‘Done is a Battell on the Dragon Blak’: A Poem by William Dunbar

By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)

‘Done is a Battell on the Dragon Blak’, a poem by the medieval Scottish poet William Dunbar (c. 1465-c. 1530), boasts one of the finest opening lines in all medieval poetry. The rest of the poem is pretty good, too. It takes as its theme the Resurrection, and casts Christ as a crusading knight.

Read more

A Short Analysis of William Dunbar’s ‘Done is a battell on the dragon blak’

By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University) As Easter approaches, we’re going to share some of our favourite Easter-themed poems over the next couple of weeks, in the run-up to Easter Day. First up, a wonderful late medieval poem. ‘Done is a battell on the dragon blak’: as opening lines go, it’s one of the most … Read more