Welcome to “The Glove & The Lions Workbook Ans : ICSE Treasure Chest (Evergreen),” your comprehensive guide to understanding the fascinating poem “The Glove & The Lions,” featured in the ICSE English Literature Treasure Chest by Evergreen Publications. In this post, we provide detailed answers to workbook questions, helping you navigate the poem’s narrative and its underlying themes.
Dive into each stanza as we unpack the poem’s vivid imagery, explore the dramatic encounter in the lion’s den, and analyze the characters’ actions and motivations. Our solutions cover multiple-choice and contextual questions that enhance your grasp of the poem’s message about courage, pride, and human nature.
Contextual inquiries guide readers to reflect on broader themes, such as chivalry, loyalty, and the consequences of reckless behavior, encouraging critical engagement with the poem’s moral lessons. This detailed examination not only strengthens your analytical skills but also deepens your appreciation of the poet’s storytelling craft.
Whether you are a student tackling ICSE English Literature or simply intrigued by this classic narrative, “The Glove & The Lions Workbook Answers” offers insightful support. Join us as we explore the poem’s rich tapestry, illuminating every facet through our guided workbook answers.
Table of Contents
Poem In Details :
King Francis, with his courtiers, was watching a sport event a fight between ferocious lions. Francis, a ‘hearty’ king, was attracted by a couple, the count De Lorge and his beloved. The lady was so beautiful that the king could not help but ‘sigh’. He was obviously infatuated by the charming looks of the lady.
The lions’ fight, meanwhile, went on. The lions roared with ‘laughing jaws’ and began to tear into one another. Their blows were strong and they used their paws swiftly. They were rolling around on the floor. The king, while watching the fight, exclaimed with self-satisfaction that they were thankfully safely away from the arena where fighting was going on.
The beautiful beloved of De Lorge looked at the king and smiled. She was perhaps struck by her beloved’s valour and grandeur. She thought that her lover was brave and that she must test his love for her. The occasion was ripe as all the royal courtiers including the king himself, were present. So the lady threw her glove into the lions’ pit and looked at her lover. De Lorge understood what she wanted. He jumped into the pit and retrieved the glove for her so quickly that no lion could touch him. He threw the glove at the lady’s face and left the arena. He knew that the lady’s action was just to grab attention. He did not believe that any true lover would set such a dangerous task for their beloved.
Line Wise Explanation :
Stanza 1 (King Francis beasts below)
The poet describes king Francis as a good-hearted fellow. He loved to watch a royal sport – the sport of lion fighting. One day, surrounded by his courtiers and their ladies, he was watching the sport. Among the nobles present was a couple, Count de Lorge and his beloved. Seeing his very beautiful and charming lady, the king ‘sighed’. Obviously he was envious of the count.
The lions’ fight was in progress. The sight was not for the weak-hearted. The whole stadium was filled with people filled with the sentiments both of love and valour. The king was looking down on the beasts.
Stanza 2 (Ramped than there)
This stanza focuses on the lion fight. The ferocious and vicious lions roared with horrible-looking ‘laughing’ jaws. They were fighting and tearing into one another. Their blows were strong like the wind and the wind seemed to move alongside their paws. They rolled over one another, causing a serious commotion. Their bloody foam carried by the air spread far and wide. King Francis, sitting at a safe distance, commented that they were better off where they were, away from the danger.
Stanza 3 (De Lorge’s love mine)
De Lorge’s beloved overheard the king’s comment. She was a lively, beautiful young woman. She had smiling lips and sharp bright eyes, which always looked the same in beauty and charm. She thought that her lover was as brave as one should be, and that he would do some wonderful things to prove his love for her. She saw that the king and the noble couples were all present. The occasion was ripe to grab attention. She thought of dropping her glove into the pit to prove her beloved’s love for her. If he succeeded, she would become the centre of attraction and glory.
Stanza 4 (She dropped like that)
This stanza is important thematically. De Lorge’s beloved, to test his love for her. dropped her glove into the arena where the lions were fighting. She looked at him and smiled. De Lorge understood, smiled at her, bowed and leapt among the wild lions. He moved so quickly that they could not touch him at all. Back in his seat, he threw the glove at his lady’s face. He left the arena at once. He was not happy. He thought no lover would set a dangerous task as that. He knew the lady did not act merely to test his love of her but also to get attention and indulge her vanity.
Workbook MCQs :
Read the following questions and select the correct option:
1. Which of the following lines contains the same literary device as the one in the line – ‘Ramped and roared the lions.’
(a) And the far sad glorious vision I see
(b) And here and there a floamy flake
(c) I hope to see my Pilot face to face
(d) Lo! thus I triumph like a king.
Answer:- (b) And here and there a floamy flake
2. The lady’s desire to attract attention makes her .
(a) humble
(b) proud
(c) bitter
(d) rash
Answer:- (d) rash
3. Select the option that shows the correct relationship between these two statements.
Statement 1: De Lorge’s beloved throws her glove into the lions’ pit.
Statement 2: She is proud and vein.
(a) 1 is the cause of 2.
(b) 1 is an example of 2.
(c) 1 is independent of 2.
(d) 1 is a contradiction of 2.
Answer:- (b) 1 is an example of 2.
4. After having retireved his beloved’s glove from the lions’pit, De Lorge threw it at her face. Which of the following words will be inappropriate for his mood?
(a) sullen
(b) indifferent
(c) angry
(d) upset
Answer:- (d) upset
5. The blood foam above the bars came whisking through the air’.
The word ‘whisking’ in the above line builds which kind of image?
(a) auditory
(b) olfactory
(c) kinesthetic
(d) tactile
Answer:- (c) kinesthetic
6. What kind of king was Francis?
(a) cruel
(b) good-natured
(c) lusty
(d) wicked
Answer:- (b) good-natured
7. Who were in the galleries to watch the fight?
(a) the king and his lords and ladies
(b) hunters
(c) the general people
(d) king and queens of distant lands
Answer:- (a) the king and his lords and ladies
8. What has distracted the king’s attention from the lion fighting?
(a) the charms of a girl
(b) the charms of a count’s beloved
(c) noise of the audience
(d) the sense of insecurity
Answer:- (b) the charms of a count’s beloved
9. How did the king react when he looked at De Lorge’s beloved?
(a) he smiled
(b) he sighed
(c) he laughed
(d) he frowned
Answer:- (b) he sighed
10. Which figure of speech is used in the line: They bit, they glared, gave blows like beams .
(a) metaphor
(b) symbol
(c) simile
(d) oxymoron
Answer:- (c) simile
11. Which of these remained always the same in De Lorge’s beloved?
(a) her smiles
(b) her lips and eyes
(c) her mannerisms
(d) her dress
Answer:- (b) her lips and eyes
12. Which of these statements is NOT true?
(a) De Lorge’s beloved was vain and proud.
(b) De Lorge’s beloved did not actually love him.
(c) De Lorge’s beloved wanted to grab attention.
(d) King Francis got angry at the lady’s action.
Answer:- (d) King Francis got angry at the lady’s action.
13. De Lorge’s beloved seemed to have been struck by the king’s
(a) grandeur and valour
(c) knowledge
(b) wisdom
(d) handsome body
Answer:- (a) grandeur and valour
14. How did De Lorge throw her lady’s glove back to her?
(a) with love
(b) with a smile
(c) frowningly
(d) in anger
Answer:- (d) in anger
15. By putting him to a dangerous test De Lorge’s beloved
(a) proved her wisdom
(b) proved that she was vain
(c) proved that she was timid
(d) proved that she was unfaithful
Answer:- (b) proved that she was vain
Comprehension Passages :
Passage – 1
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
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.
(I) Where was the king sitting? What was going on?
Answer:- The king was sitting in the court. A royal sport involving the fight between lions was going on. The king was fond of this sport and enjoying it in the presence of others.
(II) For whom did the king ‘sigh’, and why?
Answer:- The king sighed for the beloved of one of his counts named Lorge. He sighed because of her beautiful bright eyes and smiling lips which always seemed to remain the same.
(III) Who are referred to as “valour and love”?
Answer:- The word valour refers to the brave and valiant nobles sitting on the benches to enjoy the lion fight. And the word love refers to the beautiful court ladies sitting there.
(IV) What picture of De Lorge’s beloved has the poet given later in the context ?
Answer:- The poet later gives the picture of De Lorge’s beloved as a beautiful and charming woman with smiling lips and bright eyes. But she is vain and rash also. She puts her lover’s life in danger just to attract attention of the people.
(V) Why did De Lorge’s beloved think of testing his valour?
Answer:- De Lorge’s beloved was a rash and vain lady. She knew that her lover was a very brave man and could do anything for her. It prompted her to throw her glove into the arena where the lions were fighting. By doing so she wanted to draw the attention of the people gathered there.
Passage – 2
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
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;
aid Francis then, “Faith, gentlemen, we’re better here than there.”
(I) What kind of royal sport was in progress? Who were watching it?
Answer:- The beastly sport of lion fight was going on there. King Francis, his nobles and the ladies were watching the sport. Among these people Count de Lorge and his beloved were also enjoying the fight.
(II) Who stole the heart of King Francis? In what state of mind was he?
Answer:- The beloved of Count de Lorge stole the king’s heart. At that time the king was in a happy and sporting state of mind. He was watching a show of lion fight. He was quite excited at that time.
(III) Briefly describe the lion’s fight.
Answer:- The horrible looking lions roared. They were ferociously roaring with their Jaws wide open. It seemed as if they were smiling during the fight. They stroke their opponents very quickly with their paws. They rolled over each other. Their bloody foam was carried by the air far and wide. It was a terrible sight.
(IV) What did the air carry afar? What did it reveal?
Answer:- The air carried away the bloody foam coming out of the mouths of the fighting
lions. It indicated that the lions had badly injured each other and it was a very dangerous and terrible fight.
(V) Comment on the king’s remark. Who was attracted by his comment?
Answer:- The king remarked that all the spectators were safe there as they were not with the lions in the arena where the fight was taking place. De Lorge’s beloved was attracted by the king’s comment.
Passage – 3
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
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.
(I) What kind of show was witnessed by the king and his courtiers? What had distracted the king’s attention?
Answer:- The show of the ferocious lions fighting in the sports arena was going on. The king and the courtiers witnessed this terrible show. The beautiful smiling lips and bright eyes of De Lorge’s beloved distracted the king is attention.
(II) What did De Lorge’s beloved think about him? What was she sure of?
Answer:- De Lorge’s beloved thought that her lover was very brave and courageous man. She was sure that he would do anything to please her. He would do wonderous things to prove his love for her.
(III) What thought struck her? What was her real intention?
Answer:- The thought struck her that she would throw her glove into the arena where the dangerous lions were fighting. She thought that her lover would surely jump there
and bring the glove back to show his love for her. Her intention behind this was to attract the attention of the royal gathering there.
(IV) What happened when the lady threw her glove into the pit and smiled at her lover?
Answer:- The moment she threw her glove into the pit, De Lorge jumped into the pit to bring back the glove. He did not bother about the horrible lions fighting there.
Passage – 4
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
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.”
(I) Who were watching the lion fight? How was the fight progressing?
Answer:- The king, his royal companions, and ladies were watching the lion fight. De Lorge and his beloved were also among them. The fight was going on in a horrible way
as the lions got injured and their mouths spread bloody foam far and wide. It was a scene full of danger with lions roaring and causing bloodshed.
(II) What idea struck De Lorge’s beloved? How did she put it into practice?
Answer:- The idea to grab the attention of the people around struck De Lorge’s beloved. She put it into practice by throwing her glove into the pit where the lion fight was going on. She believed that her lover would certainly jump into the pit to bring back the glove to show his love for her.
(III) What could have happened to De Lorge?
Answer:- De Lorge could have been killed by the ferocious lions fighting in the pit where he had jumped to retrieve his beloved’s glove.
(IV) What was De Lorge’s reaction when he came back safe from the pit ?
Answer:- On coming back safe from the pit De Lorge threw the glove towards his beloved’s face and left the arena in anger.
(V) What did no one else but De Lorge understood at the end?
Answer:- No one else but De Lorge understood that it was not his beloved’s love for him that had prompted her to throw the glove into the pit. She had done this out of vanity. In a way she had set a task for him to prove or show his love for her.
