4. How to Tell Wild Animals
Introduction
to the Poem
In
the poem, the poet describes the characteristics of various wild animals in a
funny way. She uses playful language that makes the descriptions humorous. She
introduces readers to wild animals like the Asian lion, Bengal tiger, and bear,
explaining each one with humor.
Theme of
the Poem
The
theme of Carolyn Wells’ poem "How to Tell Wild Animals" is
about the unique traits of wild animals and how they are different from
domestic animals. The poem humorously describes different ways to recognize
wild animals, focusing on their wild, independent nature and behaviors.
Summary of
the Poem
The
poet humorously describes different wild animals and their dangerous traits.
First, she talks about the Asian lion. She explains that if you’re in the
eastern jungle and see an animal with tawny skin and hear a loud roar that
scares you, then you’ve likely encountered an Asian lion. Next, she describes
the Bengal tiger, a beautiful animal with black stripes that quickly attacks
its prey. If you’re attacked by this tiger, she says, it means you’ve met a
Bengal tiger.
Then, she talks about
the leopard, which has a spotted coat. If you see one jump on you, you know
it’s a leopard, and no amount of crying out will stop it from attacking. Moving
on to the bear, the poet humorously says the bear kills by hugging its prey tightly.
So, if a bear hugs you, you’ve found the right animal.
The poet also talks
about hyenas, which are thought to have a smiling face, and crocodiles, which
are believed to shed tears when they kill their prey (this is known as
"crocodile tears"). Finally, she mentions the chameleon, a
lizard-like creature that can change its color to match its surroundings. She
explains that if you look at a tree and only see the tree, it’s likely that a
chameleon is there, blending in perfectly.
Q.1: Does 'Dyin'
really rhyme with 'lion'? Can you say it in such a way that it does?
Ans: No, 'Dyin' doesn’t exactly rhyme with 'lion'. But if you pronounce
'lion' like 'lying', then it would rhyme with 'dyin'.
Q. 2: How does the
poet suggest that you identify the lion and the tiger? When can you do so
according to him?
Ans: The poet says that a lion is large and tawny (brownish-yellow). A
Bengal tiger has black stripes on its yellow fur. A lion roars loudly when it
catches its prey, while a tiger silently attacks. You can tell them apart when
you are walking in the jungle.
Q. 3: Do you think
the words 'lept' and 'lep' in the third stanza are spelt correctly? Why does
the poet spell them like this?
Ans: No, 'lept' and 'lep' are not spelled correctly. The poet used these
spellings to keep the rhythm of the poem. The correct spelling is 'leapt' for
'lept' and 'leap' for 'lep'. The poet uses incorrect spelling for humor.
Q 4: Do you know what
a ‘bearhug’ is? It’s a friendly and strong hug, like the kind bears might give
when they attack! Also, hyenas are thought to laugh and crocodiles to weep
(‘crocodile tears’) when they swallow their prey. Are there similar ideas about
wild animals in your language(s)?
Ans: A 'bearhug' means when a bear holds its prey tightly, sometimes to
kill it. Yes, there are similar ideas in other languages. For example, in
Hindi, we say 'Magarmach ke aansu' (Crocodile tears), 'Haathi
ke daant dikhane ke aur, khane ke aur' (An elephant has different teeth
for showing and eating), 'Ab pachtaye hot kya jab chidiya chug gai khet'
(It’s too late to regret after the bird has eaten the field), and 'Girgit
ke tarah rang badalna' (Changing colors like a chameleon).
Q 5: Look at the line
‘A novice might nonplus.’ How would you write this ‘correctly’? Why is the
poet’s ‘incorrect’ line better in the poem?
Ans: The correct line would be "A novice might be nonplussed."
The poet's version is better because it keeps the rhyme with "thus,"
making the poem flow better.
Q 6: Can you find
other examples of poets taking liberties with language, either in English or in
your own language? Can you find examples of humorous poems in your own
language(s)?
Ans: Poets often take liberties with language to make their poems rhyme
or fit a certain rhythm. This is called 'poetic license'. For
example, in this line from a poem: "A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
against the earth’s sweat flowing breast" (instead of
"pressed"). In my language, there are humorous poems too, where words
are used creatively to create humor.
Q 7: Much of the
humor in the poem comes from the way language is used, as well as the ideas.
Are there lines in the poem that you find especially funny? Share them with the
class and explain why.
Ans: The humor in the poem is mainly due to the playful use of language and
funny ideas. One line I find funny is “A noble wild beast greets you.”
The idea that a wild beast would greet you is hilarious! Another funny line is
"He’ll only lep and lep again," where the word 'lep' (from
'leopard') makes the idea even more amusing.
POETIC
DEVICES
1.
Rhyme Scheme: Each stanza follows a simple ababcc
rhyme pattern. This makes the poem sound musical, which helps it flow better
and makes it easier to read and remember.
2.
Humour and Irony: The poem has a fun and silly tone. The advice
given is absurdly funny, like the idea of identifying a chameleon by not seeing
it at all because it blends in with its surroundings.
3.
Imagery: The poet uses clear,
descriptive language to help readers picture the animals. For example:
·
"Large and tawny beast" for the Asian lion.
·
"Black stripes on a yellow ground" for the
Bengal tiger.
·
"Hide with spots is peppered" for the
leopard.
4. Personification:
The
poet gives human-like traits to animals, adding to the humor:
·
The lion roars "as you’re dyin’."
·
The bear hugs you "very, very hard" and
gives “one more caress” (calling a bear's hug a “caress” is funny).
5. Alliteration:
The
poet uses alliteration, where the same sound is repeated to create a rhythm and
emphasize certain phrases:
·
"Peppered" and "pain" in the
leopard stanza.
·
"Lep and lep" in the leopard stanza.
·
"Hugs you very, very hard" in the bear
stanza.
6. Repetition: The poet repeats certain
phrases to show how continuous some actions are:
·
"Lep and lep again" for the leopard.
·
"Very, very hard" for the bear's hug.
7.
Juxtaposition: The poet compares different animals to show how
they are opposites. For example, the crocodile is known for "weeping"
while the hyena is known for "merry smiles," showing their different
behaviors.
8. Metaphor: Metaphors are used to explain things in a funny
way. For example, "Crocodile tears" refers to fake sadness, which
adds a deeper meaning to the description of crocodiles.
