How we cite our quotes: (Line)
Quote #1
"Oh where ha'e ye been, Lord Randall my son?
O where ha'e ye been, my handsome young man?" (1-2)
Lord Randall's mother expresses her love and concern for him throughout, in her sweetly adoring way of addressing him. Though the tragic quality of romantic love is a flashier theme, we shouldn't forget that this poem is also about the love between a mother and son.
Quote #2
Where gat ye your dinner, my handsome young man?"
"I dined wi' my true love […]" (6-7)
Despite the fact that this poem is all about love, in some ways, we surprisingly don't get much info on the love story here. This is the only reference to Lord Randall's lover. Love thus remains more of idea, rather than a specific image.