SUMMARY

In the opening stanza, the poet describes the appearance of the tiger in
the zoo. He says that the stripes on the tiger’s body are visible from a
far distance. These stripes are darker in colour than the rest of his body
structure. The tiger moves in the cage but can walk only a few steps as
the cage is small. He walks quietly due to its smooth velvet pads. The
tiger is full of anger, but he suppresses it due to his helplessness.
In the second stanza, the poet imagines the life of the tiger in the jungle.
He describes the other side of the tiger when he is a free animal. The
poet says that, in the natural habitat, i.e the dark forest, the tiger would
have been lying in the shadow of the tree or hiding in the long grass to
prevent other animals from noticing his movement. In this way, he would
reach the water hole where all the animals of the forest come to drink
water. When a deer would pass through the water hole, he would attack
him and have him as a meal for the day.
In the third stanza, the poet says that the tiger would be growling at the
edge of the jungle near the village. The tiger would show his white long
sharp teeth and long carved nails while moving here and there to scare
the villagers. Here, the poet wants to convey that if we destroy the
forests, then tigers will forcefully come out to towns and villages for
their food. Thus, they will become the cause of terror to humans.
In the fourth stanza, the poet stops imagining the tiger’s forest life and
returns to the real condition. The poet says that the tiger is locked in a
strong cell, which is made up of sturdy material. He has all the strength
and power, but he is still behind bars. The tiger moves slowly and quietly
in his cage and pays no attention to people who are coming to see him.
In the last stanza, the poet says that the tiger does not sleep at night.
He hears the sound of the patrolling car. The noise of the patrolling car
disturbs the tiger and does not allow him to sleep. He keeps staring at the
stars with his brilliant eyes. He gets lost in his thoughts and wonders why
he has been imprisoned in the cage.