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Gloves and Lions

The narrator describes the scene as a gallant spectacle, with the brave king presiding over the fierce lions battling below. The
lions rampage and roar, viciously biting and clawing at one another in a frenzied fight. Bloody foam flies from their mouths
over the barricades enclosing the pit. Amused by the violence, King Francis comments that the spectators are better off
watching from their seats than down in the pit.

The lady whom Count de Lorge desires overhears the king’s remark. She is described as strikingly beautiful, with an
unchanging smile and bright, intelligent eyes. Confidently believing her lover De Lorge to be the bravest man, she decides to
test his love and win glory for herself. With the king, nobles, and ladies looking on, she drops her glove into the lion’s pit,
challenging De Lorge to retrieve it.

De Lorge bows to the lady, then jumps into the midst of the raging lions. Quickly and nimbly he leaps back out, glove in hand.
But rather than gently return the glove to prove his love, he angrily throws it right in the lady’s face. King Francis approves of
De Lorge’s reaction, declaring that it was not true love, but the lady’s vanity and pride that led her to set such a dangerous
challenge. The poem ends with the king’s pronouncement on the situation.

In summary, the poem tells the story of a lady who arrogantly tests her lover’s bravery by throwing her glove into a lion pit.
But when he succeeds in the challenge and angrily throws the glove back at her, the king praises the lover and condemns the
lady’s pride and vanity. The vivid imagery and surprising twist reveal the flaws underlying the spectacle of chivalry and
romance.

Line-by-line explanation of the poem

King Francis was a hearty king, and loved a royal sport,

This first line introduces us right away to King Francis, describing him vividly as a lively, vigorous, and energetic king who took
delight in royal sporting events and games. The word “hearty” paints a picture of a king full of vitality and enthusiasm.

And one day as his lions fought, sat looking on the court;

One day, as part of his enjoyment of royal entertainments, King Francis was observing his own lions fighting fiercely and
ferociously in an arena or enclosed court. The line reveals that the king kept lions for violent sport and spectacle, sitting safely
above the action as the powerful beasts battled below.

The nobles filled the benches, and the ladies in their pride,

The arena was filled with nobles and aristocrats sitting in raised benches above the fighting pit, and elegant ladies dressed in their
finest, most ornate gowns and jewels, exhibiting their status and pride.

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

Among the assembled nobles was the Count de Lorge, who had eyes only for one particular lady there, sighing longingly for the
woman he desired.

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

It was truly a noble and magnificent spectacle, the height of royal entertainment, to witness the king presiding over this thrilling
animal combat.

Valour and love, and a king above, and the royal beasts below.

The scene embodied ideals of chivalry and romance – bravery and love, with the king holding court above while the fierce royal
beasts battled below.

Ramped and roared the lions, with horrid laughing jaws;

The lions prowled and roared aggressively, their terrible, gaping mouths stretched wide as if laughing horribly and maliciously.
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They bit, they glared, gave blows like beams, a wind went with their paws;

Savagely the lions bit and locked their jaws, glaring fiercely, striking mighty blows with their paws that swiped as powerfully and
swiftly as beams of wind.

With wallowing might and stifled roar they rolled on one another;

With immense, crushing power and muffled, choked roars, the lions wrestled, grappled, and forcefully rolled over each other.

Till all the pit with sand and mane was in a thunderous smother;

Until the fighting pit was filled with flying sand and tangled manes in a deafening, chaotic turmoil.

The bloody foam above the bars came whisking through the air;

The bloody foam from the lions’ mouths sprayed through the air over the pit’s barricades.

Said Francis then, “Faith, gentlemen, we’re better here than there.”

Seeing the violent spectacle, King Francis remarked humorously to his noble audience that they were safer observing from their
seats than down in the pit with the ferocious beasts.

De Lorge’s love o’erheard the King, a beauteous lively dame

The lady whom De Lorge pined for, a strikingly beautiful and spirited woman, overheard the king’s wry comment.

With smiling lips and sharp bright eyes, which always seemed the same;

She had smiling, inviting lips and piercing, intelligent eyes which always appeared unchanged, constantly sparkling and alluring.

She thought, the Count my lover is brave as brave can be;

She thought assuredly that her lover, the Count de Lorge, was as courageous and daring as any man could possibly be.

He surely would do wondrous things to show his love of me;

She was confident he would carry out remarkable, incredible deeds to demonstrate the depth of his devotion and adoration for her.

King, ladies, lovers, all look on; the occasion is divine;

With the king, ladies of the court, and admirers all observing intently, she realised the perfect, almost providential opportunity
before her.

I’ll drop my glove, to prove his love; great glory will be mine.

She decided she would drop her glove into the lion’s den as a challenge to the Count, to prove the strength of his chivalric love for
her –
and in doing so, she would gain enormous honour and renown.

She dropped her glove, to prove his love, then looked at him and smiled;

So she daringly dropped her glove into the pit, turning to the Count with a confident, anticipatory smile, having set out to test the
depths of his devotion.

He bowed, and in a moment leaped among the lions wild:

The Count bowed gracefully to the lady, then instantly, unhesitatingly jumped down into the pit, recklessly casting himself into
the midst of the wild, vicious lions.

The leap was quick, return was quick, he has regained his place,

Just as rapidly as he had leapt in, the Count leapt back out of the pit, with extraordinary deftness and agility returning to stand
again before the noble crowd.
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Then threw the glove, but not with love, right in the lady’s face.

But rather than tenderly returning her glove as a token of his love, he spitefully, violently threw it right in her face in front of all.

“By God!” said Francis, “rightly done!” and he rose from where he sat:

“By God!” exclaimed King Francis, approving of the Count’s shocking action, “That was the right thing to do!” And he stood up
dramatically from his royal seat.

“No love,” quoth he, “but vanity, sets love a task like that.”

“It was not true love,” declared the king, “but vanity and pride that set a challenge like that, when love itself was at stake.”