In the ballad “Lord Ullin’s Daughter” by Thomas Campbell, the daughter defies her father by eloping with the man she loves. Was she right to do this? Considering it leads to her and her lover's death, she probably made the wrong decision. When this poem is analyzed, it is often argued she should have been allowed to marry for love. Unfortunately, dueling Scottish clans were the norm at the time, and Lord Ullin’s daughter was...
In the ballad “Lord Ullin’s Daughter” by Thomas Campbell, the daughter defies her father by eloping with the man she loves. Was she right to do this? Considering it leads to her and her lover's death, she probably made the wrong decision. When this poem is analyzed, it is often argued she should have been allowed to marry for love. Unfortunately, dueling Scottish clans were the norm at the time, and Lord Ullin’s daughter was cognizant of that.
She was aware her father and her lover were heads of separate Scottish clans, and knew her father would never approve of their relationship. When she leaves with “the chief of Ulva's isle,” she knows her father’s men will follow them, and they will kill her lover on the spot if the two are caught. Therefore, she puts her lover's life in jeopardy by defying her father’s wishes. One could interpret this as selfishness on her part.
Two lives could have been spared if Lord Ullin's daughter chose to obey her father, but would she and her lover have found happiness without each other?
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