The Glove and the Lions Summary and Explanation | ICSE Class 10 English

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The Glove and the Lions Summary and Explanation

 

ICSE Class 10 English The Glove and the Lions Summary and Poem Explanation with difficult word meanings

 

The Glove and the Lions – Are you looking for Summary and Explanation for ICSE Class 10 English Poem The Glove and the Lions from Treasure Chest (A Collection of ICSE Poems and Short Stories) book. Get notes, summary of the poem followed by line by line explanation of the lesson along with the meanings of difficult words.

 

 

 

Also See : ICSE Class 10 English The Glove and the Lions Question Answers

 

The Glove and the Lions ICSE Class 10 English 

By Leigh Hunt

 

The Glove and the Lions Introduction

The poem ‘The glove and the lions’ is a ballad i.e. a story being narrated in the form of a poem. King Francis organizes his favourite sport event of lion fight. One of the audience, a beautiful young woman tries to show off her lover’s affection for her but it results in her insult because her pride shows that she lacks love for the man.

 

Theme of the Poem

The poem conveys a powerful message that vanity has no place in love. If a person tries to seek attention of others by displaying the power of love, it means that the person is ridden with pride. Thus, there is no true love.

 

See Video of The Glove and the Lions

 

Also See: ICSE Class 10 English Language and Literature Syllabus 2024-25

The Glove and the Lions Summary

Once there was a King named Francis. He was a kind-hearted king. His favourite sport was lion fight. He organized the event in the royal stadium. There was a royal audience in the stands, one being the Count de Lorge and his lover. The king also liked the lady. 

As the royal lions entered the arena, they growled, roared and stared at each other. They showed off their horrible fangs. Soon they entered into a bloody fight, the blows were so mighty that they blew off the mud into the air. The king commented that all the brave men were better off in the stand than to be a part of such a ferocious fight. 

The Count’s lover overheard the king’s comment and she wanted to show off her lover’s bravery. She called out to the audience to witness the rare scenario. She would throw her glove into the arena and the brave count would get it back for her to prove his love. Once she threw it and smiled at the count, he bowed at her. 

The count was quick to jump into the arena and get the glove without allowing the lions enough time to react. He got the glove and threw it at his beloved’s face. The king commented that the Count’s action was justified. No true lover will ever put the beloved’s life in danger. The lady’s act showed her pride in her beauty and thus, she did not love the Count. 

 

The Glove and the Lions Summary in Hindi

 

एक बार फ्रांसिस नाम का एक राजा था। वह एक दयालु राजा था । उनका पसंदीदा खेल शेरों की लड़ाई था। उन्होंने रॉयल स्टेडियम में कार्यक्रम का आयोजन किया । स्टैंड में शाही दर्शक थे, जिनमें से एक काउंट डी लार्ज और उसकी प्रेमिका थी। राजा को भी वह स्त्री पसंद थी ।

जैसे ही शाही शेर मैदान में दाखिल हुए, वे गुर्राने लगे, दहाड़ने लगे और एक-दूसरे को घूरने लगे। उन्होंने अपने भयानक दाँत दिखाये। जल्द ही वे एक खूनी लड़ाई में शामिल हो गए, वार इतने शक्तिशाली थे कि उन्होंने कीचड़ को हवा में उड़ा दिया। राजा ने टिप्पणी की कि सभी बहादुर लोगों के लिए ऐसी भीषण लड़ाई का हिस्सा बनने से बेहतर है कि वे बाहर ही खड़े रहें।

काउंट की प्रेमिका ने राजा की टिप्पणी सुनी और वह अपने प्रेमी की बहादुरी दिखाना चाहती थी। उन्होंने दर्शकों से इस दुर्लभ परिदृश्य को देखने का आह्वान किया। वह अपना दस्ताना अखाड़े में फेंक देगी और बहादुर काउंट उसे अपना प्यार साबित करने के लिए वापस ले आएगा। एक बार जब उसने उसे फेंक दिया और प्रेमी को देखकर मुस्कुराई, तो वह उसकी ओर झुक गया।

काउंट ने शेरों को प्रतिक्रिया करने के लिए पर्याप्त समय दिए बिना मैदान में कूदने और दस्ताना हासिल करने की जल्दी की। उसने दस्ताना निकाला और उसे अपनी प्रेमिका के चेहरे पर फेंक दिया। राजा ने टिप्पणी की कि काउंट की कार्रवाई उचित थी। कोई भी सच्चा प्रेमी कभी भी प्रेमिका की जान खतरे में नहीं डालेगा। महिला के कृत्य ने उसे अपनी सुंदरता पर गर्व दिखाया और इस प्रकार, वह काउंट से प्यार नहीं करती थी।

 

 

Title Analysis of the Lesson The Glove and the Lions

The title of the poem “The Glove and the Lions” focuses on the two main ingredients of the poem. The manner in which the glove was retrieved from the arena where a lion fight had been organised. The glove, not being so precious article as to put a life in danger became precious when the man had to prove his love for the lady.
 

 

Setting  of the Lesson The Glove and the Lions

The poem is a story set in an arena where a lion fight has been organised. The king has invited several officers of his kingdom to view the show.
 

 

Narrative Style of  Lesson The Glove and the Lions

The poem is structured as a ballad, that is a poem narrating a story. It revolves around the count De Lorge and his beloved, set in a stadium where King Francis and his courtiers witness a lion fight, a royal sport. The count’s bravery is tested when he retrieves a glove thrown into the lion pit by his lady to test his love for her. In a fit of anger, the count throws the glove back at the lady’s face and departs from the arena.
The narrative unfolds swiftly, maintaining suspense throughout. The plot thickens with the introduction of the king’s infatuation with the count’s beautiful lady, adding variety to the story. The ballad ends with a clear message for lovers: beware of going too far in the name of love.
The poet employs minimal figurative language, instead focusing on clear storytelling. Alliteration is used effectively in lines such as “Valour and love, and a king above, and the royal hearts below,” and “Ramped and roared the lions, with horrid laughing jaws,” adding to the poem’s rhythm and impact.
 

 

The Glove and the Lions Poem Explanation

 

Poem:

King Francis was a hearty king, and loved a royal sport,
And one day as his lions fought, sat looking on the court;
The nobles filled the benches, and the ladies in their pride,
And ‘ mongst them sat the Count de Lorge, with one for whom he sighed:
And truly ’twas a gallant thing to see that crowning show,
Valour and love, and a king above, and the royal beasts below.

 

Word Meanings:

Hearty: good-hearted
Royal sport: here, lion fighting
Sighed: the king was enamoured of the lady’s charms and was jealous of the count
Gallant: brave
Crowning: complete / perfect
Valour: bravery
A king above: the reference may also be to God here

 

Explanation:
Once there was a king named Francis who was good-hearted. He loved the royal sport of lion fight. One day as he sat in the arena to watch the fight, he was accompanied by other royal men. One of them was the Count of Lorge with his beloved who was liked by the king too. It was a perfect show of bravery and love, with the God seeing from the heaven above and the royal lions fighting on the ground.

 

Poem:

Ramped and roared the lions, with horrid laughing jaws;
They bit, they glared, gave blows like beams, a wind went with their paws;
With wallowing might and stifled roar they rolled on one another;
Till all the pit with sand and mane was in a thunderous smother;
The bloody foam above the bars came whisking through the air;
Said Francis then, “Faith, gentlemen, we’re better here than there.”

 

Word Meanings:

Ramped: walked on the slope
Horrid: horrible
Glared: stared angrily
Beams: pieces of wood / electric beams (shocking)
Wallowing: rolling about (in mud or water)
Stifled: suppressed
Mane: long hair on the neck
Smother: cover
Whisking: taking something somewhere quickly

 

Explanation:
The lions walked on the slope of the arena and they roared, which showed their horrible jaws. They bit each other, stared and hit the other with powerful blows. The movement of the paws was so powerful that a wind blew along with it. They rolled about in mud, made suppressed roars as one rolled onto the other. Their hair got full of the mud and the bood oozed out of their body into the air. When the king saw such a terrible fight, he commented that they were better outside the arena than being inside it. He meant that overpowering such ferocious lions would not have been possible for them.

 

Poem:

De Lorge’s love o’erheard the King, a beauteous lively dame
With smiling lips and sharp bright eyes, which always seemed the same;
She thought, the Count my lover is brave as brave can be;
He surely would do wondrous things to show his love of me;
King, ladies, lovers, all look on; the occasion is divine;
I’ll drop my glove, to prove his love; great glory will be mine.

 

Word Meanings:

Love: beloved
Beauteous: beautiful
Lively: full of life, vivacious
Dame: a young lady
Wondrous: wonderful
Divine: heavenly, here rare
Drop: throw
Glory: cause of pride or pleasure or both

 

Explanation:
Count De Lorge’s beloved overheard the king. She was a beautiful, lively young woman. Her smile and her sharp bright eyes always remained the same. According to her, her beloved, the Count was the most brave man. She called out to the entire audience and said to watch out for the occasion was a rare one. She would throw her glove in the arena and her brave lover would get it back for her, despite the presence of the ferocious lions. 

 

Poem:

She dropped her glove, to prove his love, then looked at him and smiled;
He bowed, and in a moment leaped among the lions wild;
The leap was quick, return was quick, he has regained his place,
Then threw the glove, but not with love, right in the lady’s face.
“By God!” said Francis, “rightly done!” and he rose from where he sat:
“No love,” quoth he, “but vanity, sets love a task like that.”

 

Word Meanings:

Bowed: bent down the head to show respect
Leaped: jumped
Quoth: said
Vanity: too much pride in one’s beauty, achievements, etc.
Task: job, assignment 

 

Explanation:

She dropped her glove into the arena and wanted her lover to prove that he loved her by getting it back. So, she smiled at him. He bowed to her as respect and as a mark of obedience. He jumped into the arena. His movement of jumping into the arena, getting the glove and coming out was too quick for the lions to react. When he reached his seat, he threw the glove back on his beloved’s face. King Francis commented that his act was justified because no true lover will ever put the beloved’s life in danger. It was the woman’s pride in her beauty which made her set such a dangerous task for her lover.

 

Figures of Speech

1. Rhyme scheme – aabbcc

2. Simile – Comparison between two things using ‘like’ or ‘as’.

They bit, they glared, gave blows like beams, a wind went with their paws (the blows given by the lions were so powerful like wooden logs)

3. Anaphora – when two or more consecutive lines start with the same word.

And ‘ mongst them sat the Count de Lorge, with one for whom he sighed:

And truly ’twas a gallant thing to see that crowning show, 

4. Alliteration – The repetition of a consonant sound at the start of two or more consecutive words

  • Ramped and roared
  • With wallowing
  • Ladies. Lovers
  • Great glory
  • Then threw the

 

Also See: 

ICSE Class 10 English Summary, Explanation

 

 

ICSE Class 10 English Important Question Answers

 

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