LORD ULLIN’S DAUGHTER

Question 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!’

a. Who is the chieftain? Where was he going and why?

Chieftain is a Scottish chieftain, the chief of the island of Ulva. He is the lover of Lord Ullin’s daughter.
They are eloping and are being pursued by the daughter’s father. The chieftain wants to cross Lochgyle as
Lord Ullin and his men are following him.

b. Why does the chieftain offer the boatman a silver pound to be rowed across the river?
The lovers are being followed by the Lord Ullin’s men. If they are caught, the chieftain would be killed.
Also, it is a stormy night and the boatman may not agree to row them so he offers a silver pound.

Question 2:
‘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:’

a. Give two qualities of the speaker as apparent in this stanza. Give reasons for your answer.
The speaker is the boatman here. He is a valiant and a strong man. He agrees to row the two lovers across
Lochgyle even in that dark and stormy weather. He is gallant and chivalrous towards the lady and agrees
to risk his life for her sake.

b. What does ‘wight’ mean?

‘Wight’ means someone who is skilled in fighting. Here the word is used to describe the boatman.

Question 3:
‘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. “The water-wraith was shrieking.” Bring out the symbolism in the line.
The water wraith is the spirit of the lake. The water of Lochgyle has become turbulent and very noisy due
to the storm. ‘Shrieking’ here refers to the lamenting of the water. The poet has used a symbolism to prepare
the reader for what is going to happen. The spirit of the lake seems to be lamenting at the imminent death
of the two lovers.

b. Explain the last two lines of this stanza.

As the lovers are speaking to the boatman, the wind howls and grows stronger and becomes more violent.
On the other hand, the sky is covered with dark grey clouds. The faces of the three appear unrecognizable
in the dark.
Question 4:
‘the boat has left a stormy land,
a stormy sea before her-
when oh! too strong for human hand,
the tempest gathered o’er her.
and still they rowed amidst the roar
of waters fast prevailing;
lord ullin reach’d that fatal shore-
his wrath was chang’d to wailing.’
a. In the first two lines ‘stormy’ refers to two different things. What are they?
In the first line, ‘stormy’ refers to an angry father while in the second line it refers to the tempest that had
taken place.

b. The lady faces a dilemma here. What is it about?

Her dilemma is whether she should face the angry storm at the sea or her father’s wrath.

c. Why is the shore called ‘fatal?’

The shore is called ‘fatal’ because Lord Ullin’s daughter who has just left the shore is going to die with her
lover. It is a transferred epithet.

d. Why did Lord Ullin’s wrath turn into wailing?

When Lord Ullin saw his daughter trapped in the tempest at sea and was going to die, his wrath turned into
wailing.

Question 5:
‘One lovely hand she stretch’d for aid.’ Do you think Lord Ullin’s daughter wanted to reach out
for her father? Why?
Yes, I do think Lord Ullin’s daughter appealed to her father for help when she was caught in the tempest
at the sea. She wanted her father to save her from the tempest in which she and her lover were trapped.

Question 6:
‘Come back! Come back! My daughter! – O my daughter!’ Why does the repetition of the above
mentioned words show?
The grief-stricken Lord Ullin repeatedly calls out her daughter to return to her father. He also says that he
would forgive her lover. Unfortunately, it was too late and he loses his daughter to the stormy sea and is
left mourning for the loss.

Question 7:
What is a ballad? How is ‘Lord Ullin’s Daughter’ a ballad? Give reasons.
A ballad is a long narrative poem. It is often about a heroic incident or a romance and is sung with a musical
instrument. ‘Lord Ullin’s Daughter’ has all these qualities of a ballad. It tells the tragic story of two lovers
who were eloping and were pursued by the bride’s father. Ultimately, they meet their fate. They die a tragic
death at the hands of nature. The poem has some musical effect too. The repetition of some sounds and the
rhyming scheme of the poem make it musical. Therefore, due to all these qualities, this poem is a ballad.

Value Based Question

Question 8:
Do you think the daughter was correct in her decision of defying her father? Why/ Why not? If you
had been in the daughter’s place, what would you have done? What are the duties of children
towards their parents?
Love is blind. Being in love, lovers do not realize the consequence of their impulsive decisions. Lord
Ullin’s daughter and her lover decided to elope because they knew her father would not agree. She must
have thought about her family’s reputation and honour. At the same time, she could not leave her lover for
the sake of honour and status. Love means more than these. She must have tried to persuade her father and
waited for his support. But alas! Her father did not accept the groom and so she had to defy her father and
runaway.
Children should be obedient towards their parents. They should realize that their parents are their well
wishers and benefactors. They should keep their family’s honour and reputation too. We should not leave
our parents for the sake of a two week’s relationship!

If I was in her place, I would have kept patience till my father would have agreed. Because for me, I love
my family as much I love the chieftain.

Short Type Questions

1. “The water-wraith was shrieking.” Bring out the symbolism in the line.

The water wraith is the spirit of the lake. The water of Lochgyle has become turbulent and very noisy due
to the storm. ‘Shrieking’ here refers to the lamenting of the water. The poet has used a symbolism to prepare
the reader for what is going to happen. The spirit of the lake seems to be lamenting at the imminent death
of the two lovers.

2. Why does the poet use words like ‘adown’ and ‘rode’ which contain harsh syllables?

The poet uses such harsh syllables to convey the anger and the fury of man in contrast to that of nature’s
fury.

3. “The boat has left a stormy land, A stormy sea before her,”

a) In the first two lines ‘stormy’ refers to two different things. What are they?

In the first line, ‘stormy’ refers to an angry father while in the second line it refers to the tempest that had
taken place.

b) The lady faces a dilemma here. What is it about?

Her dilemma is whether she should face the angry storm at the sea or her father’s wrath.

4. Give two qualities of the boatman as apparent in the poem, “Lord Ullin’s Daughter.”

The boatman is a kind as well as valiant man. He agrees to take the lovers across the sea even in such a
terrible storm. This shows his valiant nature as well as his kindness towards the lady and his lover.
5. Explain the following phrases:

a) “bonny bird”– It refers to the beautiful bride and daughter of Lord Ullin. Bonny means charming.
b) “fatal shore”– “Fatal shore” is a transferred epithet. It is called ‘fatal’ because the daughter of Lord
Ullin will face her death as she leaves the shore.

6. Give a few examples of alliteration from the poem.

The examples of alliteration are:

a. hardy Highland
b. human hand
c. water-wraith
d. storm and shade
e. water wild went

7. Why does Lord Ullin’s daughter defy her father and elope with her lover? (Stanza 1)
Answer
Lord Ullin was against his daughter’s marriage with her lover, the chieftain. So, to marry her lover she
defied her father and eloped with him.

8. Give two characteristics of the boatman who ferries the couple across the sea.
Answer
The boatman was brave and helpful.

9. “Imagery” refers to something that can be perceived through more than one of the senses. It uses
figurative language to help form mental pictures. Campbell used vivid, diverse and powerful imagery
to personify the menacing face of nature (for e.g. sea, sky, wind, land). Pick out expressions that
convey the images of anger in the following stanzas:
Question Answer

10. 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 Ullin’s daughter, his beloved.
(b) The Chieftain’s 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.

12. The poet uses words like ‘adown’, ‘rode’ which contain harsh consonants. Why do you think the
poet has done this? (Stanza 8)
Answer
The use of harsh consonants creates an unpleasant effect. In the context of Lord Ullin’s men chasing his
daughter and her lover, the use of harsh consonants in the words describing the situation is quite effective.

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 Ullin’s daughter crossed the shore
only to meet her tragic end.
(b) Why does Lord Ullin’s wrath change into wailing on seeing his daughter?

Answer
Lord Ullin noticed that the storm won’t spare his daughter. He feels helpless and guilty. His anger cools
down and he starts moaning for his child.
15. “One lovely hand she stretch’d for aid.” Do you think Lord Ullin’s daughter wanted to reach
out to her father? (Stanza 12) If yes, why?
Answer
Lord Ullin’s 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.

16. You are already familiar with the poetic device “alliteration”. The poet makes extensive use of
the same throughout the poem. Pick out as many examples of alliteration as you can. Example:
fast-father’s; horsemen-hard
Answer
Examples of alliteration are:
Bonny bride
Hardy Highland Bonny bird
Human hand
Storm and shade
Water wild
Roar'd amidst the roar
Water-wraith

17. What is the rhyme scheme of the poem?

Answer
The rhyme scheme is a-b,a-b, that is, alternating rhyme scheme. In the last paragraph the rhyme scheme
changes to abcb.

Objective Type Questions

1. On the basis of your understanding of the poem, answer the following questions by ticking the
correct choice.
(a) Lord Ullin's daughter and her lover are trying to_____________.
(i) escape the wrath of her father
(ii) settle in a distant land
(iii) challenge the storm in the lake
(iv) trying to prove their love for each other
Answer
(i) escape the wrath of her father

(b) The boatman agrees to ferry them across because_________.

(i) he has fallen in love with Lord Ullin's daughter
(ii) he wants to avenge Lord Ullin
(iii) he has lost his love
(iv) he is sorry for the childlike innocence of the lady
Answer
(iv) he is sorry for the childlike innocence of the lady

(c) The mood changes in the poem. It transforms from _________.

(i) happiness to fear
(ii) anxiety to grief
(iii) fear to happiness
(iv) love to pain
Answer
(ii) anxiety to grief

(d) The shore of Lochgyle has been referred to as 'fatal shore!' The poetic device used here is
________________.
(i) metaphor
(ii) simile
(iii) transferred epithet
(iv) onomatopoeia
Answer
(iii) transferred epithet

2. In pairs copy and complete the summary of the poem with suitable words/expressions.

A Scottish Chieftain and his beloved were (a) _____________from her wrathful father. As they
reached the shores, the (b) ____________ told a boatman to (c) ____________ them across Lochgyle.
He asked him to do it fast because if (d) ______________found them, they would kill him. The
boatman (e) ________________to take them not for the (f) _____________that the chieftain offered
but for his (g) ____________. By this time, the storm had (h) _____________and a wild wind had
started blowing. The sound of (i) _______________could be heard close at hand. The lady urged the
boatman (j) _____________as she did not want to face an angry father. Their boat left the (k)
______________and as it got caught in the stormy sea, Lord Ullin reached the deadly
(l)_____________. His anger changed to wailing when he saw his daughter (m) ______________. He
asked her to return back. But it was (n) __________ as the stormy sea claimed his daughter and her
lover.

Answer
A Scottish Chieftain and his beloved were (a) fleeing from her wrathful father. As they reached the shores,
the (b)chieftain told a boatman to (c) ferry them across Lochgyle. He asked him to do it fast because if (d)
Lord Ullin’s men found them, they would kill him. The boatman (e) agreed to take them not for the (f)
silver that the chieftain offered but for his (g)beautiful bride. By this time, the storm had (h) become
more violent and a wild wind had started blowing. The sound of (i)Lord Ullin’s men could be heard close
at hand. The lady urged the boatman (j) to hurry as she did not want to face an angry father. Their boat
left the (k)stormy shore and as it got caught in the stormy sea, Lord Ullin reached the deadly (l) shore. His
anger changed to wailing when he saw his daughter (m) in danger. He asked her to return back. But it was
(n) futile as the stormy sea claimed his daughter and her lover.