The Lion

The Lion - meaning Summary

Absurd Domestic Catastrophe

Nash's brief comic poem stages a mock elegy in which Mr. and Mrs. Bryan are swallowed in absurd succession by a lion and then its mate. The piece treats domestic tragedy as farce, twisting names into Bryan's Bryaness to create humorous doubling and gendered play. Its spare narrative and deadpan mourning turn a violent image into light satire, undermining solemnity through linguistic whimsy and unexpected escalation.