Ae Fond Kiss-Burns

Question 1

What are the key structural methods in Ae Fond Kiss?

Answer 1

• Trochaic tetrameter
  -a reversal of typically English poetry that used iambic tetramter
• Rhyming couplets
• Cyclical structure which is changed slightly
  “Ae fareweel, and then for ever!”
  “Ae fareweel, Alas, for ever!” increased despair and hopelessness

Question 2

What are the key language methods used in Ae Fond Kiss?

Answer 2

• semantic field of money
• Light and dark imagery
• Painful imagery

Question 3

Which quotes support the method of: the semantic field of money?

Answer 3

“wage” “joy and treasure” “Fortune grieves him”
-personification of Fortune reflects typical Romantic desire for freedom

Question 4

Which quotes support the method of: light and dark imagery

Answer 4

“star of hope”
“Dark despair around benights me”

Question 5

Which quotes support the method of: painful imagery?

Answer 5

“warring sighs and groans
“deep in heart-wrung tears”
“Had we never lov’d sae blindly!”

Question 6

Why does Burns use Courtly Love tropes?

Answer 6

He was a romantic, who typically looked towards an idealised past such as the chivalric Medieval period. Through this, Burns is reflecting on the joy of his past relationship

Question 7

What era is Ae Fond Kiss from?

Answer 7

Romantic

Question 8

What is the key contextual information for Ae Fond Kiss?

Answer 8

• Unification of Scotland and England
• Burns was Scottish and wrote the poem as a parting message to Agnes or McLehose or ‘Nancy’
• Burns came from a humble farming background and Agnes’ husband was much wealthier

Question 9

What ae the key themes in Ae Fond Kiss?

Answer 9

• Barriers to love
• Loss of love
• Love and Status
• Unrequited love