Skip to main content

The Glove and the Lion Poem by Leigh Hunt Summary, Notes & Explanation in English

The poem The Glove and the Lion has four stanzas. Six-line stanzas rhyme aa bb cc. 13 feet (?) per line. The poem's setting is far from Hunt's time. The poem's kings, noblemen, and ladies give it a pre-Renaissance feel. Hunt's poem describes an unusual experience. A royal court watches two beast kings battle. Courtiers watch the king's spectacle from comfortable seats.

Many of Hunts' poems have a metaphorical secondary meaning, such as a battle between two powerful people. In the midst of the spectacle, the poet shows us Count de Lorge's love affair with a woman. The poet lists values held by his poem's people: pride, gallantry, valour, and love.

The second stanza features vivid images. "Rampled and roared" is alliterative and paradoxical ("horrid laughing jaws"). The short verbs show how quickly the beasts moved: "They bit, glared, and gave beam blows." The repeated /w/ sound in "wind went with their paws" emphasises the beasts' speed. Assonance creates an auditory image of lions roaring in the pit. The king's opinion, "Faith, gentlemen, we're better here than there," adds a dramatic ballad-like quality to the poem and emphasises the ferocity of the battle between the beasts.

Next stanza shifts from public to personal. The woman who attracted De Lorge demonstrates her power to the audience. Hunt cleverly disguises his opinion of the woman's serpentine nature by praising her "sharp bright eyes" She humiliates him by throwing her glove into the lions' pit. She wants to stroke her ego even if it endangers her lover's life and reputation. 

Not retrieving the woman's dropped glove would be unmanly. De Lorge had no choice, so he did what he had to in order to save face. He insults the woman who set the trap by throwing the glove at her face, slapping her. Despite enjoying blood sports, the king is sensitive. He calls her action vain.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Search

Popular posts from this blog

Not Just Oranges by Isai Tobolsky Short Summary

 Isai Tobolsky is the author of the short story titled "Not Just Oranges." The narrative explores a range of human experiences, including love, innocence, arrogance, and repentance. A mother raises her young daughter all by herself in the narrative's fictional setting. She has a tremendous amount of love for her daughter. Her income is not very significant due to the fact that she is employed as a charwoman in a medical facility. On the other hand, she provides an exceptionally healthy diet for her daughter. At one point, the young girl makes a request to her mother to purchase a blue ball. She has a lot of fun with the ball that her mother buys for her when she plays with it. However, there comes a day when the ball hits the window of their next-door neighbours, the Malachovs. It shatters a pricey vase that was sitting on the window sill.  The elderly woman, Mrs. Malachov, gets worked up into a rage. The young girl and her mother pay a visit to the Malchakovs' home,
Post a Comment
Read more

Upon the Infant Martyrs Poem Summary by Richard Crashaw

Poem To see both blended in one flood, The mothers’ milk, the children’s blood, Makes me doubt if heaven will gather Roses hence, or lilies rather. Introduction The 17th-century metaphysical poet Richard Crashaw was renowned for his religious and devotional poetry. Among his most famous works is the Latin poem entitled "Upon the Infant Martyrs." This poem is a moving and beautiful tribute to the innocent children who were martyred for their faith. In it, Crashaw imagines the children as a chorus of angels singing praises to God. The poem is both a touching elegy and a powerful statement of faith. Summary In the poem “Upon the Infant Martyrs”, Richard Crashaw discussed the brutal murdering of newborn babies particularly the aftermath of the massacre. The "milky fonts that bath [their] thirst" in "To the Infant Martyrs" beg an insulting comparison to the blood dripping from severed veins and female body parts, and the milky lather bubbling from the mouth of
Post a Comment
Read more

A History of the Art for Art's Sake Movement in English Literature: A Comprehensive Overview

  Introduction In the early years of the 20th century, there was a growing movement in English literature known as “The Arts for Arts Sake.” The movement was motivated by the belief that art should be used to improve society and promote social justice. This is a truly ambitious goal, and it took many years for The Arts for Arts Sake Movement to gain traction. Today, it remains an important part of the literary conversation, and there are many excellent books, articles, and videos dedicated to it. The History of the Art for Arts Sake Movement in English Literature. The Art for Arts Sake Movement was founded in the early 1990s to encourage English writers to focus on the arts as a way to express their ideas and improve their writing. The movement is considered an important part of English literature, and has helped many authors achieve success both in English language publications and abroad. What is the Art for Arts Sake Movement The Art for Arts Sake Movement is a global movement made
Post a Comment
Read more