Page 19 - 100 Best Loved Poems - Teaching Unit
P. 19
100 Best Loved Poems
Study Guide
Teacher’s Copy
“Lord Randal”
by Anonymous, page 1
Vocabulary
hae – have
weary – tired
fain – happily
wald – would
gat – ate
gat ye – you eat
bloodhounds – dogs
1. How did we come to have ballads as part of our literary history?
As stated in this poem’s introduction, before ballads were written down, they were passed
down from person to person through oral tradition. This explains how versions of ballads
often slightly differ, as they often changed from speaker to speaker.
2. Who is the speaker of the poem?
The poem’s speaker is the mother of Lord Randall.
3. What key events of Lord Randal’s life are recalled in each stanza of the poem?
The first stanza recalls Lord Randal’s hunting as a young boy. The second and third
stanzas recall his evening date with his love. The fourth stanza recalls the death of Lord
Randall’s dogs, while the last stanza recalls his own death.
4. This ballad repeats several phrases in each stanza, including “…mother make my bed
soon,/For I am weary wi’ hunting, and fain wald lie down.” By repeating these lines, as
well as other phrases, what literary device is being used?
This ballad is using anaphora.
5. What is Lord Randal hunting throughout the poem?
The poem infers that Lord Randal has been hunting, or courting, his love.
T-1
