RBSE Solutions Class 12 English Prudence Poetry Chapter 9 The Tiger and the Deer

Question 1. Choose the correct alternatives :

Question (a) "Brilliant, crouching, slouching, that crept....... ." who does the line refer to ?
(i) cat
(ii) tiger
(iii) dog
(iv) deer
Answer: (ii) tiger
In simple words: The words describe a tiger moving silently and powerfully as it hunts.

🎯 Exam Tip: When analyzing poetry, always link descriptive words directly to the subject they are describing to understand the poet's intent.

Question 2. Answer the following questions in 15-20 words each:

Question (a) What does the tiger stand in the poem for ?
Answer: In the poem, the tiger represents the cruel and violent parts of nature. It symbolizes things like death, sadness, and pride. The tiger shows the powerful and often harsh side of the natural world.
In simple words: The tiger in the poem stands for the wild, harsh, and arrogant side of nature, including death and darkness.

🎯 Exam Tip: When asked about symbolism, identify the object and then list the abstract ideas or qualities it represents in the poem.

Question (b) What does the deer stand in the poem for ?
Answer: In the poem, the deer represents the calm and beautiful parts of nature. It stands for the good and healthy values of life, like peace and gentleness. The deer shows the gentle and lovely side of the natural world.
In simple words: The deer symbolizes the beauty, peace, and healthy values found in nature.

🎯 Exam Tip: Understand the contrast between different symbols in a poem, as they often highlight opposite aspects of a theme.

Question (c) What does the soundless paw mean in the poem ?
Answer: In the poem, a "soundless paw" means the sudden and quick arrival of death and destruction. It describes how the tiger attacks silently and without warning, bringing an end to life swiftly. It emphasizes the silent, unstoppable force of destruction.
In simple words: A soundless paw means death and destruction coming very suddenly and quietly, like a tiger's unseen attack.

🎯 Exam Tip: Pay attention to imagery and specific phrases in a poem; they often carry deeper symbolic meanings about events or concepts.

Question (d) "As the mammoth shakes no more the plains of Asia”. Comment on the line.
Answer: This line refers to the mammoth, a huge animal that once roamed Asia but is now extinct. The poet uses this example to show that even great and powerful things can disappear. It suggests that even the strong may eventually fade away.
In simple words: This line talks about mammoths, which were big but are now gone. It means that powerful things can also end.

🎯 Exam Tip: When asked to comment on a line, explain its literal meaning first, then discuss its symbolic or deeper significance in the context of the poem.

Question 3. Answer the following questions in 50 words each:

Question (a) "The wind slipped through the leaves, as if afraid lest its voice and noise of its steps perturb the pitiless splendour." Explain whose voice and noise of steps perturb the grandeur ?
Answer: In this part of the poem, the poet refers to the soft sound of the wind. The wind is blowing gently as if it is nervous and holding its breath. If the wind blew strongly, it would disturb the leaves and disrupt the tiger's plan. The wind's soft movement protects the scene's quiet beauty.
In simple words: The soft wind, afraid to make noise, is the one whose quiet voice and steps would disturb the fierce beauty of the tiger's hunt.

🎯 Exam Tip: When explaining poetic lines, identify the personified element (like the wind) and explain its symbolic action in the context of the poem's atmosphere.

Question (b) "Destroyed, the mild harmless beauty by the strong cruel beauty in Nature.” Explain.
Answer: Nature has both gentle and fierce sides. The tiger is brutal, bloody, and cruel, while the deer is splendid, gentle, and peaceful. The poem shows how the gentle deer is harmed and killed by the ferocious tiger. This highlights how the strong often dominate and destroy the meek in the world.
In simple words: This line explains how gentle beauty (like a deer) is destroyed by fierce beauty (like a tiger) in nature. It shows that in the world, the strong often overcome the weak.

🎯 Exam Tip: Focus on the contrast presented (e.g., mild beauty vs. cruel beauty) and explain how this contrast plays out in the poem's themes.

Question (c) Which expression in the poem reveals the optimistic mood of the poet ?
Answer: The poem shows an optimistic mood when the poet hopes that one day, the tiger's destructive power will end, and peace will return. This is shown in the line: "एक दिन शान्ति स्थापित होगी। (one day peace will be established)." This hope suggests that suffering and evil are not permanent, and good will eventually last.
In simple words: The poet shows hope by suggesting that one day, peace will finally be established. This means evil won't last forever.

🎯 Exam Tip: To identify optimism, look for lines or themes that suggest hope, future improvement, or the eventual triumph of good over evil.

Question 4. Answer the following questions in 100 words each:

Question (a) How would you relate the killing of the innocent deer by the tiger with the healthy values of life by the cruelty of modern civilization or the materialistic mind?
Answer: Sri Aurobindo uses the tiger and deer to show how the strong destroy the weak in nature. This is like how powerful civilizations have historically crushed weaker ones. Today, our modern world, driven by a desire for money and things, acts like the tiger. It destroys good life values such as love, kindness, and honesty. These good values are often replaced by cruelty and selfishness as people chase wealth and progress, both personally and for their nation. The innocent deer represents these lost values.
In simple words: The tiger killing the deer is like how modern society's focus on money and material things destroys important life values such as love and honesty. Stronger groups often harm weaker ones, just as in nature.

🎯 Exam Tip: When connecting a poem's theme to modern society, clearly identify the symbolic representations and draw direct parallels between the poem's events and real-world issues.

Question (b) The poet has presented a balanced picture of nature where both nectar and poison are equally essential for the existence of life. Justify their significance.
Answer: "The Tiger and the Deer" beautifully shows nature's balance by highlighting its dual aspects. Nature is both peaceful and terrifying at the same time. There is a strong contrast between good and evil, innocence and cruelty, and calm and violent elements. The tiger and the deer symbolize these opposing forces. They represent how both destructive "poison" and life-giving "nectar" are necessary for nature to continue its cycle of life and death, maintaining overall balance. Both are crucial for life's existence.
In simple words: The poem shows nature has both good (nectar) and bad (poison) parts, like the deer and the tiger. Both are needed for life to exist, showing a natural balance of opposites.

🎯 Exam Tip: To justify significance, explain how opposing elements (duality) contribute to a larger whole or a continuous process, making both sides essential.

Question (c) What inspiring message does the poem convey?
Answer: Sri Aurobindo's poem "The Tiger and the Deer" teaches us an important lesson. Through the story of the tiger and deer, the poet shows the contrasts in nature but also gives us an inspiring message. The poet believes that suffering does not last forever. Even with death and destruction, life is meant to be enjoyed. While evil may seem to win at first, good eventually survives. Brute force meets its end, but innocent and gentle things continue to be valued until the very last moment. This gives a hopeful message about life.
In simple words: The poem teaches that tough times do not last forever, and good things will always survive, even when evil seems strong. Life is precious and should be enjoyed.

🎯 Exam Tip: When identifying a message, look for the overall lesson or moral that the poet wants to share, especially themes related to permanence, survival, and good versus evil.

Question 1. What description of the tiger does the poet give in the poem ?
Answer: The poet describes the tiger as a very clever animal with sharp, shining eyes and a strong, powerful chest. It has soft paws that make no sound as it moves through the forest. The tiger moves quietly, crouching and lowering itself before making a deadly attack on its prey. Its movements are silent and deadly.
In simple words: The poet describes the tiger as a smart, strong animal with bright eyes and silent paws that creeps quietly to attack its prey.

🎯 Exam Tip: When describing a character or animal from a poem, use vivid adjectives and actions mentioned by the poet to create a clear picture.

Question 2. "Hardly daring to breathe.” Who does the poet refer to ?
Answer: In the line "Hardly daring to breathe," the poet is talking about the tiger. The tiger is moving very secretly towards the deer, which is drinking water from the pool. The deer does not know about the danger coming. Everything is very still. The tiger holds its breath so it doesn't make any noise and scare the deer, which would ruin its hunting plan.
In simple words: The poet refers to the tiger, which is moving so carefully and silently towards the deer that it hardly dares to breathe, so it won't be noticed.

🎯 Exam Tip: Identify the subject of the phrase by looking at the context of the surrounding lines, especially actions or feelings attributed to a character.

Question 3. How did the tiger kill the deer?
Answer: The tiger moved slowly and quietly, crouching and creeping towards the deer many times. It crouched one last time and then suddenly jumped with a fatal leap at the deer. The deer was drinking water from the pool and did not know about the danger. The tiger killed the deer and tore it apart immediately.
In simple words: The tiger crept quietly, then made a sudden deadly leap on the unaware deer that was drinking water, killing and tearing it apart.

🎯 Exam Tip: Describe the sequence of actions clearly and concisely, focusing on the key steps of the event as presented in the poem.

Question 4. Why has the poet made reference to the mammoth ?
Answer: The poet mentions the mammoth, a huge animal that once lived in Asia but is now extinct. The poet does this to teach us a lesson: those who harm others will also be destroyed, just like the mammoth disappeared. It shows that evil eventually ends, while good things endure. This highlights the temporary nature of brute power.
In simple words: The poet mentions the mammoth, an extinct giant, to show that those who do bad things will also eventually be destroyed, while good things last.

🎯 Exam Tip: When a poet refers to a historical or extinct entity, consider what lesson or warning that reference might be conveying about life or human nature.

Question 6. What does the poem, “The Tiger and the Deer" teach?
Answer: The poem "The Tiger and the Deer" teaches that people who harm others will eventually be destroyed, just like the mammoth that once shook the plains of Asia but is now gone. The poet wants to show that violent and cruel actions will ultimately lead to a bloody end, while gentle and innocent things will continue to be valued and appreciated forever. It conveys a message of justice and endurance of good.
In simple words: The poem teaches that those who do harm will be destroyed, like the mammoth, and that good and gentle things will always be remembered and valued.

🎯 Exam Tip: When asked about the poem's teaching, summarize the main moral or philosophical lesson it aims to impart to the reader about life, nature, or human actions.