Explication-Barbara Allen Essay, Research Paper

Explication-Barbara Allen

Barbara Allen is a traditional ballad about doomed love. It tells a story, has characters & dialogue and it is anonymous.

In the first stanza we are given an introduction to the story. During the Maritimes time a man named Sir. John Graeme visited the west of England and fell in love with a woman named Barbara Allen.

John then sends one of his servants to the place where Barbara lives asking her to come meet John where he lives.

Barbara agrees to this offer. She goes to John?s house and when she draws the curtain she sees that he is dying.

John explains that he is sick because of his love for her. He tells her that he will love her for ever, even in his death.

Barbara tells John that she doesn?t care because she is mad at him because he was drunk when she met him and he has slighted her.

John then turns his face away in pain then tells his friends to leave and to please be kind to his love, Barbara Allen.

Barbara gets up and sighs, saying she cant stay because “?death of life had reft him?” which means she knew her love would die soon.

Barbara was on her way home when she heard the church bell ringing which meant John had died. When the author writes “?and every jow the dead-bell gelid, it cry?d ?woe to Barbara Allen!??” he means that Barbara feels grief stricken because her love had died.

Barbara gets home and tells her mother to make her bed because her “?love died for me today so I?ll die for him tomorrow?” this means she thinks she is going to die of a broken heart.

Barbara Allen is a traditional ballad of doomed love John Graeme died of his love for Barbara Allen and in the end Barbara dies for her love for John.