The Sea-Swallows

By Algernon Charles Swinburne

Ballad
    This fell when Christmas lights were done,     Red rose leaves will never make wine;     But before the Easter lights begun;     The ways are sair fra the Till to the Tyne.     Two lovers sat where the rowan blows     And all the grass is heavy and fine,     By the gathering-place of the sea-swallows     When the wind brings them over Tyne.     Blossom of broom will never make bread,     Red rose leaves will never make wine;     Between her brows she is grown red,     That was full white in the fields by Tyne.     O what is this thing ye have on,     Show me now, sweet daughter of mine?     O father, this is my little son     That I found hid in the sides of Tyne.     O what will ye give my son to eat,     Red rose leaves will never make wine?     Fen-water and adders meat,     The ways are sair fra the Till to the Tyne.     Or what will ye get my son to wear,     Red rose leaves will never make wine?     A weed and a web of nettles hair,     The ways are sair fra the Till to the Tyne.     Or what will ye take to line his bed,     Red rose leaves will never make wine?     Two black stones at the kirkwalls head,     The ways are sair fra the Till to the Tyne.     Or what will ye give my son for land,     Red rose leaves will never make wine?     Three girls paces of red sand,     The ways are sair fra the Till to the Tyne.     Or what will ye give me for my son,     Red rose leaves will never make wine?     Six times to kiss his young mouth on,     The ways are sair fra the Till to the Tyne.     But what have ye done with the bearing-bread,     And what have ye made of the washing-wine?     Or where have ye made your bearing-bed,     To bear a son in the sides of Tyne?     The bearing-bread is soft and new,     There is no soil in the straining wine:     The bed was made between green and blue,     It stands full soft by the sides of Tyne.     The fair grass was my bearing-bread,     The well-water my washing-wine;     The low leaves were my bearing-bed,     And that was best in the sides of Tyne.     O daughter, if ye have done this thing,     I wot the greater grief is mine;     This was a bitter child-bearing,     When ye were got by the sides of Tyne.     About the time of sea-swallows     That fly full thick by six and nine,     Yell have my body out of the house,     To bury me by the sides of Tyne.     Set nine stones by the wall for twain,     Red rose leaves will never make wine;     For the bed I take will measure ten,     The ways are sair fra the Till to the Tyne.     Tread twelve girls paces out for three,     Red rose leaves will never make wine;     For the pit I made has taken me,     The ways are sair fra the Till to the Tyne.

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Poem Details

Language: English
Keywords: Public Domain
Source: Public Domain Collection
Rights/Permissions: Public Domain
Analysis & Notes:
The poem is a powerful narrative that explores themes of love, unexpected pregnancy, and death, embedded in a rural setting between the rivers Till and Tyne. The poet’s use of repetition, notably the refrain, "Red rose leaves will never make wine," serves to underscore the impossibility and tension within the narrative. This line, along with "The ways are sair fra the Till to the Tyne," which translates to "The ways are sore from the Till to the Tyne," lends a melancholic tone to the piece, reflecting the hardship and sorrow that the characters endure.

The poem is structured as a dialogue between a father and daughter, punctuated by these recurring refrains. The dialogue reveals the daughter’s unexpected motherhood and the father's grief upon this revelation. The poet’s use of vivid imagery, particularly of the natural world, serves to ground the narrative, while also symbolically representing the characters' raw emotions and experiences. For example, "Blossom of broom will never make bread," suggests the hardships of rural life and the impossibility of certain desires. Furthermore, the frequent mention of 'Tyne', a river, could be symbolic of life's flow and its inevitable progression towards death, as implied by the poem's conclusion. The poem's final stanzas, where the father contemplates his own mortality and funeral arrangements, deepen the somber tone, leaving the reader with a poignant sense of the cyclical nature of life and death.

Understanding Ballads

A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music, that has been a cornerstone of storytelling across various cultures. Traditionally passed down orally, ballads are known for their rhythmic structure and often tell tales of love, adventure, and heroism.

Ballads are characterized by their strong rhythm and repetition, making them both memorable and engaging. Here are some defining features:

  • Narrative Structure: Ballads typically tell a story, often a dramatic or emotional tale that unfolds in a straightforward, chronological order.
  • Quatrain Stanzas: Most ballads are composed of quatrains (four-line stanzas) with a rhyme scheme of ABAB or ABCB, which adds to the musicality of the verse.
  • Repetition: Refrains or repeated lines are common in ballads, helping to emphasize key themes or emotions and making the ballad easier to remember.
  • Oral Tradition: Many ballads originated from oral traditions, which means they were passed down through generations by word of mouth before being written down.

From medieval minstrels to contemporary songwriters, ballads have continued to evolve, remaining a beloved form of expression that captures the human experience in a way that is both poetic and accessible.