A Tiger in the Zoo (Poem) Question Answer – Class 10 English

Before You Read (Page 29)

Read the poem silently once, and say which stanzas speak about the tiger in the zoo, and which ones speak about the tiger in the jungle.

Stanzas 1, 4 and 5 speak about the tiger in the zoo: he paces the few steps of his cage, is locked in a concrete cell, ignores the visitors and stares at the stars at night.

Stanzas 2 and 3 speak about the tiger in the jungle, where he should be lurking in shadow, sliding through long grass near the water hole and snarling around the houses at the jungle's edge.

Thinking about the Poem

1. 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.

The poet places the two situations side by side to show how captivity destroys the tiger's true nature. In the zoo, the images are of confinement and helplessness: "the few steps of his cage", "a concrete cell" and "his strength behind bars". Even his anger is silent, a "quiet rage", and he can only stalk up and down and ignore the visitors. In the jungle, the images are full of space, movement and power: "lurking in shadow", "sliding through long grass", "plump deer" near the water hole, and "baring his white fangs, his claws, terrorising the village". The word "should" in stanzas 2 and 3 tells us what the tiger is meant to be, while "But he's locked" in stanza 4 brings us back to the sad reality. Hard, man-made words like concrete, bars and patrolling cars contrast with natural words like shadow, grass and water hole. The final image of the tiger staring at the stars shows his longing for the freedom he has lost.

2. 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?

The repetition draws attention to an important idea and links two images together.

(i) "Quiet" is repeated to stress that the tiger is silent in two ways. His padded paws make no sound as he walks, and his anger too is quiet. "Quiet rage" is a contrast (oxymoron): the tiger is furious about being caged, but he is helpless, so his rage is bottled up inside and cannot be expressed.

(ii) "Brilliant" is repeated to connect the tiger's shining eyes with the shining stars. It suggests that the tiger, like the stars, is a beautiful and magnificent part of nature. The stars are free and far away, while the tiger is locked up, so the repetition also brings out his longing for freedom and his sad, hopeless state.

3. Read the following two poems — one about a tiger and the other about a panther. Then discuss: Are zoos necessary for the protection or conservation of some species of animals? Are they useful for educating the public? Are there alternatives to zoos?

Both poems show the pain of captive animals. In 'The Tiger' by Peter Niblett, the tiger growls, snarls and roars behind bars and wishes he were "wild, not on show", but he also fears that in the wild hunters might shoot him or food might poison him. In 'The Panther' by Rainer Maria Rilke, the panther has seen "a thousand bars" so often that for him there is "no world" behind them, and his "mighty will stands paralysed".

Are zoos necessary for conservation? To some extent, yes. Some animals are in danger of extinction because of hunting and loss of forests, and zoos run breeding programmes that help keep these species alive. Injured or orphaned animals can also be cared for in zoos.

Are they useful for educating the public? Yes. Zoos let children and adults see animals closely, learn about their habits and understand why they must be protected. A visit to the Assam State Zoo in Guwahati, for example, can make students care about the rhino and other endangered animals.

Are there alternatives to zoos? Yes. Better alternatives are national parks, wildlife sanctuaries and biosphere reserves, where animals live freely in their natural habitat and are protected by law. Kaziranga and Manas National Parks in Assam protect the one-horned rhino and the tiger in the wild. Documentaries, wildlife films and virtual tours can also educate the public without caging animals.

4. Take a point of view for or against zoos, or even consider both points of view and write a couple of paragraphs or speak about this topic for a couple of minutes in class.

Zoos: Prisons or Protectors?

Zoos have both supporters and critics. Those who support zoos say that they help save endangered species through breeding programmes and give shelter to sick, injured or orphaned animals. They also educate the public, especially children, who may never get a chance to see a tiger, an elephant or a rhino otherwise. Seeing these animals closely creates love for wildlife, and money from zoo tickets can be used for research and conservation.

On the other hand, a zoo can never be a real home for a wild animal. Like the tiger in Leslie Norris's poem, caged animals are cut off from the forests, rivers and open spaces they need. They cannot hunt, roam or live by their instincts, and many become bored, stressed and unhealthy, pacing up and down their cages. Animals are not objects for our entertainment. In my opinion, wild animals are best protected in national parks and sanctuaries like Kaziranga, where they live in their natural habitat. Zoos should be kept only for rescue, treatment and breeding of animals that cannot survive in the wild, and they should give animals large, natural enclosures instead of small cages.

Tip: You may also argue fully in favour of zoos, stressing their role in conservation and education.