The Lay of the Last Minstrel

I thought the form in "The Lay of the Last Minstrel" was something to be remarked upon. The series of shorter lays, inserted into a longer romantic poem, gives the story-within-a-story effect, and makes the reader question both the individual effect of each story, and the effect of combining them. Each lay has its own individual rhyme scheme, but most are some variation of ABABACDCDEFEF etcetera, giving an overarching flowing, melodic, sing-song quality to what could have been a very divided group of lays. In other words, the rhyme scheme allows for a continuous flow and even transition between lays, even if their subject matter, tone, and purpose are at odds. Overall, the form and rhyme scheme of the poem serve Scott's overall purpose of delineating chivalry and romance through the old tales of his homeland. In doing this, the speaker acts as another overarching minstrel, telling the story of others before him telling their stories.