NCERT Solutions Class 10 English Chapter 2 A Tiger in the Zoo Poem

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English for A Tiger in the Zoo Poem 

Thinking about the Poem

(ii) 

2. 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?

Answer

This repetition is a poetic device used by the poet in order to increases 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 the forest and attack a deer, but the rage is quiet because it cannot come out in the open as it is in the cage. This double 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 free 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.

Tiger in the Zoo Poem Summary Class 10 English

GIST – Poem at a glance
• The poet has depicted the tiger both in the cage and in its natural habitat.
• The poet conveys that the tiger is best suited to roam the wild rather than be caged in a zoo
• Animals are more majestic when seen in their natural habitat than enclosed in an artificial setting.
• The tiger is aware of the sights and sounds around the him.
• The tiger‘s body and strength are locked up behind the bars of the cage.
• He strides proudly inside the cage suppressing his anger, while ignoring the visitors
• ‘This poem contrasts a tiger in the zoo with the tiger in its natural habitat.

The poem moves from the zoo to the jungle, and back again to the zoo. The poem provides a contrast in the mood and environment of a tiger when he is in the zoo and a tiger when he is in the forest. In the zoo, he has no freedom. He is kept in a cemented cell behind the bars. He feels angry, frustrated and helpless. This reminds him of his natural habitat, his hiding and sliding in the long grass near the water hole and pouncing upon the fat deer, the way he terrorized the villagers, displaying his sharp teeth and claws.
At night in the zoo, he hears the sounds of patrolling cars. The tiger in the zoo appears helpless as to be a mere showpiece and source of entertainment to people. The poet wants to convey that it is cruel to keep wild animals in small enclosures of the zoo, away from their natural habitat. They feel angry, helpless and unhappy in the cage. He pays no attention to the visitors who came to watch him. In the silence of the night, he stares at the brilliant stars with his bright eyes.

Short Answer Type Questions

Question. what is the message conveyed by the poem a tiger in the zoo.
Answer: The message conveyed in the poem a tiger in the zoo is that every creature has a right to be free. Freedom is an instant of all living beings and animals deserve it to. They should be left in their natural habitat, where they look best. The theme highlighted is captivity against freedom . Humans encroach and animals freedom and put it in captivity. The majestic tiger of the jungle has been compared to the caged and helpless tiger of the zoo.

Question​​​​​​​. write in your own words the explanation of stanza one of the poem.
Answer: (Zoo) The tiger walks around his cage in the zoo. He has vivid, bright stripes. His feet are padded and soft, making little to no noise as he paces up and down his small cage – he is restless and angry. He is filled with anger, helplessness, and wants to be free.

Question​​​​​​​. Write an explanation of stanza two of the poem in your own words.
Answer: (Jungle) This stanza describes what is the tiger should be doing – hunting. It is only natural for a tiger to camouflage between the long grass in the dark. He goes near the water hole to quench his thirst, and wait for long – fleshy fat and healthy deer to pass. He will hunt and eat them.

Question​​​​​​​. write an explanation of stanza three of the poem in your own words.
Answer: (Jungle) The tiger should be fearless and dominating, fiercely making his presence felt near the houses at the jungle’s edge. He declares the jungle is his area, making visible his teeth and claws. He terrorises the village – fearful of encroachment by hunters.

Question​​​​​​​. write an explanation of stanza four of the poem in your own words.
Answer: (Zoo) however, he’s locked in a very strong cage, where his strength is useless. He is restless and disturbed, he wants his old habitat back. He ignores visitors, for they are a disturbance to him contrasting to the excitement the visitors feel.

Question​​​​​​​. write an explanation of stanza five of the poem in your own words.
Answer: (Zoo )this kind of habitat is not suitable for him. He cannot find peace and quiet – till he is awake he hears the security cars. He can rest neither during the day or at night. He looks up at the bright stars with his bright eyes, quite envious of the fact that they are free and he’s not. The poet is feels pitiful.

Question​​​​​​​. explain the following lines –
Answer: a) pads of velvet quiet
The Tigers paws are padded and covered with fur. The tiger paces up and down in the cage very silently on his spouse which have a soft, velvet like sole.
b) his strength behind bars.
The tiger, locked in the cage, feels helpless as he is unable to do anything. No matter how hard he tries, he is unable to come out. His potential and ability to run, hunt and be free is locked in the cage. Despite being a strong and powerful animal, the tiger feels helpless behind the bars. The word strength is symbolic of the tiger. Thus, it is metonymy.
c) brilliant eyes eyes.
Being a nocturnal animal, the tiger’s eyes shine during night. They are as bright as the twinkling stars in the sky above. However, the stars are free but the tiger is in captivity. His eyes, filled with hope and longing for freedom, stare out at the stars.

Question​​​​​​​. Describe the contrast between the Tiger in the cage (captivity)and the tiger in the jungle (freedom) 60 -80 words
Answer: A tiger in the jungle is free. It is powerful, fearless, dominating and fierce. It has for its food, lurking in the shadows, sliding through the long grass. It is elegant and majestic. It waits for the plump dear to pass so he can pounce and eat them. It is in its natural habitat, happy and free .He terrorisesThe village on the outskirts of the jungle asserting dominance and creating a sense of fear. However, a tiger in the zoo is captive. He is as bright as before, but now it is up for show for the visitors. It is still powerful, but that power is useless, for it is locked behind the bars. The vast jungle has been reduced to a small cage. It is angry and helpless, filled with agony. It ignores visitors, and paces up and down his cage all day. At night you cannot sleep because of the sound of cars. He wishes to be free. He is not happy, rather disturbed and quietly raging.

Question​​​​​​​. what does the Tiger do when he is in captivity? Describe his state of mind. (80 -100words)
Answer: While the tiger is in captivity, he longs to be free. He paces up and down the cage all day, ignoring visitors, as he is not interested in them – they are only a disturbance. At night, he cannot sleep because of the sirens of the patrolling cars. He stares out at the brilliant stars, which are as brilliant as his eyes.
He is filled with rage. He is locked in a cage. He feels helpless. His strength is of no use here. He is deeply disturbed. He longs to be free, just like the stars at night. He is frustrated with his life. He is also envious of the stars in the sky, who are free but he is not.

Question​​​​​​​. “freedom is the natural instinct of every living being“. Comment with reference to the poem.
Answer: This is with reference to the chapter “A tiger in the zoo” by Leslie Norrise. It contrasts between a tiger in the jungle and the one in the zoo.
Everyone deserves to be free – animals, humans, all living beings. Humans get frustrated when not allowed freedom – so why not animals? A tiger in the zoo feels the same way. His natural habitat has been taken away, and he is forced to live in captivity. He cannot run, hunt, or do anything a free tiger then. Once freedom is tasted, and animal always wants it. The Tiger too, naturally, becomes frustrated and angry when he cannot fulfil his natural obligations. He paces up and down his cage, and looks out at the stars, longing for freedom. Thus, freedom is the natural instinct of every living being.

Question​​​​​​​. What are the poetic devices used in the poem?
Answer: Poetic Devices
a) Rhyme scheme-ABCB( I,II,V STANZA),impure scheme in other.
b) Anaphora-He should be
c) Repetition-quite – emphasise Tiger’s rage and helplessness, brilliant
d) Alliteration – behind bars, plump dear pass
e) Metonymy- strength behind bars
f) Oxymoron -quiet rage
g) Onommatopoeia- Snarling