POEM 3/ A TIGER IN THE ZOO/ Leslie Norris
SUMMARY:
‘This poem contrasts a tiger in the zoo with the tiger in its natural habitat. The poem moves from the zoo to the jungle, and again back to the zoo. In the zoo, he has no freedom. He is kept in a cemented cell behind the bars. He feels angry, frustrated and helpless. This reminds him of his natural habitat, his hiding and sliding in the long grass near the water hole and pouncing upon the fat deer, the way he terrorized the villagers, displaying his sharp teeth and claws. At night in the zoo, he hears the sounds of patrolling cars. The tiger in the zoo appears helpless as a mere showpiece and source of entertainment to people. The poet wants to convey that it is cruel to keep wild animals in small enclosures of the zoo, away from their natural habitat. They feel angry, helpless and unhappy in the cage. He pays no attention to the visitors who come to watch him. In the silence of the night, he stares at the brilliant stars with his bright eyes.
SUMMARY:
‘This poem contrasts a tiger in the zoo with the tiger in its natural habitat. The poem moves from the zoo to the jungle, and again back to the zoo. In the zoo, he has no freedom. He is kept in a cemented cell behind the bars. He feels angry, frustrated and helpless. This reminds him of his natural habitat, his hiding and sliding in the long grass near the water hole and pouncing upon the fat deer, the way he terrorized the villagers, displaying his sharp teeth and claws. At night in the zoo, he hears the sounds of patrolling cars. The tiger in the zoo appears helpless as a mere showpiece and source of entertainment to people. The poet wants to convey that it is cruel to keep wild animals in small enclosures of the zoo, away from their natural habitat. They feel angry, helpless and unhappy in the cage. He pays no attention to the visitors who come to watch him. In the silence of the night, he stares at the brilliant stars with his bright eyes.
Q1. Read the stanza given below and answer the questions that follow:
The few steps of his cage,
On pads of velvet quiet,
In his quiet rage.
(a) What are the two qualities of the animal under reference?
(b) Why does he move only a few steps?
(c) Which word in the stanza stands for ‘to follow/to move’?
(d) What is the state of mind of the animal?
Ans : (a) He has stripes and velvet pads.
(b) He is in the cage and is not able to show his anger.
(c) Stalks
(d) He is in anger.
Q2. Read the stanza given below and answer the questions that follow:
But he’s locked in a concrete cell,
His strength behind bars,
Stalking the length of his cage,
Ignoring visitors.
(a) Why is he locked in a concrete cell?
(b) Pick out the word from the stanza that means opposite of recognise.
(c) Who are the visitors?
(d) What does the animal do?
Ans : (a) He is in the zoo.
(b) ignoring
(c) The visitors are the people who visit the zoo.
(d) The animal is inside a cell and moves inside the cell.
Q3. Why does the tiger express his anger quietly?
Ans. The tiger expresses his anger quietly, because he is helpless. He can do nothing from behind the bars. He is not free as he was in the forest. The tiger’s strength is locked behind the bars. Thus it can only show anger.
Q4. What does the poet want to convey through the poem?
Ans. The poet exhibits the miserable life led by the animals in the zoo. He shows the two different lives i.e., in the zoo and the life at a natural habitat. According to the poet, animals should not be caged. They should be let free in the wild. Even they have a right to remain free. They should not be caged for our personal interests.
Q5. Do you agree that wild animals should be caged? Comment ‘yes’ or ‘no’ giving reasons.
Ans. Wild animals should not be caged. This is a well- known fact that tiger is a royal species which is on the verge of extinction. In ancient times, tigers moved around freely in the forests. But today, they are caged and left in the zoo for the entertainment of people. In fact, they are not meant for confinement. The result is that their off spring also do not learn to hunt, when they are caged. Caging wild animals also leads to disturbance of ecological balance. So, wild animals should be let free. They belong to the forest. Cages are not meant for a wild animal, specially a tiger. We should not cage them for our personal interests. Even animals love to live in their natural habitat along with their families. We should not separate them from their families.
Note: Also Revise Question-Answers Given in the English
Notebook.
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