ON PARTING, George Gordon, Lord Byron

ON PARTING

George Gordon, Lord Byron

 

 

The kiss, dear maid! thy lip has left

Shall never part from mine,

Till happier hours restore the gift

Untainted back to thine.

 

Thy parting glance, which beams,

An equal love may see:

The tear that from thine eyelid streams

Can weep on change in me.

 

I ask no pledge to make me blest

In gazing when alone;

Nor one memorial for a breast,

Whose thoughts are all thine own.

 

Nor need I write - to tell the tale

My pen were doubly weak;

Oh! what can idle words avail,

Unless the heart could speak?

 

By day or night, in weal or woe,

That heart, no longer free,

Must bear the love it cannot show,

And silent ache for thee.

 

 

Meaning

 

George Gordon Byron's “Farewell” is a poem that expresses sadness and longing over separation from a loved one. The speaker of the poem expresses sadness and longing as he reflects on memories of past love ahead of parting from his beloved.

 

In the first stanza of the poem, the speaker says that he will keep his farewell kiss from his beloved. The kiss is a token of the love between the two people, and the speaker wants to remember the happy times with his loved one through the kiss.

 

In the second stanza, the speaker recalls the moment of separation from his beloved. At the moment of separation, the loved one shed tears toward the speaker. The speaker feels regret for her betrayal through her lover's tears.

 

In the third stanza, the speaker acknowledges separation from his beloved. The speaker does not expect a promise of love from his lover. Also, she does not want to be remembered in the heart of her loved one. The speaker wants to think only of her loved ones.

 

In the fourth stanza, the speaker laments his limitations in expressing his love for his beloved. The speaker wants to put into words her love for her beloved, but her own brush is too blunt to express that love properly.

 

In the fifth stanza, the speaker expresses his sadness and longing for his loved one. The speaker's heart is filled with her thoughts about her loved one. Whether the speaker is happy or sad, he always thinks of his loved one and suffers.

 

Story

 

Once upon a time, a man and a woman fell in love. The two loved each other so much that they promised to get married. However, the man had to go study abroad in a faraway country. Before parting ways, the two kissed each other one last time.

 

 

Even after the man left to study abroad, he could not forget the woman. Neither the woman nor the man could forget. The two people missed each other and consoled their sorrow.

 

 

A few years later, the man returned from studying abroad. The two meet again, but their love is not the same as before. While the man left his beloved, he went through a lot. A woman has forgotten many things while waiting for a man.

 

 

The two looked at each other and were silent. And I shed tears.

 

Question

 

Student: Professor, what does the phrase “Your kisses will not leave my lips” mean in <Farewell>?

 

Professor: That phrase expresses sadness and longing over separation from a loved one. The speaker says that he will keep his farewell kiss from his beloved. The kiss is a token of the love between the two people, and the speaker wants to remember the happy times with his loved one through the kiss.

 

 

Student: Professor, what does the phrase, “The shining light of separation turns toward mutual love” mean?

 

P: That passage is a recollection of the moment of separation from a loved one. At the moment of separation, the loved one shed tears toward the speaker. The speaker feels regret for his betrayal through the tears of his beloved.

 

 

Student: Professor, what does the phrase “Ah! Worthless words are useless, they don’t reveal one’s heart?” mean?

 

P: That passage is a lament about one's limitations in expressing one's love for one's loved one. The speaker wants to express his love for his beloved in words, but his brush is too dull to express that love properly.

 

Terms

 

Sweet girl! (Fair maid!): This is the title the speaker of the poem calls his or her loved one. “Fair” means “beautiful,” and the speaker is expressing love by calling the person he loves a beautiful young lady.

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Thy kiss shall ne'er depart from my lips: This is a phrase that expresses the speaker's firm determination to never forget the memories of his or her loved one. “Kiss” means “a kiss,” and the speaker says that he will cherish the kiss with his lover forever.

 

 

The parting beam that shone upon us both: This is a passage in which the speaker recalls the moment of separation from his beloved. “Parting” means “separation,” and the speaker remembers the moment of separation from a loved one as a “shining” moment. This shows how passionate the love between the two was.

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The tear that trickled from thine eye was shed to weep my falsehood: This is a phrase that expresses the emotions the speaker felt while seeing the tears of a loved one. “Falsehood” means “apostasy,” and the speaker thinks that his loved one may have shed tears mourning his betrayal. This shows how much the speaker loves his or her loved one.

 

 

Nor seek love's blessing to gild my lot: This is a phrase in which the speaker expresses emotional sadness and longing rather than rational judgment about the separation from a loved one. “Blessing” means “blessing,” and the speaker says that he will bless the love of his beloved even if it does not come true. This shows how pure and true the speaker's love is.

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While I gaze on thee, when I'm lone: This is a phrase in which the speaker expresses his longing for his loved one. “Gaze” means “to look,” and the speaker is consolidating his loneliness by thinking of his loved one.

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Nor wish to be held in thy breast: This is a phrase in which the speaker expresses his feelings about his loved one. “Hold” means “to protect,” and the speaker does not want his lover to remember his love. This is so as not to burden the speaker's loved ones.

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My heart only thinks of you (But think on thee only, my own): This is a phrase in which the speaker expresses his feelings for his loved one. “Think” means “to think about,” and the speaker will live his life thinking only about his loved ones. This shows how strong the speaker's love is.