Curated set · answers marked
Who is the speaker of the poem "Cousin Kate," and what is her relationship to the lord?
Rationale
The speaker is an unnamed cottage maiden who was drawn to the lord and taken to his palace, where she became his "plaything" and "love," only to be discarded when he decided to marry her cousin Kate instead. Her lower social status and vulnerability highlight the poem's themes of exploitation and double standards.
Who is the speaker of the poem "Cousin Kate," and what is her main grievance against Kate?
Rationale
The speaker is an unnamed cottage maiden who was seduced and then abandoned by a powerful lord. Her main grievance is that the lord rejected her to marry her cousin Kate, leaving her socially disgraced. However, she also points out that she alone has given birth to the lord's illegitimate son, which she sees as a bitter victory over Kate.
In "Cousin Kate," what makes the speaker feel superior to her cousin Kate, even though Kate is married to the lord and enjoys a higher social status?
Rationale
By the end of the poem, the speaker reveals that she has a son fathered by the lord, something Kate — as the lord's legitimate wife — has been unable to provide. This child, who is a potential heir, becomes the speaker's source of pride and her ultimate "triumph" over both Kate and the lord who abandoned her.