WiGMM:JSICIR·WOOi .

Read the extracts given below and answer t he q uestions that follow.
Stanza-1
He stalks in his vivid stripes
The few steps of his cage,
On pads of velvet quiet,
In his quiet rage .
(a) Who is 'he' referred to here?
(b) How does the tiger stalk?
Choose the correct option.
(c) What does the tiger do in his cell?
(i) Hunts (ii) Hides (iii) Stalks (iv) None of these
(d) Where does the tiger stay in the poem?
(i) A house (ii) A cage (iii) A city (iv) None of these
Ans. (a) 'He' refers to tiger here.
(b) The tiger stalks ferociously.
(c) (iii) Stalks
(d) (ii) A cage

Stanza-2
He should be lurking in shadow,
Sliding through long grass
Near the water hole
Where plump deer pass.

(a) Name the poet of the given extract.

(b) Where is the tiger lurking?
Choose the correct option.
(c) Where should the tiger lurk in the shadow?
(i) Near t he water hole
(ii) Near the tree
(iii) Near t he pond
(iv) None of these
(d) Which location is the poet talking about in second stanza?
(i) Forest (i i} City (i ii) Cage
Ans. (a) Leslie Norris is the po et. (iv) None of these
(b) The tiger is lurking in shadow.
(c) (i) Near the water hole
(d) (i) Forest
51a11za-3
He should be snarling around houses
At the jungle's edge,
Baring his white fangs, his claws,
Terrorising the village!

(a) Who should snarl and where?

(b) Where should the tiger be snarling?
choose the correct option.
(c) With whom are the white fangs associated?
(i) Snake (ii) Lion (iii) Tiger (iv) None of these
(d) Which location is given here in this stanza?
(i) City (ii) Village (iii) Mall (iv) None of these
Alls, (a) The tiger should snarl around the houses.
(b) The tiger should be snarling at the jungle's edge.
(c) (i ii) Tiger
(d) (ii) Village

Stanza-4
But he's locked in a concrete cell,
His strength behind bars,
Stalking the length of his cage,
Ignoring visitors.

(a) Where is the tiger locked?

(b) Where does his strength lie?
Choose the correct option.
(c) What is found behind the bars of cage, here?
(i) Human's children (ii) Criminals (iii) Tiger's strength (iv) None of these
(d) Whom is the tiger ignoring?
(i) Its fellow tigers (ii) Visitors (iii) Deer (iv) None of these
Ans. (a) The tiger is locked in a concrete cell.
(b) The tiger's strength lies behind bars.
(c) (iii ) Tiger's strength
(d) (ii) Visitors

Stanza-5
He hears t he last vo ice at night,
The patrolling ca rs,
And stares with his bri lliant eyes
At the brilliant stars.

(a) Who does 'He' refer to here?

(b) Whose last voice does the tiger hear?
 Choose the correct option.
(c) With which kind of eyes does the tiger stare?
(i) Tired (ii) Sleepy (iii) Brilliant (iv) Ferocious
(d) Where is the tiger staring at?
(i) Walls of the cage (ii) Stars in the sky (iii) T. V. screen (iv) Visitors
Ans. (a) 'He' refers to a tiger in the zoo.
(b) The tiger hears the voice of the patrolling cars.
(c) (iii) Brilliant
(d) (ii) Stars in the sky
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 his prey lurking silently in the shadow
of the trees. Then he slides unseen and
unnoticed through the long grass. He
knows where he can find his favourite
hunt-plump deer. lt is the water hole
where they come for drinking water
and become easy victims of the mighty
tiger. The tiger knows no boundaries and
limits. Sometimes he roams around the
houses which are situated on the edge
of the jungle. With his open white teeth
and powerful paws, he terrorises the
villagers. He rarely attacks them until he
is provoked.
However, it is a pathetic picture of
the same tiger whe11 he is locked .in a
concrete cell in the zoo. The mighty and ·
ferocious animal is put behind the bars.
There he stalks in ' quiet rage' the length _
of his cage. He becomes just a piece of
entertainment for the visitors. But the
proud tiger just ignores them. At night
from behind the bars, he keeps on staring
,, at the brilliant stars in the vast sky. The
1 He stalks constantly the length of his
1
v~tness of the sky and the brilliance of
; cars only intensifies his loss of freedom.
. ~ ZF'reedom is such an essential virtue
that is valued not only by human
beings but also by animals alike.
Justify the statement with reference
to Leslie Norris's poem 'A Tiger in the
Zoo'.
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Ans. Freedom is an essential virtue valued
by all. Not only humans but even the
denizens of the forest value it. No one
knows it better than a caged tiger in a
zoo. Animals, particularly the animals of
the wilds, feel free only in their natural
habitats. Any attempt to ' domesticate'
ferocious and mighty animals like lions
or tigers by locking them in concrete
cells will be against natural justice.
The tiger roams around in the jungle
hunting its prey at will. He rarely kills
his prey for sport. He kills them only
when he is hungry. He knows how to
ambush his prey. He lurks unnoticed in
the long grass before pouncing upon his
prey. He also knows where he can find
his favourite plump deer. He may come
out of the forest sometimes and terrorise
-the villagers living at the outskirts of
the jungle. He rarely kills them till he is
provoked.
The same tiger feels depressed and low
in spirits when he is put behind the bars.
cage in his 'quiet rage'. He ignores the
·~sitors and feels helpless. Behind the
bats, he keeps on staring at the brilliant
stars in the open sky. This sadly reminds
him of his loss of freedom and intensifies
his grief.
,l 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?
Aus. This repetition is a poetic device used by the poet in order to increase the intensity of
the tiger's rage and his helpless silence. 'Velvet quiet' refers to the quiet velvet pads
of the tiger, which cannot run or leap . They can only walk around the limited space
in the cage . The use of 'quiet rage' symbolises the anger and ferocity that is building
up inside the tiger as it wants to run out into forest and attack the deer, but the rage
is quiet because it cannot come out in the open as it is in the cage. This repeated use
of 'quiet' has brought immense beauty to the poem. Similarly, the use of 'brilliant' for
the tiger's eyes as well as the stars also brings out the magnificence of these lines. The
tiger has dreams of being fre e in its 'brilliant' eyes. It sees the stars (that have also been
described as brilliant) with the same eyes. It stares at the brilliant stars with its brilliant
eyes thinking about how beautiful its life could be in the forest. The repetitiveness of
these words gives a wonderful effect to the poem.
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4. Anf~als, big an_d small, are being used by humans for their selfish ends? What is your
opinion regardmg the exploitation of animals? Explain .
.\JlS. It is true that animals, big and small, are being used by humans for their selfish ends ._~e
use them for our own benefits. Animals are killed, poached and captured_for comm~t ci~l
bene~ts. Humans have encroached on their space and sh eltered t~em in zo_os wh ic~ is
truly mhuman. In the poem , the poet has shown the plight of a uger. He is captUI ed
and confined in a small cage. He is frustrated, angry and restless. It longs for freedom.
Confinement brings bondage and bondage is cruelty.
EYery day, we see many animals suffering due to humans. Monkeys are captured and
made to dance on roads. Elephants are ch ained and force d to lift h eavy loads. Many
animals are shelter ed in zoos for the entertainment of human beings. T h e y are kept in
poor conditions. They are treated inhumanly. We should learn to respect nature and its
inhabitants. After all, these animals sh are the earth with u s.
5. Some animals are becoming extinct; the tiger is one such animal. What do you think
could be the reason? Should this decrease in number be stopped? Why?
Ans. T he primary threats to the survival of tigers are poaching and ha_bitat loss du e to
intensive development. The tigers are getting extinct. They are on the hst ~f endangered
species and the reason behind it is human interference . Humans hunt ugers for th eir
commercial benefits. The loss of habitat also leads to a reduction in prey animals, so th e
area can support fewer tigers. Moreover, tigers are poached for trophies, such as teeth
and fur, and for traditional medicines. The growing population clears the forest areas
to make them agricultural land for food. This creates a problem for the tiger's habitat.
Tigers are the backbone of food web and forest, hence should be protected.
6. The tiger in the poem is feeling miserable in a concrete cell. Does it not amount to
cruelty? Express your opinion about keeping wild animals in zoos. Is there any lesson
for humans?
Ans. The tiger in the poem is wretched in its cage. It longs for freedom. It may be well looked
after, but the fact of the matter is that unless one is free, one is not alive. Confinement
brings bondage, and bondage is cruelty. One may argue that at least this way they all will
not be killed and become extinct. However, taking away one's freedom to keep one alive
kills the desire to live anyhow. Even humans throughout the world oppose the chains
of slavery and oppression. How are other living creatures any different? Humans have
encr oached on their space, and sheltering them in zoos is truly inhuman. Humans must
learn to respect nature, for humans exist only due to nature.
 ,.,
The poet shows his readers that a tiger is better suited to live in the wild, rather than living in a zoo. In t,
the wild, it can roam freely and hunt as and when it requires food. It can approach human habitation and
intimidate its inhabitants, but will not harm them unless it is provoked. On the other hand, in the zoo, its
radius of movement is very small, it feels like a prisoner in a jail cell, it is fed by the zoo authorities and
so, it unlearns how to live by itself and becomes lazy. It does not appreciate humans coming to look at
it. It cannot even sleep at night because it is angry at being caged. All in all, a tiger lives an unnatural and
unhappy life in the zoo.
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