Lord Ullin, has a bad temper. He is prepared to kill his daughter’s lover. So the land is ‘stormy’. b) The weather has suddenly changed. There is a strong tempest. Question 5 Question: When O! too strong for human hand, The tempest gathered around her What do these lines mean?
Answer: The wind and rain was strong and soon overturned the boat. The humans in the boat could not save themselves. Question 6 Question: ‘Twas vain: the loud waves lashed the shore Return or aid preventing a) What was in vain? b) What does line 2 convey? Answer: a) Lord Ulin called out to his daughter that he forgave her, and he accepted her lover. This was in vain. b) It was not possible for the boat to return, nor was it possible for Lord Ullin’s men to help those in the boat. Question 7 Question: What do you know about the boatman? Answer: The boatman is a brave and loyal man.
He offers to help his chief’s son in times of danger. He is chivalrous as he offers to do it free for the lady. Question 8 Question: What kind of a man is Lord Ullin? Answer: He is a strong and authoritative man. He has many soldiers and expects his daughter to listen to his orders. He cannot accept a poor chief’s son as his daughter’s lover. But he also loves his daughter dearly. Question 9 Question: Do you think the punishment received by Lord Ullin is justified? Answer: Lord Ullin loved his daughter dearly. He was harsh and it was his love for her that made him not accept the chief’s son.
The death of the daughter is a harsh punishment for him. Question 10 Question: Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow: A Chieftain, to the highlands bound, Cries, ‘Boatman, do not tarry! And I’ll give thee a silver pound, To row is o’er the ferry! ‘ a) Who is the ‘chieftain’ here? b) What does the Chieftain tell the boatman? c) Why is the Chieftain is such a hurry? Answer: a) The ‘Chieftain’ is the chief of Ulva’s isle. He is with his beloved, Lord Ullin’s daughter. b) The Chieftain tells the boatman not to linger and waste time, to hurry and take them in his boat. ) The Chieftain is in a tearing hurry because Lord Ullin along with his armed men, have been chasing them. Both have eloped and Lord Ullin does not like that fact and wants to get his daughter back. Question: “Now, who be ye, would cross, Lochgyle, This dark and stormy weather? ” “oh, I’m the chief of Ulva’s isles, And this, Lord Ullin’s daughter. a) What kind of weather is prevailing at that time? b) Who speaks the first two lines of the stanza. c) Why does the Chieftain want to cross Lochgyle? Answer: a) The weather is dark and there is a rough storm and the sea is very dangerous too. ) The boatman speaks the fist two lines of the stanza. c) The Chieftain wants to cross Lochgyle as Lord Ullin with his armed men are chasing him and his beloved and they want to escape from them. Question 12 Question: “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. a) How long have the Chieftain and his beloved been on the run? b) What are they fearful about? Answer: a) The Chieftain and his beloved have been on the run for three days. b) They are fearful that if caught by Lord Ullin and his men, the Chieftain will be brutally killed
Question 13 Question: “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) Whose horsemen are referred to here? b) What does the Chieftain worry about? What does this show about him? Answer: a) Lord Ullin’s men who are on horse back, are chasing the Chieftain and Lord Ullin’s daughter. b) If caught by Lord Ullin and his men, the Chieftain would be killed on the spot. His main worry then is about his beloved – as who will cheer her after his death. This shows that the Chieftain loves her dearly and his love for her is truly selfless.
Question 14 Question: Out spoke the hardy highland Wight “I’ll go, my chief- I’m ready: It’s not for your silver bright But for your winsome lady: a) Who is the hardly Highland Wight? b) How does he react to the Chieftain’s request to take them across in his boat? c) Why do you think the boatman is ready to take them across in-spite of the stormy weather? Answer: a) The hardy Highland Wight is the brave boatman. b) He reacts favorably to the Chieftain’s request stating that he is ready and willing to comply with the Chieftain’s request. ) The boatman has great respect for the Chieftain and understands their plight. He does not do it for the money offered but because of the beautiful lady who would lose her beloved if caught by Lord Ullin and his men. Question 15 Question: “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. a) Who is the speaker of the above lines? b) What is the main obstacle in the completion of the mission? c) What is the assurance given by the boatman? Answer: a) The speaker of the above lines is the boatman. ) The main obstacle in the completion of the mission is the stormy and wild weather. The waves are high and the sea is dangerous. c) The boatman is assuring the Chieftain that without wasting anymore precious time he will try and row them to safety in-spite of the impeding danger. Question 16 Question: 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 a) How did the weather become? b) What comparisons does the poet use to describe the weather? c) How did the people in the above lines react?
Answer: a) The weather was terrible, dark, stormy and very violent. b) The poet uses metaphor to describe the weather – water wraith shrieking and the ‘scowl of heaven’ are used to reinforce the violence of the storm. c) As the storm grew fiercer, the Chieftain, his beloved and the boatman grew more worried and anxious. Question 17 Question: But still as wilder blew the wind, And as the night grew drearer, Adown the glen rode armed men, Their trampling sounded nearer. a) Who are the armed men? Why did they come nearer? b) How do you think Lord Ullin’s daughter feels on hearing the men get closer?
Answer: a) The armed men are Lord Ullin’s men who are chasing Lord Ullin’s daughter and the Chieftain who have eloped. They have been chasing the couple close on their heels and have almost caught up with them, so their horses galloping can be heard. b) Lord Ullin’s daughter is probably terrified and does not want them to catch up as they would be sure to kill the Chieftain and take her away if they caught up. Question 18 Question: “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”. a) Who is the “lady” here, why does she cry? ) What does the lady mean in the last two lines? Answer: a) The “lady” in the above lines in Lord Ullin’s daughter. She cries because she is very afraid of being separated from her beloved if the armed men catch up and they are sure to kill the Chieftain too. So she cries and tells the boatman to hurry and row the boat faster. b) The lady says she prefers to face the dangers of the storm than her angry father, because her father would surely kill her lover and separate them each other. Question 19 Question: The boat has left a stormy land A stormy sea before her When, O! too strong for human hand,
The tempest gathered o’er her. a) What is the reference to ‘stormy land’? b) What is mean by “stormy sea”? c) What is too strong for human hands? Answer: a) ‘Stormy land’ here indicates that they have left the land where an angry Lord Ullin and his armed men who have been chasing them are. This is a figurative expression. b) Here the reference is literal as the sea is very rough due to the storm. c) The waves in the sea are rising dangerously and the boatman – who is only the human – is finding it difficult to control the boat and all around they have been surrounded by the storm. Question 20
Question: And still they row’d amidst the roar Of waters fast prevailing Lord Ullin reached that fatal shore; His wrath was changed to wailing. a) What was the imminent danger before them? b) What does the poet mean by ‘fatal”? c) What was the change seen in Lord Ullin? Answer: a) The imminent danger before them was that their boat was now being enveloped by the wild storm. Due to this death also seemed imminent. b) The poet uses the word ‘fatal’ because within the next few moments, Lord Ullin who had just reached the shore that moment was going to witness the storm claiming the life of this daughter. ) Lord Ullin until the point when he reached the shore was driven by anger and wanted to kill the Chieftain at any cost, saw before his eyes, his daughter being drowned in the stormy water. His anger changed to weeping at the tragic sight. Question: For, sore dismay’d through storm and shade His child he did discover: One lovely hand she stretched for aid And one was round her lover a) What did the lady do while her boat was battling the sea? Answer: a) The lady stretched one hand out, asking for assistance and with the other – she grasped her lover firmly – for support and also to show she did not want to be separated from him.
Question 22 Question: “Come back! Come back! He cried in grief “Across this stormy water: And I’ll forgive your highland Chief, My daughter! O my daughter! a) Who is the speaker of these lines? What is his emotional state? b) What is the speaker promising in the above line? Answer: a) The speaker is Lord Ullin who is full of grief because he can see his daughter drowning before his eyes. b) Lord Ullin is promising to forgive his daughter for the elopement and accept the Chieftain. He begs them to come back – he is now a changed man. Question 23
Question: ‘Twas vain: the loud waves lashed the shore. Return or aid preventing: The water wild went o’er his child And he was left lamenting a) Was is meant was ‘Twas vain’? b) Why was Lord Ullin ‘left lamenting’? Answer: a) Lord Ullin was begging his daughter and her lover to return, promising to forgive them, but the loud and rough waves overpowered them and their return had become impossible; so all his pleas were in vain. b) No one could help the situation – the storm was too-rough and the boat could not with stand the fierce sea and they were drowned. Lord Ullin saw his ghastly scene and was helpless and could only mourn his daughter’s death. Question 24 Question: What makes “Lord Ullin’s Daughter” a ballad? Answer: A ballad is a poem which is sung with the accompaniment of musical instruments. It has a rhyme scheme of ab, ab which gives it a rhythmic beat. It also has many poetic devices like alliteration – water wild, storm and shade, human hand which gives it a musical sound effect. The subject matter is romantic set in mediaeval times, with suspense, adventure, love and hate all adding colour to the poem. The tragic end lends a dramatic quality to the poem.
