English Literature 12

7 responses so far ↓

• 1    Tamara // Nov 8, 2005 at 9:48 pm

  I think that Barbara Allan wasn’t in love with Sir John until she visited him. When she became aware of his feelings for her I think he fell for whatever “charm” he used to win her love. But did not realize that she loved him until after he died. This could also be the idea of loving someone more after they die because you miss them more, and think that you love them. Even though you may not your just feeling lonely without them and are blinded into thinking that you loved them only because of the fact that now they are dead.

• 2    Rachel // Nov 9, 2005 at 12:59 am

  The ballad makes you sympathize with Barbara Allan, especially when she’s walking down the road back to her home, and the bell starts to toll for Sir John. I believe the ballad specifically said the bell was tolling for Barbara Allan’s woes.
  However, some parts of the ballad make you question how she really feels about Sir John, and makes you feel somewhat critical about her. For example, as soon as she reaches Sir John the first thing she does is tell him that he’s dying. And she leaves him before he actually dies!

• 3    Ellie // Nov 9, 2005 at 1:52 am

  The point that the ballad makes me critical of Barbara Allan is the first sentence she utters toward Sir John (”And when she drew the curtain by: \ “Young man, I think you’re dyin’.”", Barbara Allan, lines 11-12). It’s a little harsh to outright say something like that, especially in that blunt manner. Of course it’s the truth, but judging from the punctuation from the sentence, she was not surprised when she pulled back that curtain (if she was, I’m sure there would have been an exclaimation point to indicate that such was the case). Therefore, her comment has a cold undertone to it (of course he knew he was dying!), which causes me to wonder why one would say such a thing, and evidently feel critical of Barbara Allan.
  I sympathize with Barbara Allan at the point where she hears the ‘dead-bell’ while she is walking down the road back home:

  She had not gane a mile but twa,
  When she heard the dead-bell knellin’.
  And every jow that the dead-bell ga’ed
  It cried, “Woe to Barbara Allan!”

  - lines 29-32

  This stanza portrays, for the first time in the poem, the point where Barbara Allan may have felt incredibly guilty and sorrowful for being so harsh with the man that she loved. Proof of this found in the poem’s ending statement – Barbara Allan insisting, “”Since my love died for me today, \ I’ll die for him tomorrow.”" (lines 35-36). This shows the reader that, as opposed to Barbara Allan being coldhearted, that in fact she could simply have been hiding her love for Sir John until she got home and poured her heart to her mother.

• 4    Ango // Nov 9, 2005 at 9:21 pm

  I agree with the idea of love in the poem. First of all, Barbara Allan did not proclaim her love for Sir John until after he died, possibly because she realized this only after he died. Second, the idea of Sir John being sick for Barbara Allan is a bit strange, but makes perfect sense because it shows how much he really misses her. If a guy loves a girl, and she doesn’t want anything to do with him, shouldn’t he be heart-broken if he really loved her? The same idea occurs here, although Sir John is sick, not heart-broken (or he calls being heart-broken sick). Third, Barbara Allan feels insulted that she was given good health when her love is dying. This indicates that she wants to be with him. Fourth, Barbara Allan claims she will die for her love because her love died for her. This reminds me of the Bible verse that says we can love God because he first loved us, as well as the Bible verse that says dying for a friend is the greatest gift you can give. So, the poem depicts love in a interesting way, that draws the reader to want to have love in his/her own life.

• 5    Robyn // Nov 10, 2005 at 5:38 am

  If I were to sympathize with either Barbara Allan or Sir John, I would have to sympathize with Barbara Allan. Personally, I believe that Barbara Allan was actually in love with Sir John. Don’t get me wrong I do believe that Sir John did love her, just more in a way that he loved her for not having her rather than loving her for her. In the ballad it states that Sir John is obviously a Sir which automatically places him in a higher level of class than Barbara Allan. I think that Sir John loved Barbara Allan because of beauty and the chase. Barbara comes off as a women who has other things going for her in life and doesn’t want any thing to interfere with that. Sir John had to work harder for Barbara than he did for other girls. He decided that he would offer her the ultimate sacrifice he could give her that would actually mean something to her, his life. Money seemed like something that Barbara didn’t care for whatsoever. So he gave his life in order for her to know that he did love her, because if he couldn’t have her until he was dying than he would make it look like he could have. Í sympathize with Barbara Allan because when she finally shows that she loves him, he’s gone. Love is something very fragile and Barbara offered her love until Sir John died and than she offered her very own life in his name… Ifs that’s not love than what is?

• 6    Ben // Nov 10, 2005 at 8:50 pm

  Response to question 2 P. 200: According to Sir John he is “sick, and very very sick” because of his love for Barbara Allan. This seems to be quite a dramatization, but overall helps add to the effect of the ballad. Barbara Allan tells him to remember a time when he slighted her (perhaps simply by treating her as he would anyone else, which would indicate that she had feelings for him at the time), and uses this as the reason that she acts unconcerned about his condition. Another likely reason she feigns indifference is that she loves him and now that he is dying doesn’t want to express her feelings because his death would be that much more painful as a result. I think that Sir John suspects her affection for him, and she realizes this, making her bitter at the prospect of his death resulting from not having his love returned. This doesn’t seem to make sense unless there were some reason that they could not be together, otherwise I think a problem as small as him having slighted her in the past would have been overcome by their love.

• 7    Mr. N // Nov 10, 2005 at 10:57 pm

  I have just spent the last ten or so minutes reading your commments, and I have got to say that I should’ve had a cup of coffee while doing so…This is great stuff, everyone!!
  I am not even going to pretend to comment on each of your thoughts individually, but I did want to chime in on the fact that I am totally blown away with the depth of your answers so far (still waiting for Iain to drop his comment…)! How amazing!
  I think this is a great study tool, as reading your comments will help refresh your memory on the issues and topics of the poem. Isn’t it cool that even though ‘Barbara Allan’ is a short poem we have huge responses?
  Once again, I am amazed by your responses, you should be proud!
  I am looking forward to when the team blog gets going, as this will help facilitate responses to you individually in a much easier format!
  Thanks to all of you.
  cheers
  Mr. N.