The poem was written in a traditional Scottish ballad form. It can be seen as a biographical song, as it recounts his relationship with Agnes. However, the poem is much more idealistic and includes much more of his imagination about how the relationship was in retrospect. This is because he later married Jean Armour in 1788 while also having an affair with Agnes' maid Jennie Clow. This means that the account of love within the poem may seem a little questionable if interpreted through a biographical lens.
However, when diresgarding Burns' own personal experiences that may be embedded within the poem, it is a song that promises faithfulness, mourns the loss of their lover and the universal feeling of love. Another Scottish author, Sir Walter Scott, especially noted that lines 13 to 16 were "exquisitely affecting stanza" that contained the
"essence of a thousand love tales". This means that the song resonates with most people around the world with Burns' account of love
