ae fond kiss -...

Ae Fond KissBy Robert Burns

1759-1796

Ae Fond Kiss

What do we understand from the title of the poem?

Ae fond kiss, and then we sever;

Ae fareweel, and then forever!

Deep in heart-wrung tears I'll pledge thee,

Warring sighs and groans I'll wage thee.

Who shall say that Fortune grieves him,

While the star of hope she leaves him?

Me, nae cheerfu’ twinkle lights me;

Dark despair around benights me.

I'll ne'er blame my partial fancy,

Naething could resist my Nancy:

But to see her was to love her;

Love but her, and love for ever.

Had we never lov'd sae kindly,

Had we never lov'd sae blindly,

Never met-or never parted-

We had ne'er been broken-hearted.

Fare-thee-weel, thou first and fairest!

Fare-thee-weel, thou best and dearest!

Thine be ilka joy and treasure,

Peace, Enjoyment, Love and Pleasure!

Ae fond kiss, and then we sever!

Ae fareweel, alas, forever!



AO3: Context

Robert Burns1759-1796National poet of Scotland

Burns was born in Alloway, just south of Ayr. His parents were tenant farmers and Burns was no stranger to physical labour. His parents ensured he had a good education and he was an avid reader. His passions were poetry, nature, drink and women. He married and fathered twins, but almost left his wife and emigrated with his lover to the West Indies. It was only her sudden death that kept him in Scotland.

By the time he was 27, he was famous across Scotland and was hailed as ‘the ploughman poet’ because his poetry complemented the growing literary taste for romanticism and pastoral pleasures. He moved to Edinburgh and continued his affairs, fathering illegitimate children. His political views became increasingly radical.

He spent his earnings quickly and took a job as an Excise Officer to survive. The hard work this job entailed, along with the effects of his earlier lifestyle, led to his death at 37, following a dental extraction. A memorial edition of his poems was published to support his wife and children.

Burns and Agnes ‘Nancy’ McLehose

Whilst in Edinburgh, Burns met the already married Agnes ‘Nancy’ McLehose and began a relationship with her. They exchanged letters using the pseudonyms of ‘Clarinda’ for Agnes and ‘Sylvander’ for Burns.

When she met Burns, Agnes had left her husband dueto his mental cruelty and depression. She was determined to meet Burns and invited him to tea after their initial meeting via a friend. They began a love affair via letters but she resisted his physical advances and he had a child with her maid instead.

They maintained their love affair until she decided to return to her husband in Jamaica. She left Edinburgh in 1791. Nancy wrote in her journal: "This day I can never forget. Parted with Burns, in the year 1791, never more to meet in this world. Oh, may we meet in Heaven!“

Burns wrote ‘Ae Fond Kiss’ for Agnes and sent it to her, along with other songs he had written for her, after she had reconciled with her husband. He kept a silhouette of her until his death.

AO2: Language and Imagery


Ae fareweel, and then, forever!



What is the poet saying here?

Lines 2 and 3 could easily be part of the same sentence. Why has Burns separated them with the exclamation mark at the end of line 2? What is the effect of this?

‘Sever’ suggests a sudden, painful and final parting, but this is a ‘fond’ kiss. Is the speaker bitter?

Alliteration reinforces finality

1. ‘Wage’ = a pledge or promise – the ‘sighs and groans’ are the price he pays for their parting.2. The ‘sighs and groans’ are waging war inside him – this is reinforced by the onomatopoeia of ‘sigh’ (an open sound) and ‘groan’ (a closed sound); these contrasting sounds signify an internal battle representing his pain at parting.



Me, nae cheerful twinkle lights me;


‘Him’ = all men. (If you still have the hope of a reunion then you are of good fortune…)

‘Me’ = the speaker


How does the speaker contrast himself with all men?

‘Star’ = a glimmer

AO4: What other poems contain the idea of love as a guiding light in the darkness?





i.e. partial to



Never met-or never parted,


Why is it ironic that he calls her ‘my’ Nancy?


Look at the way the poet clusters the words ‘love’ and ‘lov’d’ together. What is significant about their placement? [Hint: look at the whole poem.]





‘ilka’ = every


What are his wishes for his departing love? What does this indicate about how he feels?

What might the exclamation marks add to this?


Ae fareweel, alas, for ever!



This stanza is almost an exact replica of the first stanza. What is different? Why is this significant?

1. The end of the poem/moment of parting is near, so ‘alas’ expresses the speaker’s despair2. It is the sound of another sigh (cf. ‘groans’/’sighs’)3. The ‘a’ vowel sounds stand out in a poem which mostly features ‘ee’, ‘e’, ‘ae’ and ‘o’

The repetition of (most of) the first stanza suggests that nothing has changed for the speaker: this is a goodbye, not a plea for change.

AO3: In the original manuscript, ‘forever’ = ‘for ever’ (two distinct words). This forms a firmer stop at the end of ‘ever’ rather than the ongoing ‘forever’. What could we say about this?

AO2: Form / Structure






















Ae fareweeli alas, for ever!



Can you identify the rhyme scheme?






















Ae fareweeli alas, for ever!



Can you identify the rhyme scheme?

AABB

AABB

AABB

AABB

AABB

AABB

The poem is written in simple quatrains. The metre puts a stress on the first syllable of every line and ends each line with an unstressed syllable (i.e. feminine endings), leading to feminine rhymes. This gives the poem a sad, falling rhythm.

AO4/5: Links and Interpretations

“In the eighteenth century, sentiment was one of the most pervasive literary styles. This poem privileges feelings over intellect and offers sincerity rather than irony or wit.

In addition the poem is written as a song (in which heartfelt emotion is commonplace). In this genre, a heartfelt outpouring of love is appropriate, rather than seeming to be overstated.”

-- Luke McBratney (2016)

What links to other poems can we make?

“Burns’ use of different emotions associated with love helps to keep the poem from seeming cloying or repetitive: there is a subtle balancing of feelings of deep love and deep pain as he thinks about the imminent parting.”

-- Luke McBratney (2016)

Do you agree?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMmtBgMaF5I

AO1: What kind of love is presented in this poem?

Think about: • The characteristics of love• The representation of the people involved• The feelings of the speaker• Any imagery or language used• The way the structure and form reflects this

You can either: Write a side of A4 to explain your answer.

Write a detailed plan of your answer.

Make sure you include and analyse quotations from the text.

Fill in your CLIFS sheet for this poem. Remember, this will be a revision aid!

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