Girl of the Red-Gold Hair: Theme; Love

“Girl of the Red-Gold Hair: Theme; Love”

Exploring the Theme

  • The central theme of Sorley MacLean’s ‘Girl of the Red-Gold Hair’ is an intense, passionate, and all-consuming love.
  • Through his emotive and passionate language, MacLean illustrates the powerful effect of this love on him, painting it as an overwhelming and, at times, unsettling force.
  • He portrays love as something that can transcend physical beauty, hinting at a profound emotional and spiritual connection with the girl in the poem.

Signifying Love

  • MacLean uses the girl’s ‘red-gold hair’ as a symbol of the fervent love he feels for her. The repeated reference to the vibrant colour of her hair serves as a testament to his intense affection.
  • In associating love with the brightness of the sun and the immensity of the surroundings, MacLean symbolically elevates his love to a universal level, further emphasising the depth of his feelings.
  • Natural elements like mountains, seas, and sunshine are emblematic of the poet’s variety of feelings associated with love, ranging from serenity and beauty to frustration and helplessness.

Love and Language

  • MacLean’s command of language is showcased in how he uses it to depict his tremendous emotions related to love.
  • The absence of a fixed rhyme scheme provides an unpredictability to the poem that mirrors the inability to control or predict love.
  • The sensual and emotional language used in the poem creates a vivid picture of the poet’s love, making it relatable to the reader.

Love and Struggle

  • The poem also discusses the struggle associated with love, including feelings of pain, loss, and heartache. This adds a relatable human element to the poem.
  • The poet’s willingness to endure these struggles hints at the significance and worth of love, as it is something for which he’s willing to endure hardship.
  • MacLean’s feelings towards the girl are represented through the turbulence of the surrounding natural elements, portraying his love as a powerful and somewhat tumultuous experience.