NCERT Solutions Class 10 English Chapter 3 How to Tell Wild Animals Poem

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English for How to Tell Wild Animals Poem 

2. How does the poet suggest that you identify the lion and the tiger? When can you do so, according to him?
Answer
The poet suggests that if a large and tawny beast in the jungle in the east advances towards us, then it is an Asian lion. We can identify it when it roars at us while we are dying with fear. When while roaming we come across a wild beast that is yellow in colour with black stripes, it is a Bengal tiger. We can identify it when it eats us.

3. Do you think the words ‘lept’ and ‘lep’ in the third stanza are spelt correctly? Why does the poet spell them like this?
Answer
No, the words ‘lept’ and ‘lep’ are spelt incorrectly. The poet has spelled them like this in order to maintain the rhythm of the poem. When spelled this way, they rhyme with the first part of ‘leopard’, thus giving emphasis to ‘leopard’ in each line.

4. Do you know what a ‘bearhug’ is? It’s a friendly and strong hug — such as bears are thought to give, as they attack you! Again, hyenas are thought to laugh, and crocodiles to weep (‘crocodile tears’) as they swallow their victims. Are there similar expressions and popular ideas about wild animals in your own language(s)?
Answer
A ‘bearhug’ is the bear’s tight embrace. Hyenas never laugh. But their faces look like that. Crocodiles do not weep but tears come when they swallow their victims. 

5. Look at the line “A novice might nonplus”. How would you write this ‘correctly’? Why is the poet’s ‘incorrect’ line better in the poem?
Answer
The line “A novice might nonplus” can be correctly written as “A novice might be nonplussed”. The poet’s incorrect line is better in the poem as it maintains the rhyme scheme of the poem. By writing it incorrectly, ‘nonplus’ rhymes with ‘thus’.

6. Can you find other examples of poets taking liberties with language, either in English or in your own language(s)? Can you find examples of humorous poems in your own language(s)?
Answer
Yes, many poets take such liberties to create proper rhyming. These are for example : Kirk is used for ‘church’ to rhyme with ‘work’. Ken is used for ‘see’ to rhyme with ‘pen’.

How to Tell Wild Animals Poem Summary Class 10 English

Gist of the poem
The poem” How to tell wild animals” is penned by Carolyn Wells. The poetess described the wildlife vividly and in a very lively manner. If anyone gets a chance to go into the forest in Asia and if a huge terrible animal comes in front of, then we must know about them for their identification. If the wild animal is having black stripes on yellow hide then it is Bengal tiger. Hence, if the animal whose hide is covered with spots, jumps at us and starts eating then it is a leopard.
Also, if we are meeting the animal who hug us tightly then certainly it is a bear. A beginner can differentiate between crocodiles and hyena by knowing the facts. Hyena always smiles whereas tears are there in crocodile’s eyes. If there is nothing on the tree then there is a Chameleon.

Short Answer Type Question

1. Write the summary of the poem “How to tell wild animals” by Carolyn Wells.
Answer
The poem by Carolyn Wells revolves around describing characteristics or features of various wild animals. it is a humorous poem through which the poetess makes an attempt to teach us how to differentiate between different wild animals, so that if by chance, we come across any one of them, we are smart and clever to identify it and protect ourselves. Accordingly, instead of getting eaten or killed by a wild creature.
The Poetess tries to make us aware and warn us that it is risky to be in close proximity with these wild beasts .
In the end, the poem also tries to highlight about deception and fake appearances. It conveys a message that one has to be clever to recognise deceptive people (false people). One should not get fooled by their fake appearances. Rather, one should be smart to look deeper and see the truth behind the deception.

2. What are the poetic devices used in the poem?
Answer
The poetic devices used in the poem are
a) Rhyme scheme-ABABCC
b) Repitition-lep and lep
c) Alliteration- roaming around,he,has,your yard,when you’ve walking ,who hugs,whose hide,novice might nonplus,the hyena thus, he hasn’t
d) Enjambment -by chance to the jungle, learn the Bengal, Yard you, I guess he will,prey a novice,may tell
e) Assonance-should to you
f) Consonance- lep and lep

3. Explain the following lines
Answer
a) Bear hug
Bear hugs are meant to be friendly hug or a tight hug. Shared between friends. In reality, a bear is a wild animal whose hug may not be friendly. Rather, it is dangerous and me crush your bones to bring death.
b) A novice might nonplus
It means that an inexperienced person may get confused and will not be able to distinguish between beasts of prey.
c) crocodile tears.
It refers to a phenomena which refers to the crocodile appearing to be crying while devouring his prey. The poetess is warning us to stay away from false people who may appear to be nice and friendly but have other intentions.
d) Hyena’s laughter
Hyena makes a peculiar laughing -like sound while attacking its prey. It appears as if it is ‘smiling merrily’ , it can be deceptive. One shouldn’t get fooled by such deceptions.
e) Chameleon
A chameleon is a creature which has the ability to camouflage itself, such that it cannot be seen. The poetess tells us that a situation may look smooth and favourable, but may have some hidden dangers beneath. One should look deeper and carefully to search for those hidden obstacles.

4. How can you distinguish between a tiger and a leopard?
Answer
A tiger is a noble creature. He is very quiet and aristocratic in nature. He has black stripes on the yellow ground on his coat of fur. If he eats you, it is a tiger. Thus, it will be a Bengal tiger.
A leopard has a peppered hide,with small spots. he will pounce on you, and if you roar with pain, he will only leap at you more. It will keep attacking you till you die.

5. Write a note on Asiatic lion.
Answer
If we go to the jungles in the east, you may find a large and golden brown beast who is preparing to attack you. If he roars at you, as you are dying, you will know it is Asian lion.

6 What is so weird about the hyena and the crocodile?
Answer
Usually when a predator kills you, it makes you feel scared. However, in the case of Hyena and crocodiles, they are very deceptive. The Hyena laughs before killing its prey, which makes you feel as if they were a friend, but they are in reality, an enemy. A crocodile has tears whenever it eats its prey, so it might seems like he is very sad to be eating his prey, but those tears are fake and he is not.