Being in an unfinished state this drawing reveals Burne-Jones's technique of first making under-drawing in pencil and later using pen, ink and brush and scratching the surface. In this way the drawings show a similarity to the watercolours of this date as they also have surface texture created through scratching. Burne-Jones's was going through a period of ill health and oil paint affected him adversely, he took to pen and ink as a means of working whilst in an invalid state.

Rossetti's influence is strongly felt in subject matter, models and composition and it was probably drawn initially at at Red House under the apple trees there which feature in the background. Rossetti was at this time working on "Dante and his Circle" and the poets portrayed could well be Dante, Guido Cavalcanti and possibly Cino da Pistoria.