Gawain 301 - 322 The Knight mocks the bravery of the Round Table

If he had stunned them at first, more shocked were they now
All the headmen in hall, the high and the low.
And ruthlessly tracked his recticule eyes,
Bent his bristled brows, blazing green,
Stroked his beard while he waited - to see who would rise.
When none would keep speech with him, out barked a snarl,
And regally, wrathfully, raised him to speak:
"What, is this Arthurs house" asked the horses theign
"That birthed a river of rumors through so many realms?
Where is now your sovereignty and conquests,
Your bragging and greatness and all your great words?
Now is the rule and the renown of the Round Table
Overthrown with one word from a whimsical tongue,
For all dive from danger without a blow done!"
With this he laughs so loud that Arthur glows;
The blood shoots for shame into his face kind
and fair;
He waxes as wrathful as wind,
So did all that there were.
The king, as keen as his kind
Then steps that stark man near,





One interesting thing about this stanza is that I think its the first time that the poet ends on a comma. The action proceeds directly into the next stanza, with an 'And' as the first word, leading to Arthurs reply. I think as the poet is getting more into it he's becoming more confident fucking with the format.