A Tiger in the Zoo Class 10 CBSE English First Flight Poem Explanation, Summary, Difficult words

A Tiger in the Zoo Class 10 CBSE English First Flight Poem Explanation, Summary, Difficult words

A Tiger in the Zoo Class 10 English First Flight Poem 3 Detailed explanation of the poem along with meanings of difficult words. Also, the explanation is followed by the literary devices used and a Summary of the Poem. All the exercises and Question and Answers given at the back of the lesson have been covered.

A Tiger in the Zoo Poem Introduction

The poem written by Leslie Norris explains the agony and helplessness of a caged tiger that lives in a zoo. The poet explains what his life could be if he had been a free animal. The poet has tried to explain about the condition of animals that are caged by human beings for their own fun.

SUMMARY

The poem begins with a description of a tiger that is very beautiful and is walking in his little cage. He has beautiful stripes on his skin and has velvet like soft paws. But the tiger is not happy and is quite angry about being confined in the cage. The poet says that if the tiger was not confined to the zoo cage, he would have been hiding himself behind the long grass near some water body, in order to catch its prey that is the deer. Also, he would have terrorized the residents of the villages around the forest area. But the reality is totally opposite to this. He was confined in a cage which was made up of strong building material and he was helpless there. He could not show his power to the visitors, therefore, never tried to terrorize them. The tiger is described as being powerless and agonized by the poet. He says that during night also he is alone, hearing the voice of the patrolling vehicles of police and looking at the stars. The cage life has totally changed the tiger’s personality. The poet is trying to say that the animal which is famous for its fearlessness and freedom is confined and sad due to the human beings who want to derive pleasure by looking at him in the zoo cage

A TIGER IN THE ZOO - LESLIE NORRIS

ABOUT THE POET – George Leslie Norris (1921-2006) was a prize winning Welsh poet and short story writer. He is considered as most important Welsh writers of the post war period and his literary works have won many prizes. His famous works are Finding Gold, The loud winder, phoenix living poets series: Ransoms, etc.

WORD MEANING IN HINDI

1ST PARAGRAPH

 1. STALKS - अकड़ कर चलना 

2. VIVID - स्पष्ट 

3. STRIPES – धाररयााँ 

4. FEW – कुछ 

5. STEPS - कदम 

6. CAGE - पपिंजरा 

7. PADS – पिंजा

 8. VEVLVET – मख़मली

 9. QUIET – शािंत 

10. RAGE - ग़ुस्सा 

2ND PARAGRAPH 

11. LURKING – छछप कर 

12. SHADOW – परछाई 

13. SLIDING - सरक 

14. WATER HOLE – पानी पीने की जगह 

15. WHERE – जहािं 

16. PLUMP – मोटा 

17. DEER – छहरन 

18. PASS – गुज़ारना 

3RD PARAGRAPH

 19. SNARLING – गुरााहट 

20. AROUND – चारों ओर

21. HOUSES – घर

 22. EDGE – ककनारा

 23. BARING – कदखाना 

24. FANGS – नुकीले दािंत 

25. CLAWS- पिंजे 

26. TERRORISING – डराना 

27. VILLAGE - गााँव 

4TH PARAGRAPH 

28. LOCKED – बिंद 

29. CONCRETE – ठोस 

30. CELL – पपिंजरा 

31. STRENGTH –शक्त 

32. BEHIND – पीछे 

33. BARS – सलाखों 

34. IGNORING – अनदेखी 

35. VISITORS – मेहमान 

5TH PARAGRAPH 

36. HEARS – सुनना 

37. VOICE – आवाज़ 

38. PATROLLING – पहरा करना 

39. STARES – तकना 

40. BRILLIANT – प्रछतभाशाली

POEM

HE STALKS IN HIS VIVID STRIPES

THE FEW STEPS OF HIS CAGE,

ON PADS OF VELVET QUIET,

IN HIS QUIET RAGE.

EXPLANATION – THE POET COMPARES THE BEHAVIOUR OF A TIGER WHEN HE IS IN A ZOO AND WHEN HE IS IN HIS NATURAL HABITAT- THE JUNGLE. IN THE FIRST PARAGRAPH THE POET TELLS US THAT WHEN THE TIGER IS IN THE ZOO, WE CAN SEE HIM WALKING IN HIS CAGE. A TIGER CAN BE IDENTIFIED BY THE STRIPES ON HIS BODY. HIS FEET ARE AS SOFT AS VELVET, SO WHEN HE MOVES, NO NOISE IS MADE.WHEN HE IS IN THE CAGE HE IS ANGRY BECAUSE HE FEELS TRAPPED AND LONGS TO GO OUT.

HE SHOULD BE LURKING IN SHADOW,

SLIDING THROUGH LONG GRASS

NEAR THE WATER HOLE

WHERE PLUM DEER PASS.

EXAPLANATION – ‘HE’ IN THE ABOVE LINES REFERS TO THE TIGER. A TIGER WHEN HE IS IN THE JUNGLE, HE CONCELS HIMSELF IN SHADOWS. HE HIDES HIMSELF IN THE LONG GRASS AND WAITS FOR HIS PREY, NEAR THE SOURCE OF WATER.ANIMALS COME TO THE SOURCE OF WATER TO HAVE WATER AND THAT’S THE TIME THE TIGER ATTACKS AND HUNTS. IT IS A PLACE WHERE HE CAN FIND FAT DEER.

HE SHOULD BE SNARLING AROUND HOUSES

AT THE JUNGLE’S EDGE,

BARING HIS WHITE FANGS, HIS CLAWS,

TERRORISING THE VILLAGE!

EXPLANATION – THE TIGER’ S NATURAL BEHAVIOUR IS TO ROAR. SO IT ROARS, NEAR THE HOUSES, SITUATED AT THE EDGE OF THE JUNGLE. THE TIGER SHOWS HIS WHITE TEETH AND CLAWS TO SCARE THE VILLAGERS. IT IS NOT THAT THE TIGER ENJOYS SCARING THE VILLAGERS, IT’S JUST THE TIGER’S NATURE TO DO SO.

BUT HE’S LOCKED IN A CONCRETE CELL,

HIS STRENGTH BEHING BARS,

STALKING THE LENGTH OF HIS CAGE,

IGNORING VISITORS.

EXPLANATION- THE POET SAYS; THAT INSTEAD OF DOING WHAT IS IN HIS NATURE, IT’S LOCKED IN A CAGE, IN THE ZOO. HIS STRENGHT CANNOT BERAK THE IRON BARS OF THE CAGE. HE WALKS IN HIS CAGE, BUT HE PAYS NO HEED TO THE PEOPLE WHO COME TO THE ZOO.

HE HEARS THE LAST VOICE AT NIGHT,

THE PATROLLING CARS,

AND STARES WITH HIS BRILLIANT EYES

AT THE BRILLIANT STARS.

EXPLANATION – THE LAST VOICE THAT HE HEARS IS THE VOICE OF THE PATROLLING CARS. THE PATROLLING CARS COME TO CHECK IF ALL THE ANIMALS ARE SAFE IN THE CAGE.HE LOOKS AT THE STARS WITH LONGING IN HIS EYES. PERHAPS, LIKE THE STARS SHINE IN THE DARKNESS AND GIVE US LIGHT, HE TOO HOPES TO BE BACK IN THE JUNGLE.

POETIC DEVICE

1) PERSONIFICATION – INANIMATED OBJECT OR AN ABSTRACT IDEA AS A PERSON HAVING HUMAN TRAITS.

IN THIS POEM, THE TIGER IS ADDRESS AS “HE” MEANING, IT IS TREATED AS A HUMAN.

2) OXYMORON – A FIGURE OF SPEECH IN WHICH APPARENTLY CONTRADICTORY TERMS APPEAR IN CONJUNCTION.

IN THIS POEM, “QUIET” AND “RAGE” ARE USED TOGETHER, THOUGH HEIR MEANING IS ENTIRELY DIFFERENT.

3) METAPHOR – COMPARES TWO OBJECTS, WITHOUT USING “LIKE” OR “AS”.

IN THIS POEM, THE PADS OF THE TIGR IS COMPARED TO VEVET.

CENTRAL IDEA OF THE POEM

THE POET, THROUGH THIS POEM, WANTS TO CONVEY THAT ANIMALS SHOULD BE IN THEIR NATURAL HABITAT. NO ONE LIKES TO BE TRAPPED AND CAGED. WE ALL WANT TO BE FREE, SO WHY THE ANIMALS SHOULD BE TREATED DIFFERENTLY. AFTER ALL, THEY ARE ALSO LIVING BEINGS.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Q1) NAME THE POET?

ANS) THE POET IS LESLIE NORRIS.

Q2) WHERE IS THE TIGER?

ANS) THE TIGER IS IN A ZOO.

Q3) WHAT DOES A TIGER DO IN THE ZOO?

ANS) A ZOO IS NOT THE NATURAL HABITAT OF THE TIGER. THE TIGER

FEELS TRAPPED. HE WALKS THE LENGH OF HIS CAGE, IGNORING

VISITORS. HE FEELS HELPLESS AND HOPES TO BE FREE, SOMEDAY.

Q4) WHAT DOES A TIGER DO IN THE JUNGLE?

ANS) WHEN A TIGER IS IN THE JUNGLE, HE HIDES IN SHADOWS AND HUNTS.

HE SNARLS AND SCARES THE VILLAGERS. HE ENJOYS THE FREEDOM.

Q5) WHY ARE ZOOS NECESSARY?

ANS) ZOOS ARE NECESSARY BECAUSE WE LEARN A LOT ABOUT ANIMALS,

WHEN WE VISIT A ZOO. ZOOS’ HELP IN PRESEVING ANIMALS. ZOOS’

ALSO ENGAGE IN BREEDING PROGRAMMES, SO THAT NEARLY

EXTINCT ANIMALS CAN BE SAVED.

QUESTION AND ANSWERS Q1- Read the poem again, and work in pairs or groups to do the following tasks.

 (i) Find the words that describe the movements and actions of the tiger in the cage and in the wild. Arrange them in two columns.

 (ii) Find the words that describe the two places, and arrange them in two columns. Now try to share ideas about how the poet uses words and images to contrast the two situations. 

A1- (1) In the Cage In the Wild

Stalks, quiet rage, ignoring visitors, hears the sound of patrolling cars, stares at stars Lurking in shadow, sliding through the long grass, snarling around houses, baring his white fangs, terrorizing the village

 (2) CAGE WILD Few steps of his cage Shadow, long grass Locked in concrete cell Snarling around houses His Strength behind bars Baring his white fangs, his claws Ignoring visitors Terrorising the village 

Q2- Notice the use of a word repeated in lines such as these:

 (i) On pads of velvet quiet, In his quiet rage. 

(ii) And stares with his brilliant eyes At the brilliant stars. What do you think is the effect of this repetition? 

A2- The poet has repeated the words to give a nice impact to his poem. Like the use of quiet with velvet pads describes that the tiger has to walk in the limited area of his cage. He cannot run as he would have done had it been in the forest. Whereas ‘quiet rage’ shows the hidden anger inside him which has grown stronger because of his confinement in the cage. The next word he used is ‘brilliant’. The word brilliant in the first line means the twinkling bright stars and the brilliant words used for the tiger’s eyes shows the sadness of the tiger who would have led a free and fearless life if it were in the jungle.

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