Traditional Scottish ballads encompass some of the most haunting and beautiful poetry ever composed. From 1500 to 1765, some of the authors of the poetry were anonymous, which makes it all the more striking. At this time, society operated under a feudal system containing many divisions of rank and power. Kings, lords, and knights live lives of luxury and leisure, while those of lower rank, such as sailors and peasants, have a duty to obey the higher ranks, or even die for them. The ballad “Sir Patrick Spens” depicts different types of power involving the forces of nature, the king, the knight and Captain Sir Patrick Spens. In the first stanza, the audience meets the mighty king, who “sits in the city of Dumferling, /Drinking the blood-red wine” (1-2). Kings sit on thrones and hold court, but this king apparently occupies the entire city, meaning the places are identified with powerful political figures. Blood-red wine appears at the beginning of the ballad, foreshadowing the king's reckless decisions, which result in the deaths of innocent people. He rules like he doesn't care about his p...