Lancelot IV by Edwin Arlington Robinson

Name: Lancelot IV
Author: Edwin Arlington Robinson

In “Lancelot IV,” King Arthur returns to Camelot after midnight, feigning illness but deeply shaken by what he has learned. Bedivere and Gawaine wait with him until dawn. Bedivere understands that disaster is approaching and urges silence and steadiness, while Gawaine blames himself for having laughed when Lancelot tried to speak from his heart. Gawaine recalls leaving Lancelot with the Queen and later attempting, unsuccessfully, to discourage Modred after hearing him. He fears that a few serious words might have prevented the ruin now unfolding. Arthur enters exhausted, confused, and increasingly overcome by rage and grief. He reflects bitterly on the betrayal of his Queen and Lancelot, names Colgrevance and Agravaine among those killed in the conflict, and insists that the law demands fire. He declares that Lancelot, who escaped with Bors, must be found and burned. He has sent Gawaine’s brothers, Gareth and Gaheris, to witness and report the punishment, believing that the sight will teach them justice. As Arthur struggles to restore his authority, the sound of a bell and the realization of what he has ordered shatter his composure. His legal certainty collapses into horror as he imagines the Queen alive in the flames, sees her face and eyes pleading for pity, and recognizes the immense cruelty contained in his command. He calls desperately for Gawaine, Bedivere, God, and Lancelot.

By Edwin Arlington Robinson · First published 1920 · Genre: Narrative Poetry, Arthurian Literature, Dramatic Monologue · 2,411 words

First lines

NOT having viewed Carleon or Carlisle, / The King came home to Camelot after midnight,

Feigning an ill not feigned; and his return

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Lancelot IV is listed on Textopian as a poem by Edwin Arlington Robinson, dated 1920 CE.

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Work type: Poem
Author: Edwin Arlington Robinson
Date: 1920 CE
Language: English
Genres: Narrative Poetry, Arthurian Literature, Dramatic Monologue, Tragedy, Literary Fiction
Length: 2,411 words
Structure: 1 section, 167 paragraphs
Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)

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Genres

Narrative Poetry — The work is a verse narrative written in unrhymed, dramatic blank-verse-like lines, recounting a decisive episode through character action and speech.
Arthurian Literature — It draws directly on the Matter of Britain, featuring King Arthur, Lancelot, Guinevere, Gawaine, Bedivere, Modred, Camelot, and the collapse of the Round Table's moral order.
Dramatic Monologue — Although structured as a scene with several speakers, its central force comes from Arthur's extended, psychologically revealing speech as he struggles with betrayal, law, rage, and grief.
Tragedy — The poem presents the irreversible destruction of personal trust, royal authority, and national stability, culminating in Arthur's horrified recognition of Guinevere's imminent execution.