Poetry · Chapter
XXVIII explained
Lorenzo is slain and buried in the forest, ending his great love.
What happens
Lorenzo is slain and buried in the forest, ending his great love. The murderers, having committed their sin, dip their swords in water and ride homeward, each enriched by their crime.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
The emotional and psychological peak occurs when the King, overwhelmed by his own confession, reveals Bertha’s…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Love and Loss
Lorenzo's love ends with his death in the forest.
- Mortality and the Sublime
The murder and burial of Lorenzo evoke mortality and the sublime horror of the act.
Characters to notice
- Lorenzo
Slain and buried in the forest; his great love ceases.
Key passages
“There was Lorenzo slain and buried in, There in that forest did his great love cease;”
Lorenzo was killed and buried in the forest, where his great love ended.
Describes the murder and burial of Lorenzo.
“They dipp’d their swords in the water, and did tease Their horses homeward, with convulsed spur, Each richer by his being a murderer.”
They cleaned their swords in water and spurred their horses homeward, each made richer by having committed murder.
Depicts the murderers' cold return after the crime.
