The Demon Lover | Introduction to Literature

Author Unknown

 "Oh, where have you been, my long, long love,

this seven years and more?"

"Oh, I've come to seek my former vows

Ye granted me before."

"Oh, do not speak of your former vows,

For they will breed sad strife;

Oh, do not speak of your former vows,

For I have become a wife."

He turned him right and round about,,

And the tear blinded his ee:

"I would never have trodden on this ground

If it had not been for thee."

"If I was to leave my husband dear,

And my two babes also,

Oh, what have you to take me to,

If with you I should go?"

"I have seven ships upon the sea---

The eighth brought me to land---

With four-and-twenty bold mariners,

And music on every hand."

She has taken up her two little babes,

Kissed them on cheek and chin:

"Oh, fare ye well, my own two babes,

For I'll never see you again."

She set her foot upon the ship---

No mariners could she behold;

But the sails were of the teffeta,

And the masts of the beaten gold.

She had not sailed a league, a league,

A league but barely three,

When dismal grew his countenance,

And drumlie grew his ee.

They had not sailed a league, a league,

A league but barely three,

Until she espied his cloven foot,

And she wept right bitterly.

"Oh, hold your tongue of your weeping," said he,

"Of your weeping now let me be;

I will show you how the lilies grow

On the banks of Italy."

"Oh, what hills are yon, yon pleasant hills,

That the sun shines sweetly on?"

"Oh, yon are the hills of heaven," he said,,

"Where you will never win."

"Oh, whaten a mountain is yon," she said,

"So dreary with frost and snow?"

"Oh, yon is the mountain of hell," he cried,

"Where you and I will go."

He struck the top-mast with his hand,

The fore-mast with his knee;

And he broke that gallant ship in twain,

And sank her in the sea.

Summary

The Demon Lover is a love story about a young man who had a lover and after he had been away for seven years, comes back to see his lover but she had got married and having two kids.

The man recalled the memories of their love affair and their affection and pleaded her to come with him, leaving her husband and the two children.

I wad' never hae' trodden on Irish ground

If it had not been for love o' thee

The woman being anxious asked him what he would give her if she was to leave her husband and her two children. He promised to give her seven ships already at sea and the one that brought him to her, where he had twenty-four mariners and music. The turpitude of the man and the woman is clearly depicted in the scene in which she kissed her two children goodbye.

She has taken up her two little babes

Kissed them both cheek and chin

Fair ye weel my ain two babes,

For I'll never see you again.

After she had boarded the ship she noticed the absence of mariners, sails were made of taffeta and the masts were of gold. When the ship had sailed about three leagues the appearance of the man became so ugly and his eyes looked fierce.

The woman noticed that he was cloven-footed, which was the symbol of a demon, and she cried bitterly. The man promised to show her lilies growing on the banks of Italy. When she saw some hills with the sun's rays on them she wanted to know what they were. He told her that they were hills of heaven and that she would never go there. Then, she spotted some mountains covered with frost and snow. He assured her that they were the mountains of hell where both of them would go.

Then he struck the top mast with his hand and the foremast with his knee, Thus he broke the ship into two and sank it to the bottom of the sea.

Analysis

The Demon Lover has all the qualities of a good ballad. The language is simple and in a conversational tone; as is usually found in the construction of a ballad.

The question and answer pattern prevails throughout inviting the attention of the listeners. Demon Lover, is a love story highlighting the frailties of a woman, who inspite of being married and having two babes, getting succumbed to greediness for wealth, her former lover owned.

The poet shows clearly how extreme desire for wealth win over motherly affection and ultimately end up in misery. The rural folk admired and appreciated such incidents and the poet had catered for the mass when you sow with the wind you reap the whirl wind.

The fate of the woman is clearly shown, the fauxpas that could not be justified. The poet’s simplicity of diction, conversational tone and the usual old time magic delighted the majority of people, especially the rural folk. The love image and the tragic end punishment for the sins are highlighted in an effortless manner.

The stanzas contain four lines iambic tetrameter. The story is appealing and the verses could be sung. The auditory images are exquisitely brought out.

This third stanza with its cinematic effect is beautifully set to rhythm; portraying the image of the mystic lover.

The eighth stanza reveals the love of a mother to her children and the ninth stanza emphazises the greediness of the same mother for wealth and how motherly love gets tarnished by extreme avarice.

The fifteen stanzas relate the full story of the Demon Lover, set to rhythm. The narration of the story, the primitive setting, simple diction, relevant wording sensational set up and the rhyme pattern add much glamour making the ballad Demon Lover and its theme relevant even for today.