CBSE Class 10 English A Tiger in the Zoo Assignment Set 02

Short Answer Type Questions
 

Question. How does Leslie Norris use vivid imagery and metaphorical language in, A Tiger in the Zoo, to effectively depict the confinement and oppression, experienced by the captive tiger.
Answer: Leslie Norris use vivid imagery and metaphorical language in ‘A Tiger in the Zoo’, to effectively depict the confinement and oppression, experienced by the captive tiger. Phrases such as ‘vivid stripes’ and ‘pads of velvet quiet’ define the tiger’s physical beauty. However, metaphor like ‘quiet rage’ and ‘ignoring visitors’ depict the animal’s frustration of being captivated in a small cage.

Question. It is said that an animal’s eyes have the power to speak a great language. Explain with reference to the tiger.
Answer: The tiger is ignoring the visitors depicts that he does not want to make eye contact with them. His eyes want to say that he is angry with humans. His act of staring at the stars shows his desire to live in the open sky.

Question. How does the poem point to the cruelty of animals in captivity?
Answer: The poem hints at the cruelty of animals in captivity by thinking about their natural habitat and habits. The poet imagines how a tiger attacks a deer near the water hole, terrorises the villagers living on the outskirts and snarls at night.

Question. The poet celebrates the strength of the tiger in this poem. Counter the statement.
Answer: The poet points out that he is stalking in a small space instead of chasing his prey in the vast forest. His quiet rage has replaced loud roars and velvety paws have substituted his sharp claws.

Question. Do you think the tiger in the poem had lost its natural instinct due to captivity? Support your response with evidence from the poem.
Answer: Tiger is a carnivorous animal and is known for its sharp and sudden attack on other animals and humans. Even after being surrounded by people he is attacking nobody. He is full of anger but his rage has turned quiet. He is no more than a showpiece or toy for entertainment. All these points show that he has lost his natural instinct due to captivity.

Question. What do you think the tiger would say to you, as a visitor? You may begin like this: Please stop staring. You have no idea……………(continue)……….
Answer: Please stop staring. You have no idea how much it hurts to live within this cage for 24 hours. Moreover, you and your children throw food and other objects at me. You take selfies with me without my permission. Change the places once and experience my pain and suffering and you will know yourself how much it hurts.

Question. Write the appropriate response comprising of at least two reasons to present a counter to the following: You may begin this way: That’s just one-sided. Zoos are beneficial too. Firstly, they………………… (continue)……
Answer: That’s just one-sided. Zoos are beneficial too. Firstly they provide a glimpse of the vast wildlife in a safe and secure environment. Secondly, the animals on the verge of extinction can be taken care of in a simulated environment and restored to grow their numbers. Animals get a friendly place to live after their natural habitats vanish.

Question. On pads of velvet quiet,
In his quite rage.
Who is referred to here? Why does he express his anger quietly?
Answer: A tiger caged in the zoo is referred to here. He expresses his anger quietly because he is in the confines of his cage, restricted and quite helpless and he is unable to do anything about it.

Question. The tigers in the poem ‘A Tiger in the Zoo’ has some obvious limitations, describe them in contrast to its natural habitat.
Answer: Tiger in the zoo was confined to a small space. He was angry that he couldn’t be free to move, hunt and do what he pleased forced to be a showpiece; and the cage’s bars obstructed his view of the starry night. This was all unlike his natural habitat where he hunted fiercely and slept fitfully.

Question. What do you understand by ‘His strength behind bars’ ? What kind of a cage is he locked in ?
Answer: The tiger is wretched in its cage. His power is confined behind the bars. He was locked in a small cage where he is devoid of freedom. He feels unhappy, frustrated, restless and angry.

Question. What is the theme of the poem ?
Or
What message does the poet want to convey through the poem ‘Tiger in the Zoo’?
Answer: The poet wants to convey that it is cruel to keep the wild animals in small enclosures of the zoo, away from their natural habitat. They feel angry, helpless and unhappy and remember their life and environment in the forest.

Question. Why do you think the tiger was stalking in the cage ? What does it show ?
Answer: I think the tiger was feeling restless and uneasy in that small cage. He seems to be frustrated and helpless as he could not come out of the cage in the open and enjoy his freedom. He did not want to be a mere showpiece and a source of entertainment for the human beings.

Question. Is it safe to allow tigers to live in their natural habitat these days ?
Answer: Although it is ideal for tigers to live in the wild, today, it will mean certain death for them. Fast diminishing jungles and danger posed by poachers have pushed tigers to the brink of extinction, making their natural home unsafe.
 

Long Answer Type Questions

Question. Imagine the tiger writing a diary entry conveying how he feels helpless, angry and frustrated in the concrete cell. He writes about his desire to be free. Write that diary entry. You may begin like this:
15 October 2020, Thursday 9:00 pm
I feel so vulnerable and annoyed at my state. I don’t know if I can ever be a free denizen of the forest.
Answer: 15 October 2020, Thursday 9:00 pm
I feel so vulnerable and annoyed at my state. I don’t know if I can ever be a free denizen of the forest. I love to eat the fresh meat of a deer or cow after chasing them for hours. Frozen or stale food is not my cup of tea.
Just eating and lying idle makes me fat and chubby. But, I like to flaunt my muscular body. I am born to live in an open jungle. I am the king of a forest and I feel suffocated in this concrete cell. Why do humans interfere in our life and spoil our natural ecosystem? They should mind their own business.

Question. Imagine that Man has been accused by the tiger of cruelty in an animal court. What would be the tiger’s two major accusations and how would Man defend them? Present your answer in two paragraphs.
Answer:

Question. The tiger in the poem ‘A Tiger in the Zoo’ presents a contrasting image with the tiger in the poem ‘How to Tell Wild Animals’. Compare and contrast the two tigers with reference to the manner in which they have been presented in both poems.
Answer: The two tigers have been depicted with a sharp contrast in two different poems. The main point of difference is as follows The poem – A tiger in the zoo – talks about the life and mental status of a tiger who is put behind bars in a cage. He is calm and helpless. He is strolling inside a limited area in his cage. He might be missing his days of freedom. He is angry with visitors at the zoo but he prefers to ignore them and does not roar or attack anyone.
Whereas the second poem – How to tell wild animals – references an Asian lion whose roar is enough to push anyone towards death. This large and tawny animal lives freely in the jungles of the East. He is looking for his prey and might not ignore the visitors in the jungle.

Question. 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?
Answer: The primary threats to the survival of tigers are poaching and habitat loss due to intensive development. The tigers are getting extinct. The tigers are on the list of endangered species and the reason behind it is human interference. Humans hunt tigers for their commercial benefits. The loss of habitats also leads to a reduction in prey animals, so the 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 create proble of tiger’s habitat. Tigers are the backbone of food web and forest, hence should be protected.
 

Extract Based Questions

1. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
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 shadow,
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!

Question. State any one point of contrast between the tiger in the zoo and in its natural habitat.
Answer: In its natural habitat, the tiger would roam freely in the jungle, whereas in the zoo, it is confined to a cage, highlighting the contrast between its freedom and captivity.

Question. When the speaker suggests that the tiger should be “Snarling around houses at the jungle’s edge”? What does he insinuate about the tiger’s natural behaviour and habitat?
Answer: The speaker insinuates that the tiger’s natural behavior involves roaming freely in its jungle habitat, near human settlements, where it can assert its dominance and instill fear, unlike the confined and restricted environment of the zoo.

Question. The poet’s skillful use of imagery effectively depicts the confinement and frustration of the tiger. Elaborate in about 40 words.
Answer: The poet vividly portrays the tiger’s captivity and frustration by contrasting its natural habitat with the confines of the cage. Through imagery like “vivid stripes” and “quiet rage,” the poem evokes the sense of confinement and captivity experienced by the tiger.

Question. Which phrase would correctly substitute ‘quiet rage’ in the given sentence from the extract ?
The few steps of his cage on pads of velvet quiet in his ‘quiet rage.’
Answer: Suppressed anger.

2. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
But he’s locked in a concrete cell,
His strength behind bars,
Stalking the length of his cage,
Ignoring visitors.

Question. Why is the tiger ‘stalking the length of his cage’ ?
Answer: The tiger is ‘stalking the length of his cage’ likely due to a natural instinct to move and a restless spirit, which is not satisfied with the confines of the cage.

Question. What is the significance of the use of the word ‘locked’ to describe the concrete cell where the tiger is kept and how does it contrast with the tiger’s presence in its natural habitat ? Answer in about 40 words.
Answer: The use of the word ‘locked’ emphasizes captivity and the lack of freedom. It contrasts sharply with the tiger’s natural habitat, where it would roam freely and be the master of its own domain. In its natural habitat, the tiger would not be confined or controlled, unlike the restrictive and unnatural concrete cell.

Question. Complete the sentence with the appropriate option :
The lines from the poem tell us that the tiger is _____.
(a) enjoying his time in the cell
(b) being indifferent to visitors because it is a daily routine for him
(c) not as strong as his counterpart in the jungle
(d) wanting to be free from the cage
Answer: (b) being indifferent to visitors because it is a daily routine for him

Question. Identify the type of literary device used in the line:
‘But he’s locked in a concrete cell’
Answer: The literary device used in the line ‘But he’s locked in a concrete cell’ is a metaphor. The phrase compares the tiger’s cell to a prison, highlighting the confinement and the unnatural state of living for a wild animal.

3. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
He stalks in his vivid stripes
The few steps of his cage,
On pads of velvet quiet,
In his quiet rage

Question. Explain the contrast created by the words, ‘stalks’ and ‘few steps of his cage’.
Answer: The word ‘stalks’ suggests a powerful, purposeful, and potentially threatening movement, typically associated with predators in the wild, demonstrating their freedom and dominance. However, this powerful action is confined to the “few steps of his cage,” creating a stark contrast that highlights the limitations imposed on the tiger, restricting its natural behaviors and freedom.

Question. Which of the following best describes the tiger’s feelings in the context ?
(a) anger
(b) conflicted
(c) pessimism
(d) apprehension
Answer: (a) anger

Question. Comment in about 40 words on the poet’s use of imagery in the above extract.
Answer: The poet’s use of imagery in this extract vividly captures the tiger’s condition and emotions. Describing the tiger’s movement as stalking “in vivid stripes” on “pads of velvet quiet,” conjures a clear, visual image of the tiger’s majestic yet restrained presence. The juxtaposition of the tiger’s silent, graceful movement against the backdrop of his “quiet rage” effectively communicates the simmering anger and frustration of a magnificent creature trapped within the confines of a cage.

Question. Which word in the stanza means the same as ‘clear and bright’ ?
Answer: vivid