3. A Tiger in the Zoo
Introduction
The poet, Leslie
Norris, writes about a beautiful tiger in the poem. The tiger has striking
stripes on its skin and soft, velvet-like paws. However, despite its beauty,
the tiger is not happy. It is angry and upset because it is trapped in a small
cage. The poet explains that while the tiger would naturally hide behind tall
grass in the wild, it cannot do so in the cage. It is trapped in a strong cage
and is helpless. The tiger cannot show its power to the visitors. The poet
describes how the tiger feels powerless and miserable. Life in the cage has
completely changed its nature.
The poet’s main
message is that an animal, known for its strength and freedom, is now sad and
trapped because of humans.
Theme of
the Poem
The theme of the poem is about comparing the freedom of wild animals to their
lives in captivity. The poem focuses on the feelings of loss, sadness, and
imprisonment that the tiger experiences in the zoo. It contrasts the tiger’s
wild, free spirit with the restricted life it has to live in a cage.
Summary
The poem "A Tiger in the Zoo" by Leslie Norris describes the
suffering and helplessness of a tiger trapped in a zoo. The poet imagines how
different the tiger’s life could have been if it were free. The poem highlights
the contrast between the tiger’s natural life in the wild and its sad existence
in captivity.
The tiger, with its
beautiful stripes and soft paws, is stuck in a small cage. The poet explains
that if the tiger were free, it would hide in the grass by a water body,
waiting to catch a deer, and it would scare the people in the nearby village.
But in the zoo, the tiger is trapped, unable to show its power. It feels
powerless and angry, pacing its small cage. The tiger's life in the zoo has
changed its nature. It spends its nights alone, listening to the sounds of
patrol cars and staring at the stars. The poet emphasizes that the tiger, a
symbol of freedom and strength, is now a sad, caged animal, suffering because
of humans who want to entertain themselves by keeping it in captivity.
EXTRA Q/A
Q 1: What message do
you get from this poem?
Ans: The poem teaches us that animals prefer to live freely in their
natural habitats. Being kept in a zoo makes their lives miserable, and they
don’t want to be caged.
Q 2: What would the
tiger do in a forest?
Ans: In the forest, the tiger would live freely. It would walk around
without fear, terrorize nearby villagers with its growls, and show its sharp
teeth and claws.
Q 3: How does the
tiger feel in the zoo?
Ans: In the zoo, the tiger feels unhappy and angry. It keeps walking
back and forth in its cage, showing its frustration in silence.
Q 4: What does the
poet want to convey through this poem?
Ans: The poet wants to show that animals, like humans, need freedom.
They don’t want to be caged and trapped. If their natural homes are destroyed,
they will suffer and might not survive.
Q 5: Why does the
tiger express his anger quietly?
Ans: The tiger expresses his anger quietly because he is helpless. Being
in a cage, he cannot act freely or show his true power.
Q. 6: "Freedom
is a birthright. It is the most beautiful gift of God. It is valuable for all
human beings as well as for creatures," Discuss with reference to the
poem “A Tiger in the Zoo.”
Ans: Freedom is indeed a precious gift for all living beings, whether
humans or animals. Just like a bird in a cage cannot be happy, an animal or a
person cannot feel true happiness without freedom. In the poem, the tiger in
the zoo is sad and trapped, while the tiger in the forest is free and powerful.
This shows the importance of freedom for every creature.
Q 7: "Those
who deny freedom to others, do not deserve it for themselves."
Comment.
Ans: The poet describes the tiger’s frustration in the zoo. It walks in
its small cage, expressing its anger silently because it cannot do anything.
This shows how cruel it is to deny freedom to an animal. The poem reminds us
that denying freedom to others is wrong, as freedom is essential for all living
beings to feel truly alive and happy.
Q1. How does a tiger create terror for the
villagers?
Ans. The tiger frightens the villagers by showing
his large white fangs and sharp claws. He makes scary growling noises as he
moves around the houses of the villagers, which are near the forest. His
powerful presence and roars scare the villagers.
Q2. How does the tiger make his presence felt in
the village?
Ans. The tiger makes his presence known in the
village by growling around the houses at the edge of the forest. He tries to
scare the villagers by showing his white fangs and claws.
Q3. Why should the tiger snarl around the houses
at the edge of the forest?
Ans. The tiger snarls around the houses at the
edge of the forest to scare the villagers and stop them from disturbing his
peace. Snarling is also a natural behavior for the tiger.
Q4. Where should the tiger have been according to
the poet?
Ans. According to the poet, the tiger should be
in his natural home, the forest. As a fierce predator, he should be in a place
where he can hunt and move freely, scaring people with his growls.
Q5. It is said that an animal’s eyes have the
power to speak a great language. Explain with reference to the tiger.
Ans. The tiger’s eyes reveal both his anger and
helplessness. Though he is trapped in a cage, his eyes show his fury and
frustration. At night, he stares at the stars, which expresses his longing for
freedom, showing how he feels trapped and helpless in the cage.
Q6. The poet celebrates the strength of the tiger
in this poem. Counter the statement.
Ans. While the poem mentions the tiger’s
strength, it also shows how the tiger is caged and unable to display its full
power. In the zoo, the tiger’s strength is wasted because it cannot move freely
or hunt as it would in the wild. The tiger, once mighty and free, now feels
weak and helpless in its small cage.
Q7. Do you think the tiger in the poem had lost
its natural instinct due to captivity? Support your response with evidence from
the poem.
Ans. Yes, the tiger has lost some of its natural
instincts due to captivity. Even though the tiger is angry, it no longer roars
or acts aggressively as it would in the wild. Instead, it silently walks the
length of its cage, its instincts controlled by the confinement.
Alternatively: No, the tiger has not lost its
natural instincts. It walks with pride and shows its anger through its eyes.
Despite being in captivity, the tiger still displays its natural grace and
confidence.
Q8. Why should the tiger snarl around houses at
the edge of the forest?
Ans. The tiger snarls around the houses at the
edge of the forest to warn the villagers not to disturb the forest's peace.
This also keeps them from killing the animals or causing harm for fun or
profit.
Long Answer Questions:
Q1. What do you think the tiger would say to you,
as a visitor?
Ans. "Please stop staring at me. You have no
idea what it's like to be trapped here. I’m not just an object for your
entertainment. I’m angry and helpless, longing for my freedom. You humans have
taken me from my home, and now I am stuck in this cage. I miss the jungle where
I could roam freely, hunt, and live my life the way I was meant to. Please help
me find a way back to the forest."
Q2. The tiger in the poem ‘A Tiger in the Zoo’
presents a contrasting image with the tiger in the poem ‘How to Tell Wild
Animals’. Compare and contrast the two tigers with reference to the manner in
which they have been presented in both poems.
Ans. The tiger in "A Tiger in the Zoo"
is a sad and frustrated creature, trapped in a cage. It has been deprived of
its natural freedom, and its strength is wasted behind bars. In contrast, the
tiger in "How to Tell Wild Animals" is free, fierce, and wild. It is
depicted as an agile and dangerous predator, ready to pounce on its prey. The
tiger in "A Tiger in the Zoo" is a symbol of captivity, while the
tiger in "How to Tell Wild Animals" represents the natural power and
freedom of the animal in the wild.
Q5. How does the poem point to the cruelty of
animals in captivity?
Ans. The poem highlights the cruelty of keeping
animals in captivity by showing how the tiger is frustrated and helpless. The
zoo takes away the tiger’s natural instincts and freedom. The tiger, once
fierce and powerful, is now trapped and ignored by visitors. His pain is
evident when he stares at the stars at night, longing for the freedom he once
had. This emphasizes how cruel it is to keep wild animals in small cages away
from their natural habitats.
Q6. Freedom is such an essential virtue that is
valued not only by human beings but also by animals alike. Justify the
statement with reference to the poem ‘A Tiger in the Zoo’.
Ans. In "A Tiger in the Zoo," the
tiger’s longing for freedom is clearly shown. The tiger was once free in the
jungle, where it could roam, hunt, and live without restrictions. In captivity,
however, it is frustrated, unable to move freely or follow its natural
instincts. This shows that freedom is a precious virtue, not just for humans,
but also for animals. The tiger’s sorrowful behavior and longing for the open
sky reveal how important freedom is to all living creatures.
Q7. Mijbil and the Tiger, both were looked after
by humans. Assume they both meet each other in the zoo and have a conversation
about their lifestyle and feelings. Write this conversation as per your
understanding of Mijbil the Otter and A Tiger in the Zoo.
Ans. Tiger: "How can you feel secure
when you are not near the jungles? Aren’t jungles where you belong?"
Mijbil: "I don’t
think I’d survive on my own in the jungle. I’m not as large as you, and I could
easily become prey to other animals."
Tiger: "I see
your point, but I still believe animals and humans could live together in
harmony. It’s the humans who disturb us, not the other way around."
Mijbil: "I
understand your frustration. I hope one day humans will realize how important
our freedom is, and that we can live peacefully without being confined in small
cages."
POETIC
DEVICES
Imagery : Imagery helps us
imagine pictures in our minds through descriptions like:
· ‘vivid stripes’
·
‘lurking in the shadow’
·
‘sliding through long grass’
·
‘snarling around houses’
·
‘terrorizing the village’
·
‘stalking the length of his cage’
·
‘ignoring visitors’
·
‘stars with his brilliant eyes’
·
‘at the brilliant stars’
Symbolism :
·
Cage: Represents the tiger being trapped by humans.
·
Sky: Represents the freedom the tiger longs for.
By using the cage and
the sky, Norris shows the tiger’s helplessness.
Oxymoron :
·
‘Quiet rage’: The words ‘quiet’ and ‘rage’ have opposite
meanings, but together, they mean the tiger’s anger that is silent and held in.
This shows that although the tiger is quiet in the cage, he is full of anger.
Personification
·
The tiger is referred to as ‘he’, making
it seem like the tiger has feelings like a human. This gives the tiger
human-like qualities, showing that he feels helpless and wants to be free.
Alliteration : Alliteration is the repetition of sounds at the
beginning of words. Examples from the poem are:
o
‘should be lurking in shadow’
o
‘plump deer pass’
o
‘in a concrete cell’
This draws attention
to the tiger’s situation, showing what it is and what it should be.
Metaphor
·
‘On pads of velvet quiet’: This compares the
tiger’s paws to velvet because they are soft, without saying “like” or “as”.
Repetition: Words like ‘stalk’,
‘quiet’, and ‘brilliant’ are repeated throughout the poem:
o
‘stalk’ and ‘quiet’ show the tiger’s strength and how
he’s trapped in the cage.
o ‘Brilliant’ refers to
both the sky and the tiger’s eyes, showing the tiger’s desire to be free.
Enjambment: This is when a
sentence continues to the next line without any punctuation. For example, in
Stanza 2, the second and third lines are connected.
Metonymy: Metonymy means
replacing something with a related word. In this poem, the poet uses the word ‘strength’
to refer to the tiger’s body, where its power is locked up in the cage.
Consonance : The repetition of the
‘s’ sound, as in:
o
‘stalks’, ‘his’, ‘stripes’
Assonance : The repetition of the vowel sound ‘I’, like in:
o
‘in his vivid stripes’.
