Farewell to Eliza by Robert Burns
The speaker bids farewell to Eliza as he must leave both her and his native shore. Though cruel fate places a vast, roaring ocean between them, he insists that no distance can separate his heart and soul from the woman he loves. He fears that their parting means they will never meet again, yet vows that Eliza will possess his final heartbeat and final sigh even as Death conquers him.
By Robert Burns · First published 1786 · Genre: Lyric Poetry, Love Poetry, Farewell Poetry · 159 words
First lines
Tune-"Gilderoy."
From thee, Eliza, I must go, / And from my native shore; / The cruel fates between us throw / A boundless ocean's roar: / But boundless oceans, roaring wide, / Between my love and me, / They never, never can divide / My heart and soul from thee.
Farewell, farewell, Eliza dear, / The maid that I adore! / A boding voice is in mine ear, / We part to meet no more! / But the latest throb that leaves my heart, / While Death stands victor by,- / That throb, Eliza, is thy part, / And thine that latest sigh!
Similar titles
- East Wind by Francis Neilson
- Within A Garden by Sabine Baring Gould
- The Expiration by John Donne
- The Farewell by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
- Westphalian Song by Samuel Taylor Coleridge
- Farewell To Ballochmyle by Robert Burns
Genres
- Lyric Poetry — The work is a short, song-like first-person poem focused on the speaker's direct expression of intimate feeling.
- Love Poetry — Its central subject is the speaker's enduring devotion to Eliza despite forced separation and the prospect of death.
- Farewell Poetry — The poem is structured as a valediction, repeatedly bidding Eliza farewell while mourning an apparently final parting.
- Scottish Song — Written by Robert Burns and designated for the tune 'Gilderoy,' it belongs to the tradition of Scottish vernacular and musical verse.
Tags
love · farewell · parting · romantic separation · long-distance love · devotion · faithfulness · exile · departure from homeland · native shore · ocean · sea voyage
What this Textopian page supports
Farewell to Eliza is listed on Textopian as a poem by Robert Burns, dated 1786 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: Robert Burns
- Date: 1786 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Lyric Poetry, Love Poetry, Farewell Poetry, Scottish Song, Romantic Poetry
- Length: 159 words
- Structure: 1 section, 3 paragraphs
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