Cousin Kate Essay Questions

Analyze one instance of figurative language in this poem.

When describing the lord's marriage to the speaker's cousin, the speaker uses the metaphor "he bound you with his ring." This is a line full of rich figurative language on several levels. Firstly, the ring is used metonymically to describe marriage. Second, and more surprisingly, the word "bound" is used to describe the relationship between spouses, creating a subtle metaphorical link between marriage and imprisonment or bondage. This word suggests that Kate, despite her relative good fortune, is still subject to many of the same indignities that her cousin experiences. While marriage may be fairly comfortable and safe, it still robs her of her freedom.

What is the climax of this poem and why?

The climactic moment of this poem occurs in its final stanza, when the speaker suddenly stops addressing her cousin and addresses her son instead, thereby revealing his existence. The revelation of the son brings the poem's previous events a new clarity, showing that the speaker remains both bound to the lord and judged for her promiscuity on the basis of having his child. Even more striking, though, is the way that this revelation shifts our understanding of the power dynamic between the three characters. The speaker suddenly appears to have a previously unknown source of power over the lord, making her competition with Kate seem all the knottier and more multifaceted. Rather than a helpless, innocent victim, the speaker emerges as an oddly powerful figure in this drama.