A JACOBITE'S FAREWELL by Algernon Charles Swinburne: Summary, Meaning & Analysis
A Jacobite soldier, locked away after the failed 1715 uprising, bids farewell to the woman he loves on the eve of his execution.
The poem
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.
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.
Line-by-line
There's nae mair lands to tyne, my dear, / And nae mair lives to gie:
For a' things come and a' days gane, / What needs ye rend your hair?
O lands are lost and life's losing, / And what were they to gie?
Our king wons ower the sea's water, / And I in prison sair:
Tone & mood
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.
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.
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.
FAQ
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.
*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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.