Poetry · Chapter
The Dole of the King’s Daughter explained
A Breton ballad depicting a king's daughter burdened by seven sins, surrounded by imagery of death and decay.
What happens
A Breton ballad depicting a king's daughter burdened by seven sins, surrounded by imagery of death and decay. A knight lies slain, a page is dead, and ravens gather for a feast. One man who loves her digs a grave for four, highlighting themes of sin, guilt, and tragic love.
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 Rising action.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
This is the dramatic climax because it reveals the psychological turning point where the speaker shifts from n…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Love and Loss
The one man who loves her true digs a grave for four, underscoring tragic love amidst death and sin.
- Suffering and Redemption
The king's daughter bears seven sins, and the lover's single sin suggests a path through suffering toward possible redemption.
Characters to notice
- The Young Man
The one man who loves the king's daughter truly, he digs a grave for four by the darksome yew.
- Death
Present through the slain knight, dead page, and the ravens feasting on the dead.
Key passages
“Seven sins on the King’s daughter, Deep in her soul to lie.”
The king's daughter carries seven sins hidden deep within her soul.
Introduces the central burden of guilt.
“There is one man who loves her true, (Red, O red, is the stain of gore!) He hath duggen a grave by the darksome yew, (One grave will do for four.)”
A man who genuinely loves her digs a single grave for four bodies near a dark yew tree, stained with blood.
Highlights the lover's devotion and the grim outcome.
