Cousin Kate Summary

Cousin Kate is a narrative poem about two cousins who both fall in love with the same man. Kate's cousin narrates the poem. The narrator describes herself as an innocent young woman, who didn't know she was beautiful until a lord told her so and took her to his palace. The lord courted the narrator and they had a relationship. The lord was very much in control of the relationship with the woman being described as his "plaything."

Eventually the lord becomes bored with the narrator of the poem and falls in love with her cousin. Cousin Kate is described as good and pure, fairer than the narrator. The narrator is cast aside and looked down on by society for having a shameful affair, while Cousin Kate marries the lord.

The narrator is hurt by the marriage and thinks the relationship...