Ae Fond Kiss -- Robert Burns Flashcards
(15 cards)
“Ae fond kiss, and then we sever”
A quiet, resigned farewell. Mirrors Jane’s painful goodbye to Rochester in Vol. 2, Chap. 11.
What is the emotional tone of loss?
Regretful, gentle. Jane Eyre also frames loss as noble when motivated by principle.
Lyrical lament form?
Simple and intimate. Reflects personal heartache — like Jane’s heartfelt, inner narration.
What is the poem’s mood?
Melancholic, honest. Jane’s emotions are similarly raw but morally purposeful.
AO3: Burns’ own lost love
Poem written after an affair with a married woman. Brontë explores similar moral dilemmas in forbidden love.
How does this compare to Jane’s restraint?
Both prioritize emotional honesty, but Jane takes action to uphold her moral beliefs.
Gender dynamics in heartbreak?
Here, male is passive, reflective. In Jane Eyre, the female initiates separation to protect her integrity.
What kind of love is expressed?
Deep but doomed. Jane and Rochester’s love, in contrast, is tested and purified.
“Burns writes from a place of emotional truth.”
Like Brontë, he captures internal conflict between love and duty.
How does the poem begin the farewell?
“Ae fond kiss, and then we sever; / Ae fareweel, and then forever!”
How does the speaker describe his heartache?
“Deep in heart-wrung tears I’ll pledge thee.”
What lines reflect the intensity of the lost love?
“Wae is me that I should sever / Ilka joy and treasure.”
What does the speaker say about the nature of their love?
“Had we never loved sae kindly, / Had we never loved sae blindly.”
What does the speaker wish for his beloved?
“Thine be ilka joy and treasure, / Peace, enjoyment, love and pleasure!”
How does the speaker describe his emotional state?
“But to see her was to love her; / Love but her, and love forever.”
