Barbara Allan (Poem Summary)

Poem Summary

Lines 1-4

The poem begins by noting that Sir John Graeme fell in love with Barbara Allan in the autumn. The “green leaves” suggest a romantic, pastoral setting appropriate for the lovers, however the fact that they are “falling” suggests a note of sadness to this affair right from its start.

Lines 5-8

Sir John sends a servant to fetch Barbara Allan. The servant asks her to hurry and go to Sir John if she is indeed the woman for whom the message is intended, Barbara Allan.

Lines 9-12

Barbara Allan does not hurry, as shown by the repetition of the word “hooly,” which emphasizes her slow movement. She goes to Sir John and finds him lying behind a curtain, apparently on his deathbed. She does not express any pity for him, but instead states, matter of factly, that he appears to be dying.

Lines 13-14

Sir John agrees with Barbara Allan and adds to her observation the fact that the cause of his sickness is his spurned love for her.

Lines 15-16

Again, instead of expressing sympathy, Barbara Allan replies coldly. She states that even though Sir John is spilling forth his love, it would have been better for her if he had never existed. The phrase “heart’s blood were a-spilling” can suggest several things: Sir John’s death, his broken heart, and his spoken words of love.

Lines 17-20

In this fifth stanza, Barbara Allan explains her coldness to Sir John by referring to an incident during which her feelings were hurt. She asks whether he remembers that he “slighted” her, or treated with indifference and disdain, at the tavern. One can imagine that Sir John had been drinking too much, toasting too many other people, and ignoring his true love. Barbara Allan is unable to forget this incident or forgive him for it.

Lines 21-24

Sir John does not deny the accusation that Barbara Allan makes. He turns away from her, presumably in sorrow for what he has done, and he passively accepts his death. His final words are a farewell to his friends and a request that they treat Barbara Allan with kindness. His gentle, sad acceptance of his fate and his blessing of Barbara Allan strike a sorrowful chord. His use of the foreign word “adieu” characterizes him as a well-bred gentleman. This portrayal of Sir John, along with his passivity, suggest that he deserves Barbara Allan’s pardon, not her continued condemnation. In this stanza, alliteration is used, with a “d” sound occurring in the words “death,” “dealing,” “adieu,” and “dear.”

Lines 25-28

Somewhat reluctantly, Barbara Allan leaves Sir John. Because the word “slowly” is used four times in this stanza, a dramatic tension builds. The listener is made to wait for Barbara Allan’s response to Sir John, since her actions take time to develop. Finally, as she goes, she sighs and remarks that she can not stay since “death” has taken hold of Sir John; it has deprived him of “life.” This is the final occurrence of Barbara Allan’s cruelty, her lack of sympathy for Sir John.

Lines 29-32

When Barbara Allan is only one or two miles away from Sir John, she hears his funeral bell ringing. In each strike of the bell, she hears a mournful note and feels regret for what she has done to cause the death of her true love.

Lines 33-36

Barbara Allan calls out in sadness, asking that her mother prepare a funeral bed for her, because she will die of a broken heart just as she caused Sir John to die for her.

Lines 37-40

Barbara Allan’s body is buried near Sir John, and a brier grows above her grave. The brier is a thorn bush, and it may be associated with Barbara Allan’s sharp treatment of Sir John. Also, like the crown of thorns worn by Jesus, it may be associated with martyrdom — in this case, Barbara Allan’s death for the cause of true love. Above Sir John’s grave, a red rose grows. Repetition of the word “red” emphasizes its symbolic significance; the red rose represents love. Here it stands for the true love that Sir John felt for Barbara Allan, a love strong enough to cause death. “Red” may also remind the reader of blood and pain. Sir John suffered emotional pain because of his love.

Lines 41-44

The last stanza symbolically represents the eternity of true love. Though Sir John and Barbara Allan have died, their love continues to grow. The brier and the rose bush climb the church wall, suggesting that the love reaches above earthly constraints. There, the two plants join in a lover’s knot, a symbol of eternal unity. In life after death, it seems, Barbara Allan and Sir John have been reunited.

Media Adaptations

• A film strip titled Three Traditional British Ballads was released by Educational Audiovisual, Inc. in 1973.
• Folkways Records and Service Corp. released audio cassettes of The English and Scottish Popular Ballads, volumes 1-4 in 1964.
• A videotape titled The Ballad and the Source of Film is available from the Center for Media and Independent Living at the University of California Extension in Berkely.
• A compact disc titled Virginia Traditions: Ballads from the British Tradition was released by Global Village Recordings in 1997.