Apedia

Lov'd Sae Ne'er Feelings Robert Burns Song Ae

Front

Robert Burns - Song (Ae Fond Kiss)

Explore: x5

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.

Back

•'had' conditional tense

•Sense of progression because at the beginning the addressee was simply receiving his grief, but now she is empowered by it and active - she has control over his feelings

•Assumes their feelings are the same 'we had ne'er been broken-hearted' - typical man taking for granted what a woman is thinking without asking

•Is the pain so intense that he regrets the whole experience - as suggested by the adverb 'sae (so)'? Or is their some masochistic pleasure in this sentimental heart break?

•Adverb 'blindly' shows intensity of affection and is an allusion to Cupid, who is often depicted as being blind

Learn with these flashcards. Click next, previous, or up to navigate to more flashcards for this subject.

Next card: Fare-thee-weel thou robert burns song ae fond kiss

Previous card: Love robert burns song ae fond kiss explore

Up to card list: AQA AS English Literature Pre-1900s Poetry Flashcards