Lochinvar claims that love ebbs and flows like the Solway. As a result, his love is a lost love. The Solway sea inlet's tidal surges rise and fall swiftly. Similarly, if love is not maintained properly, it will fade away rapidly. Lochinvar says that he has had one love in his life but that she has gone now. He tells his friend that she was the sun and the moon to him. This means that she was essential to his happiness. He goes on to say that love can be compared to a flower. When the flower is fresh, it gives off a fragrance that lasts for just a few hours. Then it withers and dies. So love must be kept fresh by seeing each other often or taking trips together. The poem concludes with both men agreeing that it is impossible to tell what kind of love you might have until it is lost. This shows that even though Lochinvar claims to know nothing of true love, he still wants to keep her memory alive through words.