Three Knights by Davies Gilbert [Summary, characters, setting and theme]

The Three Knights written by Davies Gilbert is about three knights who propose the same lady for marriage. The poem deals with the theme of love, proposal, marriage, family rejection, etc.

Three Knights by Davies Gilbert

About the poet Davies Gilbert

Davies Gilbert (1767-1839) was born in Cornwall, England. He was a Cornish engineer, politician, and author. He was educated first at Penzance Grammar School and then by his father. He went up to Pembroke College, Oxford and graduated with an MA in 1789.

His notable works are:

1) Parochial History of Ancient Christmas

2) Carols

3) Mount Calvary

4) The Creation of the World

 

Points to remember:

• This is a ballad poem (a poem about love, death, and supernatural things) that was published in “Some ancient Christmas carols” in 1822.
• This poem is still popular among the poor people of western England.
• This poem uses refrains (frequent repetition of a line or phrase).
• The theme of this story is love, marriage, proposal, family rejection.

 

Summary in one sentence

This is a poem about three knights who propose the same lady for marriage.

 

Characters in the poem The Three Knights:

• First knight: This knight is dressed in white.
• Second knight: This knight is dressed in green.
• Third knight: This knight is dressed in red.
• A lady: She is the one whom the three knights propose for marriage.
• John: He is the lady’s brother who stabs the lady with a knife.
• Anne: She is the sister of the lady.

 

Setting in the poem:

The poem is set at a place beautiful place where lilies and roses have grown. The poem is set during the spring season.

Theme:

The poem deals with the themes of love marriage and family rejection.

 

Summary of the poem Three Knights by Davies Gilbert:

The flowers have bloomed in the spring season. The flowers are being blown by the wind. The three knights came riding horses from the west. The first knight is in his white dress. The second knight has worn green dress and the third knight is in his red dress.

On the way, they meet a lady. All the three knights purpose the same lady for marriage.

The first knight proposes to her to be his delight. The second knight requests her to be his queen and the third one proposes to her to marry her.

The lady esquires all three knights whether they have asked her family members’ permission for the marriage.  To her question, they reply that her parents and Anne have agreed but they haven’t asked her brother John yet.

While they all were riding along the road, they all meet her brother John. When the lady bends from the horse to kiss her brother, a sharp knife of her brother pierces her heart.

Her servant notices that she has become weak due to pain from the wound. The wounded lady becomes sad and wishes to be somewhere far away in the hill and bleed. She wishes to be alone.

When the knights ask her about the lady’s last wishes, she says that she wants to gift her father the strong horse that she rides. She also wishes to gift her mother a wedding dress that she wears. But her mother should wash that dress properly because there stick her blood from the wound. She wants to gift her sister, Anne a bright golden ring and feathered fan.

She wishes to give her brother John a rope and go to gallows (a place where people are hanged or suicide). And she wants to gift widow's weeds, and a quiet life to John’s wife.