Give one example of the writing style of the author how the author expresses himself uses figurative language to establish mood and meaning in the story
Wife of Bath Allegory
The story is analogous to Geoffrey Chaucer's Wife of Bath's Tale that is one of the stories told in his epic The Canterbury Tales. In the Chaucer version, an errant knight is forced by Arthur to seek the answer to the truth of what women really desire, and in order to do this he roams the country asking everyone he meets to shed some light on the riddle, so that he can return to his King with the correct response.
Fine Horse Symbol
When Arthur encounters Dame Ragnelle, he does not know who she is, seeing an old hag riding a beautiful horse. The horse is a symbol of the fact that the woman before him is not actually an old hag, or a crone, at all, but a woman of beauty and means.
If you are the type of person who judges poetry by the number of similes that can be found, then consider this manna from heaven. Comparisons made the use of like or as are plentiful, but then so are the direct comparisons. Especially when the ballad gets to the part where King Arthur first sets eyes on Dame Ragnelle. A lesser person might consider it metaphorical overload. For others, this is what good poetry is all about:
“Her cheeks were as broad as a woman's hips. He back was as curved as a lute. …
Her breasts would have been a load for a horse. Like a barrel was she made.”
Part II: King Arthur meets an "ugly" woman No, that’s not rudeness; that is actually how some translations of the ballad title the second part. This is the part where the similes and metaphor come fast and furious. And once the specifics have run their course, it is time for the capper:
“She had ugliness to spare.”
So, yeah, it may be not be politically correct, but let it be stated that King Arthur meets a really, really ugly woman. And therein lies the whole point.
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