"A Loveless Lay" is a poem in the style of a ballad, which tells a story about King Arthur after the discovery of Lancelot's love affair with Guinevere. It is a sombre meditation on the human desire for vengeance, the power to take it, and a general contemplation on the power vested in the authority of rule. This book also contains the influential poem "Morte d'Arthur" by Lord Alfred Tennyson (1809-1892), which is intentionally positioned here to potentially complete the narrative of "A Loveless Lay".