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A Jacobite's Farewell by Algernon Charles Swinburne

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A Jacobite soldier, locked away after the failed 1715 uprising, bids farewell to the woman he loves on the eve of his execution.

Poet
Algernon Charles Swinburne
Core theme
Death
The PoemFull text

A Jacobite's Farewell

Algernon Charles Swinburne

1716 There's nae mair lands to tyne, my dear, And nae mair lives to gie: Though a man think sair to live nae mair, There's but one day to die. For a' things come and a' days gane, What needs ye rend your hair? But kiss me till the morn's morrow, Then I'll kiss ye nae mair. O lands are lost and life's losing, And what were they to gie? Fu' mony a man gives all he can, But nae man else gives ye. Our king wons ower the sea's water, And I in prison sair: But I'll win out the morn's morrow, And ye'll see me nae mair.

Public domain

Sourced from Project Gutenberg

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§01Quick summary

What this poem is about

A Jacobite soldier, locked away after the failed 1715 uprising, bids farewell to the woman he loves on the eve of his execution. He urges her not to mourn over lost territories or failed ideals, stressing that none of that compares to the pain of losing *him* — and her losing him. It's a brief, tender love poem disguised as a political goodbye.

§02Themes

Recurring themes

§03Line by line

Stanza by stanza, with notes

  1. There's nae mair lands to tyne, my dear, / And nae mair lives to gie:

    Editor's note

    The speaker begins by urging his beloved to stop tallying the losses — there’s no more land to give up, no more lives to lose for the Jacobite cause. The Scottish dialect word *tyne*, meaning "to lose," immediately establishes the tone: this man hails from the Scottish Highlands, not from an English court. He’s not pretending about what lies ahead; he’s attempting to present it with composure. The phrase "there's but one day to die" feels almost straightforward — every man dies just once, so why amplify the pain?

  2. For a' things come and a' days gane, / What needs ye rend your hair?

    Editor's note

    "Rend your hair" evokes a biblical image of mourning and despair, and the speaker is softly urging her to stop. Everything comes and goes — that’s simply how time works. Yet, the stanza shifts to a more tender tone at the end: *kiss me till the morn's morrow* suggests kissing through the night until the morning, because after that, there won’t be any more kisses. The straightforwardness of the first two lines makes the emotional weight of the last two even more impactful.

  3. O lands are lost and life's losing, / And what were they to gie?

    Editor's note

    Here, the speaker presents his main argument. Yes, he has lost his land, and his life is almost over — but what do those losses really mean? Many men sacrifice everything for a cause. However, no other man can offer *her* what he provides: his unique love and his true self. This is a quietly poignant observation: while political losses can be replaced in history, the loss of one person to another is irreplaceable and entirely unique.

  4. Our king wons ower the sea's water, / And I in prison sair:

    Editor's note

    *Wons* means "dwells" — the exiled Stuart king, James Francis Edward Stuart, is living safely in France while the speaker languishes in a prison in Scotland or England. *Sair* translates to "sorely" or "grievously." There’s no bitterness in this line; it simply states the stark contrast: the king enjoys freedom, while the soldier does not. The final couplet delivers the poem's gut-punch — tomorrow morning he will "win out" of prison, which means he will be led out for execution, and she will never see him again.

§04Tone & mood

How this poem feels

The tone is gentle and subdued. The speaker is confronting death but chooses not to be overly dramatic — he consistently redirects the conversation from heavy topics like politics and grief back to the two of them, sharing one final night together. Beneath the surface, there is genuine sorrow, yet it is tempered by love and a sense of stoic Scottish dignity. The dialect plays a significant role: it anchors the poem in a personal and intimate realm rather than making it feel lofty or rhetorical.

§05Symbols & metaphors

Symbols & metaphors

Lands lost
The speaker references the forfeited estates of Jacobite supporters following the failed rising to illustrate that material and political losses pale in comparison to the loss of a loved one.
The morn's morrow
It’s literally “tomorrow morning” — it shows up twice, creating a subtle countdown to execution. The phrase carries a certain gentleness, which makes it even more unsettling with each repetition.
The king over the sea
The exiled Stuart pretender is safe in France while his followers are dying. He embodies the cause that the speaker has given everything for — and the stark difference between the king's safety and the soldier's imprisonment raises doubts about whether that sacrifice was truly worth it.
The kiss
The recurring image of kissing throughout the night forms the emotional heart of the poem. It symbolizes the everyday intimacy that is about to be irrevocably severed — not acts of heroism or glory, just two people sharing a moment together.
Prison
The speaker finds themselves in a location that represents the complete downfall of the Jacobite cause. They are trapped not only in a physical sense but also within the confines of history—caught on the defeated side of a battle that has already been lost.

§06Form & structure

Form & structure

Meter
ballad meter
Rhyme
ABCB DEFE GHIH JKJK

§07Historical context

Historical context

The poem is dated 1716, which places it right after the Jacobite rising of 1715 — known as "the Fifteen." During this event, supporters of the exiled Stuart dynasty in Scotland and England attempted to put James Francis Edward Stuart on the British throne but ultimately failed. Following the uprising's collapse, many Jacobite prisoners were tried for treason; some were executed while others lost their lands. Swinburne wrote this poem in Scots dialect, giving voice to a condemned Jacobite soldier the night before his execution. Although Swinburne himself was born in 1837, more than a century after these events, he held a lifelong romantic sympathy for lost causes and exiled kings — themes that are prevalent in much of his work. The poem is part of a tradition of Jacobite songs and laments that kept the memory of the rising alive in Scottish culture long after it was over.

§08FAQ

Questions readers ask

Who is the speaker of the poem?

A Jacobite soldier, loyal to the exiled Stuart king, finds himself in prison, facing execution the next morning. On this final night, he speaks directly to the woman he loves.

What does "nae mair" mean?

Nae mair is a Scots term meaning "no more." Swinburne incorporates Scots throughout the poem to create an authentic voice for the speaker, who is portrayed as a man from the Scottish Highlands or Lowlands involved in the 1715 rising.

What is a Jacobite?

A Jacobite was someone who supported the dethroned Stuart king James II and his heirs, especially his son James Francis Edward Stuart, often called "the Old Pretender." Following the Glorious Revolution of 1688, which saw James II replaced by William III, Jacobites made several attempts to bring the Stuarts back to power. The 1715 rising, mentioned in this poem, was one of the most significant of those efforts.

What does "win out the morn's morrow" mean?

It means "leave tomorrow morning" — but the dark irony is that the only way he will leave prison is to be taken out for execution. This euphemism gives the poem's ending a quietly devastating impact.

Why does the speaker say no other man gives her what he gives?

He argues that political sacrifice feels impersonal—countless men sacrificed their lands and lives for the Jacobite cause, and history will remember them all in the same way. However, his love for her is one-of-a-kind and irreplaceable. No one else can be him for her. This shift in perspective moves the poem from the public tragedy of a failed rebellion to the intimate tragedy of two people torn apart.

Is Swinburne himself a Jacobite?

No — Swinburne was born in 1837, well over a century after the events depicted in the poem. He had a romantic affinity for lost causes and exiled royalty, but the poem is a dramatic monologue: he voices a historical character rather than sharing his own political views.

What is the poem's rhyme scheme?

Each four-line stanza uses an ABCB rhyme scheme, where the second and fourth lines rhyme but the first and third do not. This traditional ballad form suits the poem well, especially since it's crafted in the style of a Scottish folk song or lament.

Why does the speaker mention the king living over the sea?

James Francis Edward Stuart was living in exile in France following the failed uprising. The contrast is stark: the king that the speaker fought for and is dying for remains safe overseas, while the soldier languishes in prison. Swinburne allows the irony to resonate without embellishment—there's no anger in the line, just a straightforward statement of fact, which somehow amplifies its impact.

Citation

Cite this poem

MLA

Swinburne, Algernon Charles. "A Jacobite's Farewell." Storgy, https://storgy.com/poems/a-jacobites-farewell-algernon-charles-swinburne/.

APA

Swinburne, A. C. (n.d.). A jacobite's farewell. Storgy. https://storgy.com/poems/a-jacobites-farewell-algernon-charles-swinburne/

TeacherAP Lit Q1 scaffold — preview

Row A — Thesis

1 pt

In 'A Jacobite's Farewell,' Swinburne employs the voice of a condemned Jacobite prisoner speaking the night before his execution to argue that an individual act of total self-giving redeems every political and material loss: where land and …

  • Row B — Evidence + Commentary4 pts
  • Row C — Sophistication1 pt
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