Middle English Romance · English Literature

Which of these is a structural feature of 'Sir Gawain and the Green Knight' where four long alliterative lines are followed by five short rhyming lines?

  1. Tail-rhyme stanza
  2. Bob and Wheel
  3. Rhyme Royal stanza
  4. Ottava Rima stanza
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Correct answer: Bob and Wheel

The 'Bob and Wheel' is a distinctive feature of the Gawain-Poet's style. The 'bob' is a very short two- or three-syllable line, followed by the 'wheel,' a four-line quatrain with an abab rhyme scheme that closes each alliterative stanza.

Difficulty: Medium Question 15 of 20

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