The Tier In the Zoo

 

The Tiger in the Zoo

                                                                                          -    By Leslie Norris

Summary

The poem “The Tiger in the Zoo” by Leslie Norris highlights the stark contrast between a tiger's life in captivity and its life in the wild. The poet vividly depicts the tiger's condition in two different settings: the zoo and its natural habitat. In the zoo, the tiger lives a pathetic and miserable life, confined to a small cage where it can barely take a few steps. Stripped of its freedom, the tiger is frustrated and restless, as it can no longer roam freely in the forest. Though the tiger possesses immense strength, it is rendered useless in captivity. He cannot engage in the activities he would naturally perform in the wild. He appears disinterested in the visitors, his spirit dampened. At night, he gazes silently at the brightly shining stars, perhaps dreaming of his lost freedom.

 

In contrast, the poet imagines the tiger in its natural environment, the forest. Here, the tiger displays its true nature—hiding behind tall grass, silently stalking its prey, and moving with stealth and power. Occasionally, it may intrude into nearby villages, terrifying the residents with its canine teeth and sharp claws. This setting reveals the tiger's majestic and fearsome side, emphasizing the tragedy of its captivity.

Theme of the Poem

1. Freedom vs Captivity

The central theme is the contrast between the tiger's natural life in the wild and its restricted life in the zoo. In the wild, the tiger is powerful, majestic, and free. In the zoo, he is helpless, frustrated, and caged. This reflects the emotional and physical toll of captivity on wild animals.

2. Loss of Natural Habitat

The poem subtly hints at how human interference and shrinking forests are forcing animals like tigers out of their natural habitats, leading to their confinement in artificial spaces like zoos.

3. Human Apathy

There is also a theme of human indifference. While visitors come to watch the tiger, no one seems concerned about its suffering. The poem may serve as a critique of how humans treat animals as objects of entertainment, ignoring their right to freedom.

 

Literary Devices

Stanza 1
Rhyme scheme: abcb (cage-rage)
Personification: The tiger is personified because the poet refers it as ‘he’.
Metaphor: Tiger’s paws are compared with velvet (pads of velvet)
Enjambment: Sentence is continuing to next line without any punctuation mark.
Imagery: poet tries to create an image about the tiger (He stalks in his vivid stripes The few steps of    his cage)
Consonance: use of ‘s’ sound (stalks, his, stripes)
Assonance: use of vowel sound ‘I’ (in his vivid stripes)
Oxymoron: use of adjectives opposite in meaning (quiet rage)

 

Stanza 2

Rhyme: rhyme scheme is abcb (grass-pass)
Enjambment: Line continues to next line without punctuation marks. (Sliding through….deer pass)
Alliteration: use of sound ‘p’ at the start of two words (plump pass)
Imagery: The poet has tries to create an image of tiger’s activities (lurking in shadow).

Stanza 3

Rhyme Scheme: abcb rhyme scheme is followed (edge, village)

Enjambment: Line continues to next line without punctuation marks (He should be snarling around

                       houses At the jungle’s edge,)

 

Onomatopoeia: using words which denote sound (snarling)
Assonance: use of vowel sound ‘o’ and ‘I’ (should, around, houses), (Baring, his, white, his)
Consonance: use of consonant sound ‘s’ (his, fangs, his, claws)

Stanza 4

Rhyme Scheme: abcb rhyme scheme is followed (bars-visitors)
Personification: The tiger is personified because the poet refers him as ‘he’.
Assonance: use of vowel sound ‘e’ (he, locked, concrete, cell)
Consonance: use of consonant sound ‘s’ (his, strength, bars)
Alliteration: use of sound ‘b’ at the start of two words (behind bars)

Stanza 5

Rhyme Scheme: abcb rhyme scheme is followed (cars-stars)

Enjambment: Line three continues to line four without any punctuation mark. (And stares with his brilliant eyes At the brilliant stars.)

Alliteration: use of sound ‘h’ in the starting of two words (he hears)

Assonance: use of ‘I’ sound (with, his, brilliant)

Additional Questions

Q. How the tiger has been described by the poet in the first stanza of the poem?

Q2.Where and why the tiger should be lurking in shadow?

Q3. What the tiger would be doing if it sneaked into village areas?

Q4. The poet celebrates the strength of the tiger in this poem. Counter the statement.

Q5. Do you think the tiger in the poem had lost its natural instinct due to captivity? Support your response with evidence from the poem.

Q6. How does the poem point to the cruelty of animals in captivity?

 

Q7. Read the following extract and answer the following questions.

 

But he’s locked in a concrete cell,

His strength behind bars,

Stalking the length of his cage,

Ignoring visitors.

 

(a)    Describe the plight of the tiger when the poet says “he is locked in a concrete cell”.

(b)   Explain the meaning of the term “His strength behind bars?”

(c)    In third line of the stanza, how the poet has shown that the tiger’s natural instinct has been affected badly in the cage.

(d)   Why do you think the tiger ignores the visitors?

(e)   Find out the poetic devices in the stanza by citing the examples from it.

 

Board Questions

 

Short Answer Type Questions (2–3 Marks Each)

These questions usually require a brief but specific response (30–40 words).

 

(a)   How does the poet contrast the tiger in the cage with the tiger in the wild?

 

(b)   Where should the tiger have been according to the poet?

 

(c)    How does the tiger react to the visitors in the zoo?

 

(d)   What is the message conveyed through the poem ‘A Tiger in the Zoo’?

 

(e)   Why does the poet say the tiger’s strength is ‘locked behind bars’?

 

(f)     Describe the tiger’s appearance as given in the poem.

 

(g)   Why does the poet say the tiger is ‘ignoring visitors’? What does this show about his condition?

 

(h)   What does the poet want to convey through the line: “He stalks in his vivid stripes”?

 

(i)     Explain: “He hears the last voice at night / The patrolling cars.”

 

(j)     What kind of life is the tiger living in the zoo?

 

Long Answer/Analytical Questions (5 Marks Each)

These require a detailed answer in about 100–120 words, often focusing on interpretation, evaluation, or comparison.

 

(a)   Compare and contrast the tiger in the zoo and the tiger in the forest as described in the poem.

 

(b)   How does the poem portray the contrast between freedom and captivity? Discuss with reference to the tiger’s condition.

 

(c)    Discuss how the poem highlights the need for protecting wild animals in their natural habitat.

 

(d)   What is the central idea of the poem "A Tiger in the Zoo"? How effectively does the poet convey his message?

 

(e)   Do you think zoos are cruel places for wild animals? Justify your opinion with reference to the poem.

 

(f)     How does Leslie Norris use imagery and contrast in the poem to express his concern for animals in captivity?

 

(g)   Describe how the poet uses the tiger’s behavior to highlight the theme of freedom versus confinement.

 

(h)   Imagine you are the tiger in the zoo. Write a diary entry expressing your feelings of loneliness, anger, and longing for freedom.

 

Extract-Based Questions (4 Marks)

These come with a stanza from the poem, followed by MCQs or short-answer questions.

 

Sample Extract:

“He stalks in his vivid stripes

The few steps of his cage,

On pads of velvet quiet,

In his quiet rage.”

Possible questions:

 

(a)   What is meant by “vivid stripes”?

 

(b)   What does the phrase “quiet rage” suggest about the tiger?

 

(c)    Why is the tiger’s walk limited to “few steps”?

 

(d)   Identify the poetic device in “pads of velvet quiet”.

 

 

 

CBSE 2024

Question: “The poem, ‘A Tiger in the Zoo’ moves from the zoo to the jungle, and back again to the zoo. What effect does the poet want to bring out with this? Elaborate.”

 

CBSE 2023

Question: “State any one point of contrast between the tiger in the zoo and in its natural habitat.”

 

CBSE 2015

Question: “How does the tiger make his presence felt in the village?”

 

Answer: The tiger makes his presence felt by snarling around houses at the jungle’s edge and by showing his white fangs and claws.

 

CBSE 2014

Question: “Love for freedom is the natural instinct of every living being. Comment.”

 

Answer: The tiger longs for freedom, expressing his silent anger by pacing in his cage and ignoring visitors. This reflects the universal desire for freedom among all living beings.

 

CBSE 2012

Question: “Why should the tiger snarl around houses at the edge of the forest?”

 

Answer: The tiger should snarl around houses at the edge of the forest to assert his presence and deter villagers from disturbing the peace of the forest or harming animals.