Class 12 Optional English Note || Summary of The Three Knights by Davies Gilbert || Poetry

Summary of the Poem 'The Three Knights' by Davies Gilbert

The poem "The Three Knights" by Davies Gilbert is a ballad that tells the story of a young woman who is courted by three knights. She chooses one of the knights to marry. Her brother might have perceived her actions as dishonorable, bringing shame to the family, and kills her. The poem captures the themes of love, marriage proposals, the significance of family honor, and family rejection.

The three knights from the west set out to win the heart of a beautiful young woman. Each knight expressed his love for her in his own way. The first knight, dressed in white, said he wanted her to be his source of joy. The second knight, dressed in green, said he wanted her to be his queen. The third knight, dressed in red, simply asked her to marry him.

The young woman was wise and asked the knights if they had asked her family for permission to marry her. The knights said they had asked her parents and sister, but not her brother. While all of them were riding along the road, they met her brother. The young woman bent down to kiss her brother, but he stabbed her in the heart.

As the young woman lay dying, she made her last wishes known. She wished to give her horse to her father, her wedding dress to her mother, her gold ring and fan to her sister, and a rope and gallows to her brother. To her brother's wife, she wanted to leave a widow's weeds and a quiet life.

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)

1. Which knight wanted the young woman to be his queen?

a) The first knight

b) The second knight

c) The third knight

d) All of them wanted her to be their queen

2. What does the first knight desire from the young woman?

a) To be his queen

b) To be his source of joy

c) To marry him

d) To be his sister

3. In what order does the lady ask the knights if they have sought approval from her family?

a) Father, Mother, Brother, Sister

b) Mother, Father, Sister, Brother

c) Father, Brother, Mother, Sister

d) Sister, Brother, Father, Mother

4. Which family member has not been consulted by the knights before proposing to the lady?

a) Her father

b) Her mother

c) Her sister

d) Her brother

5. What tragic action does the brother take?

a) He banishes the knights.

b) He forces his sister to marry another.

c) He challenges the knights to a duel.

d) He fatally stabs his sister.

6. What does the lady wish for in her dying moments?

a) To reconcile with her brother

b) To return to her childhood home

c) To be buried with her family

d) To see her loved ones once more

7. What does the lady leave to her father in her final wishes?

a) Her jewels and treasures

b) Her beloved horse

c) Her blessings and forgiveness

d) A message of revenge

8. What grim fate does the lady wish for her brother?

a) To live in exile and regret

b) To find redemption and forgiveness

c) To face justice and punishment

d) To suffer the same pain she endured

9. What does the dying young woman wish to leave to her brother's wife?

a) A rope and gallows

b) Widow's weeds and a quiet life

c) Her wedding dress

d) A gold ring and fan

10. What do the last wishes of the dying young woman symbolize?

a) Her regret for choosing a knight

b) Her generosity towards her family

c) Her desire for revenge against her brother

d) Her indifference to material possessions