<P> He was a man of serious and devout mind, though not without humour; he had an interest in theology, and some knowledge of it, though an amateur knowledge perhaps, rather than a professional; he had Latin and French and was well enough read in French books, both romantic and instructive; but his home was in the West Midlands of England; so much his language shows, and his metre, and his scenery . </P> <P> The most commonly suggested candidate for authorship is John Massey of Cotton, Cheshire . He is known to have lived in the dialect region of the Pearl Poet and is thought to have written the poem St. Erkenwald, which some scholars argue bears stylistic similarities to Gawain . St. Erkenwald, however, has been dated by some scholars to a time outside the Gawain poet's era . Thus, ascribing authorship to John Massey is still controversial and most critics consider the Gawain poet an unknown . </P> <P> The 2,530 lines and 101 stanzas that make up Sir Gawain and the Green Knight are written in what linguists call the "Alliterative Revival" style typical of the 14th century . Instead of focusing on a metrical syllabic count and rhyme, the alliterative form of this period usually relied on the agreement of a pair of stressed syllables at the beginning of the line and another pair at the end . Each line always includes a pause, called a caesura, at some point after the first two stresses, dividing it into two half - lines . Although he largely follows the form of his day, the Gawain poet was somewhat freer with convention than his or her predecessors . The poet broke the alliterative lines into variable - length groups and ended these nominal stanzas with a rhyming section of five lines known as the bob and wheel, in which the "bob" is a very short line, sometimes of only two syllables, followed by the "wheel," longer lines with internal rhyme . </P> <Table> <Tr> <Th> Gawain </Th> <Th> </Th> <Th> Translation </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> (bob) <P> ful clene (wheel) for wonder of his hwe men hade set in his semblaunt sene he ferde as freke were fade and oueral enker grene (SGGK lines 146--150) </P> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> <P> (bob) full clean . (wheel) Great wonder of the knight Folk had in hall, I ween, Full fierce he was to sight, And over all bright green . (SGGK lines 146--150) </P> </Td> </Tr> </Table>

What is the verse form used in sir gawain called