The poem "Tiger in the Zoo" is by Leslie Norris (CBSE Class 10 English Poem), in which the poet comments on the captivity of wild animals in zoos.
Introduction: Tiger in the Zoo
The poet emphasises the deep meaning of grief and the feeling of being held captive in a prison. Moreover, the tiger is supposed to be a free and wild animal, but it is forced to live in a cage in a confined space. The freedom that the tiger enjoys is too little. The tiger cannot move properly in the prison. We will also explore the background of the poem, the poet's life, a summary of the poem, a line-by-line explanation, some frequently asked questions and possible solutions.
Background of the poem: Tiger in the zoo
When we talk about the background of the poem, we find that the poem "Tiger in the Zoo" is a powerful work that is one of Norris's strongest works. (It is important to study the background to understand any poem in your CBSE curriculum for school) As for the background of the poem, it was published by a Welsh poet in 1978. The poem is mainly about the confinement of animals and the poet's love for the welfare of animals kept in cages. The poem describes the ethical dilemmas associated with the capture of animals, the confinement of animals by humans, and the exhibition of animals in zoos for purposes of abduction.
About the poet:(Tiger in the zoo)
About the poet: He was born in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, in 1921. He earned his university degree at the University of Wales and later became a professor of English literature at Brigham Young University in Utah.
Norris was an outstanding writer who left the world with an enormous amount of poetry, short stories and novels. He received "The Queen's Gold Medal" award for his poetry, which he wrote in 1996. Finally, we lost him. He passed away in 2016. In his poems, he often expressed his love for nature and showed his interest in environmental disasters.
Summary:(Tiger in the Zoo)
The poem "Tiger in the Zoo" tells of a caged tiger locked in a concrete cell, which means prison or dungeon. The tiger suffocates in the small space because it cannot move freely. The tiger is likely assumed to be a free being, however, it is confined in a narrow place, a cage. Further, the poet says that the tiger lurks in the shadows, gliding through the grass near the water hole and terrorising the village. This implies that the tiger is an independent creature, and the poet imagines the tiger enjoying itself in the dense forest and hiding in the long grasses near the well of So-an-So village. Moreover, the tiger is always a terror of nature, so it could scare people in an imaginary village. However, the tiger is trapped in a concrete cell, stalking the length of its cage and ignoring the strangers who come to see it. The poem ends with the tiger staring up at the breathtaking stars, a poignant reference to his lost freedom.
Tiger in the Zoo:Summary(Hindi)
कविता "जंगली बाघ" एक कैज में बंद किए गए एक बाघ के बारे में बताती है, जो एक सीमेंट से बनी कक्ष में बंद होता है, जो कि कारागार या कैदखाना का अर्थ होता है। छोटे जगह के कारण बड़े स्थान में आसानी से नहीं घूम सकने के कारण बाघ इस छोटे स्थान में दम तोड़ जाता है। बाघ को संभवतः एक स्वतंत्र जीव मानते हुए, लेकिन यह एक सीमित स्थान, एक केज में बंद होता है। इसके अलावा, कवि कहता है कि बाघ छायादार स्थानों में घुमता है, जल स्रोत के पास घास के बीच से गुजरता है और गांव को आतंकित करता है। इससे यह साबित होता है कि बाघ एक स्वतंत्र प्राणी होता है और कवि बाघ की घने जंगल में मज़ा करते हुए और सो-ए-सो गांव के कुएं के पास लम्बी घासों में छुपते हुए विचार करता है। इसके अलावा, बाघ हमेशा प्रकृति का आतंक होता है, इसलिए यह किसी काल्पनिक गांव में लोगों को डरा सकता है। हालांकि, बाघ एक सीमेंट से बनी कक्ष में फंसा हुआ है, अपने केज की लंबाई को चलता हुआ और उसे देखने वाले अजनबियों को अनदेखा करता हुआ। कविता बाघ को सुंदर तारों की देखता हुआ समाप्त होती है, जो उसकी खोई हुई स्वतंत्रता का एक दुखद संदर्भ है।
Tiger at the Zoo - poem by Leslie Norris
He stalks in his vivid stripes
The few steps of his cage,
On pads of velvet quiet,
In his quiet rage.
He should be lurking in the shadows,
Sliding through long grass
Near the water hole
Where plump deer pass.
He should be snarling around houses
At the jungle’s edge,
Baring his white fangs, his claws,
Terrorising the village!
But he’s locked in a concrete cell,
His strength behind bars,
Stalking the length of his cage,
Ignoring visitors.
He hears the last voice at night,
The patrolling cars,
And stares with his brilliant eyes
At the brilliant stars.
Word meanings of the poem:Tiger in the zoo.
1. Stalks:follows
2. Vivid:yellow, serious, blowing
3. Stripes: coloured lines or bands on the animal's fur
4. Cage: a room for keeping animals
5. Pad: the soft part of an animal's foot
6. Velvet: a soft, smooth fabric
7. Calm: calm, relaxed
8. Anger: intense anger, irritation
9. Lurk: to hide or move stealthily
10. Shadow: a dark area where light is blocked
11. Sliding: to move gently and quietly
12. Long grass: tall, dense grass
13. Waterhole: a valley in the ground where water collects
14. Plump: fat, heavy and well-fed
15. Snarling: make an angry, roaring sound while baring its teeth
16. Jungle: a dense forest in a tropical region
17. Baring:Expose, presentation, unveiling
18. White fangs: sharp and pointed white teeth
19. Claws: sharp and curved nails on the foot of an animal
20. Terrorizing: To spread fear or terror
21. Village: a small community of houses and people, a society of people.
22. Concrete: a hard, durable building material made of cement, sand, and water
23. Strength: power, skill, or fortitude
24. Bars: rods, metal or wooden rods used for bounding or enclosing
25. Ignore: to pay no attention to, to pay no attention to.
26. Visitors: people who come to see or observe, strangers who visit the zoo
27. Patrol: to walk or drive over an area to maintain security or order
28. Brilliant: luminous, bright, or dazzling
29. Stars: celestial bodies that appear as points of light in the night sky.
Line-by-line explanation: Tiger in the zoo
The first stanza sets the scene for the poem and describes the appearance of the tiger, such as the stripes that remain on the tiger's skin, and it walks with its soft paw remaining under its foot, a posture that shows that the tiger is calm, but it is in a rage in its cage. The tiger moves in the limited space under the cage where it has been kept for a long time.
The second stanza interprets what the tiger should do if it were in its natural habitat. Moreover, the poet imagines a tiger roaming in the jungle, hiding in the long grasses where a water tube well can be found and large deer come to drink near the water hole. If he had lived in the forest, he would have hunted the deer and other animals that came to drink.
In the third stanza, the tiger's present situation is compared to what he should do. If he had lived in the jungle, he would have wandered to the edge of the jungle and built huts there. If he had lived in the jungle, he would have frightened the villagers with his terrible fangs and fearsome paws.
The fourth stanza describes the tiger's captivity and his disregard for visitors. The poet tells us that the tiger, which has much strength and power, is paralysed in the confined space of the cage, which is why it feels frustrated in the cage. The poet feels that the tiger is frustrated and therefore ignores every visitor in the zoo.
The fifth stanza highlights the tiger's ability to hear and see the outside world through his confinement, he hears the sound of patrolling cars, it is his heart's longing and desire for freedom. The last stanza ends the poem with a depressing remark about the loneliness of the captive tiger looking at the sky.
Poetic device:Tiger in the zoo
Here are some poetic devices used in "Tiger in the Zoo" by Leslie Norris:
1. Metaphor: The tiger is compared to a prisoner locked in a concrete cell. A metaphor is a device that compares an object or a living object, here we can find the comparison between the tiger and the concrete cell.
2. Imagery: it is a poetic device that creates any image in our mind when we read the poem text. The poem creates expressive images of the tiger creeping up in its cage, gliding through long grass, baring its fangs and staring at the stars.
3. Personification: This is a poetic device in which a non-living or living object is a human being. We treat it as a human being. The tiger's "silent fury" and "shining eyes" are given human characteristics.
4. Alliteration: it is the repetition of the same letters at the beginning of a sentence to create a melodic effect in the poem. "On velvet cushions softly" uses alliteration to create a soft, rhythmic sound.
5. Enjambment: continuation of line to next line without punctuation. The poem uses enjambment to create a sense of movement and flow, with lines flowing into each other without a pause. For example, "He should lurk in the shadows, / Gliding through long grass."
6. Repetition: This is a poetic device in which the same word, phrase, or sentence is repeated. The phrase "in his" is repeated in the second and third lines of the poem, emphasising the tiger's captivity and imprisonment.
7. Contrast: this is a poetic device in which ideas or objects are contrasted. The poem contrasts the tiger's natural habitat in the wild with its artificial environment in the zoo, reinforcing the tiger's loss of freedom and instincts.
8. Irony: It is an indirect way of saying something in a poem or story, and has a comic effect. The title of the poem, "Tiger in the Zoo," is ironic because it suggests that the tiger is safe and protected in the zoo, when in fact it is trapped and cannot live a natural life.
9. Symbolism: it is a literary device that conveys a deeper meaning through a symbol. For example, the tiger is a symbol of strength, power, and ferocity, and its captivity represents the loss of these qualities.
10. Rhyme: The poem has a simple rhyme scheme in which the second and fourth lines of each stanza rhyme with each other, as in "cage/rage," "grass/pass," and "edge/village."
Conclusion:
"Tiger in the Zoo" by Leslie Norris is a powerful reminder of the negative effects of wild animal captivity. It is a call to action for us to do more for these magnificent animals and protect their natural habitats for generations to come. While there are no easy solutions to this difficult problem, we can all help raise awareness and understanding of the challenges wildlife face today. Working together, we can help secure a better future for all living things on this planet.
FAQs
1. What steps can be taken to encourage zoos to focus more on conservation efforts than entertainment?
Answer: encourage zoos to focus more on conservation measures than entertainment.
2. How can zoos provide larger and more natural habitats for animals, and what impact would this have on their welfare?
Response: Larger and more natural habitats for animals to engage in their natural behaviours.
Response: Larger and more natural habitats for animals to engage in their natural behaviours.
3. What measures can be taken to increase transparency and accountability in the treatment of animals in zoos, and how can they be enforced?
Answer: Increase transparency and accountability in the treatment of animals in zoos, with regular inspections and reports.
4. How effective are education and outreach programs in promoting a better understanding of animals and their natural habitats, and what can be done to improve them?
Ans:Promote education and outreach programs that foster a better understanding of animals.
5. What opportunities do individuals and communities have to support organizations that work to protect wildlife and their habitats in their natural environments, and what impact would this have on the captivity of animals in zoos?
Answer: Support organizations that work to protect wildlife and their habitats in their natural environments.
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