English LiteratureICSE Class 10 · Chapter 10

The Glove and the Lions ICSE Class 10: Explanation, Imagery and Extract Questions

Updated 14 October 2026 · Fact-checked

The Glove and the Lions by Leigh Hunt tells how a vain lady drops her glove among fighting lions to test her lover, Count de Lorge. He leaps in, brings it back and throws it in her face, and King Francis approves, saying such a task comes from vanity, not love. ICSE tests it through MCQs and 16-mark extracts.

What The Glove and the Lions is about

The Glove and the Lions by the English poet Leigh Hunt is a short narrative poem (a ballad-like tale) in Treasure Chest. It is set at the court of King Francis of France, who enjoys watching lions fight in a pit. A lady at court, seeking glory, drops her glove among the lions so that her lover, Count de Lorge, will risk his life to fetch it. He does, but then throws the glove in her face, and the King declares that such a test springs from vanity, not love.

The poem has four six-line stanzas in rhyming couplets, with long lines that move like a galloping story. It is rich in visual and sound imagery (the lions' 'laughing jaws', 'blows like beams', 'stifled roar', 'thunderous smother', 'bloody foam'). The 2025 paper and the 2027 specimen both set a full 16-mark extract on it (the same two lines from the end of the first stanza), and the specimen also asked an MCQ on the lady's action (best described as provocative and challenging).

Weightage: CISCE publishes no weightage by text. Section A has 16 one-mark MCQs (about 5 on the poems), and Section D offers two 16-mark poetry extract questions; this poem supplied one in both the 2025 paper and the 2027 specimen.Source: CISCE ICSE 2027 Specimen Question Paper, Literature in English (T27 012); 2025 Analysis of Pupil Performance

The Glove and the Lions: explanation

In our own words, in the order of the text. Read the NCERT text itself too: the board quotes from it.

Stanza 1: The royal sport. King Francis is a hearty king who loves royal sport. One day he sits watching his lions fight, with the court around him: the nobles fill the benches, the ladies sit in their pride, and among them is Count de Lorge with the lady he loves. It is a splendid sight: valour and love, a king above, and the royal beasts below.

Stanza 2: The lions fight. The lions rear and roar with horrible 'laughing' jaws; they bite, glare and strike blows like heavy beams, so that the wind rushes with their paws. They roll on one another with stifled roars until the whole pit is a thunderous cloud of sand and mane, and bloody foam is flung over the bars. King Francis remarks to his nobles that they are better off up here than down there.

Stanza 3: The lady's plan. De Lorge's lady, a beautiful, lively woman with smiling lips and sharp bright eyes that always seem the same, overhears the King. She thinks: her lover is as brave as brave can be and would surely do wonderful things to show his love for her; with the King, the ladies and lovers all watching, the occasion is perfect; she will drop her glove to prove his love, and great glory will be hers.

Stanza 4: The Count's response. She drops her glove and looks at the Count with a smile. He bows and in a moment leaps among the wild lions; his leap is quick, his return is quick, and he is back in his place. Then he throws the glove, not with love, right in the lady's face. King Francis rises and declares that it was rightly done: no love, but vanity, would set a lover a task like that.

Themes and message

Vanity versus true love

The lady's test is not about love but about her own glory: she wants the court to see a man risk his life for her. True love would never endanger the beloved. The Count and the King both recognise this.

From the text: Her thought that 'great glory' will be hers; the King's verdict that vanity, not love, sets such a task.

Courage with self-respect

The Count proves his bravery by fetching the glove, but he refuses to be a fool for vanity. Throwing the glove back shows courage joined with dignity and judgement.

From the text: His quick leap and return, then the glove in the lady's face.

Cruelty and spectacle at court

The court enjoys the lions' violent fight as entertainment, and the lady treats her lover's danger as another spectacle. The poem gently criticises a society that turns danger into sport.

From the text: King Francis 'loved a royal sport'; the lady sees 'the occasion' as 'divine'.

The speaker and the people in the poem

The lady (De Lorge's love)

The Count's beloved, who drops the glove.

Vain and self-centred
Calculating: she plans the test for glory
Provocative and challenging
Artificial: her smile and bright eyes 'always seemed the same'

Stanza 3; she drops the glove 'to prove his love' and win glory.

Count de Lorge

The lady's lover.

Brave and quick
Proud and dignified
Clear-sighted: he sees through her vanity

Stanza 4.

King Francis

The French king who watches the lions.

Hearty and fond of sport
Practical: he prefers being safe in the gallery
A fair judge: he approves the Count's act

His remark in stanza 2 and his verdict in stanza 4.

Poetic devices

Device	Example	Effect
Visual imagery	laughing jaws; they glared; blows like beams; rolled on one another; bloody foam whisking through the air	Makes the lions' fight vivid and terrifying.
Sound imagery	roared; stifled roar; thunderous smother	Lets the reader hear the fight's violence.
Simile	gave blows like beams	Compares the lions' strikes to heavy timbers, showing their force.
Alliteration	'Ramped and roared'; 'bloody foam'	Adds energy and rhythm.
Internal rhyme	'Valour and love, and a king above'; 'drop my glove, to prove his love'	Gives a song-like, lively rhythm.
Irony	The glove dropped to prove love returns 'not with love'.	Reverses the lady's expectation and delivers the moral.
Rhyming couplets	Each stanza is three couplets: aabbcc.	A brisk storytelling movement.

Key quotations

Short lines worth knowing by heart: who says them, when, and why they matter.

Valour and love, and a king above, and the royal beasts below.
The poet: End of stanza 1 (set in the 2025 extract).
Sums up the splendid scene, with internal rhyme.
Faith, gentlemen, we're better here than there.
King Francis: Watching the fight (stanza 2).
His remark gives the lady her idea.
'No love,' quoth he, 'but vanity, sets love a task like that.'
King Francis: His verdict at the end.
States the poem's moral.

The Glove and the Lions in real life

Each concept, met in an everyday situation. Read the situation, answer the question in your own words, then compare with the model answer. The one-line hook is what to remember.

Tests of love that come from vanity

Suppose someone dares a friend to do a risky stunt on a bike to prove their friendship, while everyone films it for social media.

How does this resemble the lady's action, and what would the King say?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

The dare risks the friend's safety for an audience.
The person setting it wants attention, like the lady wanting glory.
The King: no real friendship sets such a task.

Answer: It is the lady's glove in modern form: a dangerous test staged for an audience. The King would say that not friendship but vanity sets a task like that; a true friend would never ask it.

Memory hook: If the test needs an audience, it is vanity.

Courage with judgement

Imagine a classmate who, on a dare, climbs a high wall to fetch a ball and then tells the darer never to do that to anyone again.

How is this like the Count?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

He proves he is brave.
He also refuses to be manipulated again.

Answer: Like the Count, he shows courage but also self-respect, turning the dare back on the person who set it.

Memory hook: Brave enough to go, wise enough to refuse again.

Spectacle and cruelty

Suppose people gather to watch two animals fight at a village fair and cheer as one is hurt.

What does the poem suggest about such entertainment?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

King Francis's court enjoys the lions' fight.
The poem shows how such entertainment makes danger seem like sport.

Answer: The poem gently criticises a court that enjoys violent spectacle and treats danger as a game, an attitude that leads the lady to treat her lover's life as part of the show.

Memory hook: A court that cheers the fight soon forgets the danger.

Topics in this chapter

Vanity versus Love and the Imagery of the Fight (The Glove and the Lions)

How the board asks The Glove and the Lions

The question patterns to expect, and the method that works for each.

Question type	How it is asked	Method
Section A MCQ (1 mark)	Words that best describe the lady's action (provocative and challenging); who the Count sighs for; the King's remark.	Use the poem's evidence: she acts to win glory, so 'provocative' and 'challenging' fit better than 'scornful'.
Extract question (16 marks)	The opening scene, imagery from the fight, the lady's identity and motive, the Count's action and reason, the King's verdict, and a personal response (own title).	Name 'King Francis', not just 'the king'; quote exact words for imagery; give the motive and what prompted it.
Character and moral	'Why do you think the Count behaved as he did?'; 'What is the moral?'	Give a reason (disillusioned, saw her vanity) and a purpose (to shame her); state the moral in the King's words.

Tricks to remember The Glove and the Lions

Short memory aids. Say each one aloud once, then use it on a question the same day.

Four stanzas: Court, Combat, Conceit, Comeback
Stanza 1 the Court; 2 the lions' Combat; 3 the lady's Conceit; 4 the Count's Comeback (glove in her face).
Use it when: Placing any extract.
Imagery sorted: SEE and HEAR
SEE: laughing jaws, glared, blows like beams, bloody foam. HEAR: roared, stifled roar, thunderous smother.
Use it when: The imagery part.

The Glove and the Lions: extract-based questions

Read the extract, answer every part on paper, then open the answers.

Extract 1: Stanza 1

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, with the ladies in their pride,
And 'mong 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.

(1) · 3 marks · Short answer
(i) Describe the scene at the beginning of the poem.
(2) · 3 marks · Short answer
(ii) Explain 'Valour and love, and a king above, and the royal beasts below.' Who or what stands for valour and love?
(3) · 3 marks · Short answer
(iii) Quote two visual images and two sound images from the next stanza.
(4) · 3 marks · Short answer
(iv) Who is the 'one for whom he sighed'? What does she do later, and why?
(5) · 4 marks · Long answer
(v) How does the Count respond, and what does the King say? Suggest a title of your own for the poem and justify it.

Show the answersAnswers

King Francis sits with his court watching his lions fight in a pit. The nobles fill the benches with the ladies, and among them sits Count de Lorge beside the lady he loves (sighs for).
The scene combines bravery and romance: the nobles and the Count (valour), the Count and his lady (love), the King seated above, and the lions in the pit below. It is a splendid 'crowning show'.
Visual: 'laughing jaws', 'glared', 'blows like beams', 'rolled on one another', 'bloody foam' (any two). Sound: 'roared', 'stifled roar', 'thunderous smother' (any two).
The Count's beloved, a beautiful lively lady. She drops her glove among the lions to test his love and to win glory and admiration for herself, after overhearing the King say they are better off up there than down in the pit.
The Count leaps among the lions, fetches the glove quickly and throws it in the lady's face; the King declares it rightly done, since no love, only vanity, sets love such a task. Title, e.g. 'Vanity's Test': the poem is about a test that comes from vanity, which the Count exposes. (Any suitable title with a reason.)

The Glove and the Lions: board-level solved questions

Ordered from board level to HOTS. Cover the solution, write your own, then compare step by step.

Example 1: MCQ: the lady's action · 1 mark · MCQHarder board level

Which words best describe the lady's action? 1. scornful 2. provocative 3. challenging
(a) 1 and 2
(b) 2 and 3
(c) 1 and 3
(d) 1, 2 and 3

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

She provokes the Count and challenges him to prove his love.
She is not scornful of him; she thinks him brave.

Answer: (b) 2 and 3

Example 2: Why the Count throws the glove · 3 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency

Why do you think the Count throws the glove in the lady's face? Give a reason for your response.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

He is disillusioned: he sees her test as vanity, not love.
Purpose: to humiliate or shame her before the court.

Answer: He realises that she risked his life only for her own glory, so his love turns to disgust. He throws the glove in her face to shame her publicly and show he will not be a toy for her vanity.

Example 3: The lady's thoughts · 3 marks · Short answerHarder board level

What does the lady think before dropping the glove? What does this reveal about her?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

She thinks the Count is as brave as can be and would do wondrous things for her.
The King, ladies and lovers are watching: the occasion is 'divine'.
She will gain great glory.
Reveals: vanity and selfishness.

Answer: She thinks her lover is supremely brave and will do anything to show his love, and that with the whole court watching, the occasion is perfect to win great glory for herself. It reveals that she cares more for her own fame than for his safety.

Example 4: Explaining 'smiling lips and sharp bright eyes' · 3 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency

Explain what 'With smiling lips and sharp bright eyes, which always seemed the same' suggests about the lady.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

'Always seemed the same': her expression never changes, so it is artificial.
Smile = fake; sharp eyes = shrewd, calculating.

Answer: Her smile is fixed and artificial, not a sign of real warmth, and her sharp, bright eyes suggest a shrewd, calculating mind. The description hints that she is beautiful on the surface but cold and scheming underneath.

Example 5: The King's two remarks · 4 marks · Long answerHarder board level

What are the King's two remarks in the poem, and how is each important?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Remark 1: they are better here than there (safe above the pit).
It gives the lady the idea of a test.
Remark 2: 'rightly done'; vanity, not love, sets such a task.
It states the moral and approves the Count.

Answer: First, watching the fight, he says they are better off up in the gallery than down among the lions; the lady overhears and decides to test her lover's courage. Second, after the Count throws the glove, he declares it rightly done, because no love, only vanity, would set a task like that. This remark gives the poem its moral and shows the King as a fair judge.

Where the marks are

How a typical answer is marked: the value points the examiner looks for and the marks each earns.

Specimen-type part (iv), 3 marks: How does the Count respond? Why do you think he behaved that way? Give a reason. (3 marks)

Step	Marks
Action: throws the glove in the lady's face	1
Why: disillusioned / sees through her vanity	1
Reason/purpose: to humiliate or shame her	1

Where students lose marks in The Glove and the Lions

The slips examiners see most often, and what to write instead.

Mistake: Writing 'the king' instead of 'King Francis'
The 2025 examiners noted 'only "king" instead of "King Francis"'.
Do this: Use full names: King Francis, Count de Lorge.
Usually costs: Part of a 3-mark answer.
Mistake: Naming imagery without quoting words
In 2025 'Many candidates identified visual or sound imagery but failed to include specific words from the poem'.
Do this: Quote the exact words in inverted commas.
Usually costs: Most of the imagery part.
Mistake: Saying the King applauded the Count's leap
In 2025 some 'incorrectly stated that it was his gallantry in leaping among the lions' that the King applauded.
Do this: The King approves the Count's throwing the glove in her face.
Usually costs: Content marks.
Mistake: Misreading 'divine' and the King's remark
Students took 'divine' as holy and did not explain why the gallery was safer.
Do this: 'Divine' = perfect opportunity; 'better here than there' = safe above, not in the pit.
Usually costs: Explanation marks.

Practice questions on The Glove and the Lions

Write each answer on paper first. Open the hint only if you are stuck, and the answer only when you have finished.

Q1 · 1 mark · MCQBoard level
In 'The Glove and the Lions', who does Count de Lorge 'sigh for'?
(a) the Queen
(b) a beautiful, lively lady of the court
(c) King Francis's daughter
(d) a servant girl
Hint
De Lorge's love.
Answer
(b) a beautiful, lively lady of the court
Q2 · 3 marks · Short answerBoard level
Why does the King say 'we're better here than there'?
Hint
Where is 'here', where is 'there'?
Answer
'Here' is the safe gallery and 'there' the pit of fighting lions; after seeing the bloody foam flung over the bars, he jokes that they are lucky to be watching from safety.
Q3 · 3 marks · Short answerHarder board level
Pick out two examples of internal rhyme and explain their effect.
Hint
Look inside the lines.
Answer
'Valour and love, and a king above'; 'I'll drop my glove, to prove his love' (also 'not with love'). They give the long lines a lively, song-like rhythm suited to a ballad-style tale.
Q4 · 4 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency
Was the Count right to throw the glove in the lady's face? Give two reasons for your view.
Hint
Personal response.
Answer
Accept either view with two reasons. Yes: she endangered his life for her own glory, and the public rebuke exposes her vanity (the King agrees). No: a quieter refusal would have kept his dignity without humiliating her; anger is not the best response.
Q5 · 2 marks · Short answerHarder board level
What does 'the occasion is divine' mean in the lady's thoughts?
Hint
Divine here does not mean holy.
Answer
The opportunity is perfect, as if sent by heaven: with the King and the whole court watching, it is the ideal moment for her lover's brave act to bring her glory.
Q6 · 2 marks · Short answerBoard level
State the moral of the poem in your own words.
Hint
The King's last line.
Answer
Someone who truly loves another will never put them in danger to prove that love; such tests come from vanity.
Q7 · 1 mark · MCQHarder board level
What is the rhyme scheme of each stanza?
(a) abab cdcd
(b) aabbcc
(c) abcabc
(d) free verse
Hint
Rhyming couplets.
Answer
(b) aabbcc

Test your recall

Answer in your head or on paper first, then open the card. Pulling an answer out of memory makes it stick far better than re-reading.

1.Who wrote 'The Glove and the Lions'?Show answer
Leigh Hunt.
2.Who is the King in the poem?Show answer
King Francis.
3.Why does the lady drop her glove?Show answer
To test the Count's love and win glory for herself.
4.What does the Count do with the glove?Show answer
He throws it in the lady's face.
5.What is the King's verdict?Show answer
Rightly done: no love, but vanity, sets love a task like that.

Quick revision checklist

The night before the exam: can you do each of these without looking?

Can you describe the opening scene?
Can you quote two visual and two sound images?
Can you explain the lady's thoughts and motive?
Can you explain the Count's action and the King's verdict?
Can you state the moral?

The Glove and the Lions: frequently asked questions

What is the moral of The Glove and the Lions?

True love never puts the beloved in danger; a test like the lady's comes from vanity, not love.

Why does Count de Lorge throw the glove in the lady's face?

He realises she risked his life only for her own glory, so he rejects her vanity and shames her before the court.

What kind of poem is The Glove and the Lions?

A short narrative poem in rhyming couplets that tells a story with a moral.

Based on: CISCE ICSE 2027 English syllabus (Paper 2: Literature in English); CISCE ICSE 2027 Appendix I: List of Prescribed Books; CISCE ICSE 2027 Specimen Question Paper and Draft Marking Scheme: Literature in English (English Paper 2); CISCE Analysis of Pupil Performance 2025: Literature in English (examiners' comments)