Language, form and structure

• The poem is written in the form of a monologue and directly addresses the narrator’s Cousin Kate
• The form is a traditional ballad, and it follows a specific rhyme scheme
• There are references to nature throughout, suggesting that the narrator lives a simple life as a country girl – perhaps she is unsophisticated
• Passive language suggests that the narrator had no choice over what happened to her, either due to being a woman, or being lower in class
• Assonance emphasises the sense of sorrow