Poem – “A Tiger in the Zoo” by Leslie Norris 10

 Class 10 

First Flight

 Poem – “A Tiger in the Zoo” by Leslie Norris 

 Word Meanings (Stanza-wise)

1. He stalks in his vivid stripes / The few steps of his cage

• Stalks – walks in a proud, stiff, or angry way

• Vivid – bright and clear

• Cage – enclosure/prison

2. On pads of velvet quiet, / In his quiet rage.

• Pads – soft feet of animals

• Velvet – very soft and smooth

• Rage – anger

3. He should be lurking in shadow, / Sliding through long grass

• Lurking – hiding, waiting secretly

• Sliding – moving smoothly

• Long grass – tall jungle grass

4. Near the water hole, / Where plump deer pass.

• Water hole – pond/lake where animals drink

• Plump – fat, healthy

5. He should be snarling around houses / At the jungle’s edge,

• Snarling – making angry growling sound

• Edge – boundary, border

6. Baring his white fangs, his claws, / Terrorising the village!

• Baring – showing

• Fangs – long sharp teeth

• Claws – sharp nails

7. But he’s locked in a concrete cell, / His strength behind bars,

• Concrete cell – room made of cement walls

• Bars – iron rods

8. Stalking the length of his cage, / Ignoring visitors.

• Length – entire stretch

• Ignoring – not paying attention

9. He hears the last voice at night, / The patrolling cars,

• Patrolling – going around to guard or check

• Cars – police/security vehicles

10. And stares with his brilliant eyes / At the brilliant stars.

• Stares – looks fixedly

• Brilliant – bright, shining

 Central Idea

The poem contrasts a tiger in the zoo with a tiger in its natural habitat. The poet shows how a caged tiger, though beautiful and strong, lives a life of helplessness, anger, and confinement. In the wild, he would roam freely, hunt deer, and frighten villagers, but in captivity, he can only walk inside the cage and look at the stars. The central idea is the difference between freedom and captivity and how animals deserve to live freely in their natural surroundings.

 Summary

The poem describes a tiger in the zoo. He walks in his cage with quiet anger, his movements restricted by the bars. The poet imagines that in the forest, the tiger would hide in the shadows, move through tall grass, wait near the water hole, and hunt deer. He would roar near villages and terrify people with his teeth and claws. But instead, he is locked up in a cement cage, his power wasted. At night, he hears the sounds of patrol cars and stares at the shining stars. The poem highlights the contrast between the majestic tiger’s natural wild life and his miserable captive life.

 Figures of Speech

1. Metaphor – "Pads of velvet quiet" (soft feet compared to velvet)

2. Alliteration – "He stalks in his vivid stripes" (‘s’ sound repeated)

3. Personification – "He hears the last voice at night" (human quality given to tiger)

4. Contrast – Between tiger in the zoo and tiger in the wild

5. Imagery – Descriptions like "brilliant eyes at the brilliant stars" create mental pictures

6. Oxymoron – "Quiet rage" (opposite ideas together)

 Extract Based Questions 

Q1. “He stalks in his vivid stripes / The few steps of his cage.”
(a) Who is ‘he’? – The tiger
(b) Where is he? – Inside the zoo cage
(c) What does ‘vivid stripes’ mean? – Bright tiger stripes
(d) What is the mood of the tiger? – Angry and helpless

Q2. “He should be lurking in shadow, / Sliding through long grass.”
(a) Where should the tiger be? – In the jungle
(b) Why is he lurking in shadow? – To hunt prey
(c) What is his natural behavior? – Hunting, moving freely in forest
(d) Which poetic device is used in ‘sliding through long grass’? – Imagery

Q3. “But he’s locked in a concrete cell, / His strength behind bars.”
(a) Where is the tiger? – In a zoo
(b) What is wasted behind bars? – His power and freedom
(c) What is the tone of the poet here? – Sadness and sympathy
(d) Which poetic device is used in ‘his strength behind bars’? – Metaphor

 NCERT Textbook Questions & Answers

Q1. Read the poem again and work in pairs or groups to answer these questions:

1. Find the words that describe the tiger in the cage and in the wild.

• In the cage: stalks, quiet rage, locked, ignoring visitors, strength behind bars

• In the wild: lurking, sliding, snarling, baring fangs, terrorising

2. What do you think the poet is trying to convey through the poem?
   The poet conveys that wild animals should live freely in their natural habitat, not in cages. Captivity makes them helpless, angry, and unnatural. The poem is against animal cruelty and zoo culture.

Q2. Notice the use of a word repeated in lines such as ‘His strength behind bars’ and ‘Stalking the length of his cage.’ What effect does the repetition have?
The repetition shows the limitation and helplessness of the tiger. His life is restricted to a small cage and he cannot use his strength or energy freely.

Q3. Notice the poet uses words like “lurking”, “sliding”, “snarling”, and “baring.” What do they suggest?
These words suggest the tiger’s natural movements and behavior in the wild. They show his power, freedom, and hunting skills when he is in his natural environment.

Q4. Why does the tiger look at the stars?
The tiger looks at the stars because he is sad, lonely, and helpless in the cage. The stars symbolize freedom and nature which he longs for but cannot enjoy.