A Tiger in the Zoo

Summary

In this poem, the poet tries to depict the mental condition of a caged tiger. He compares
the life of a tiger in the zoo with its life in the natural habitat. The poet conveys an
important message that the wild animals should live in their natural habitat to lead a
normal life. He shows us how the love for freedom is the natural instinct of every living
being.

Comprehension Questions

Answer the following questions in 30-40 words:

1. The tiger in the poem ‘A Tiger in the Zoo’ has some obvious limitations, describe them in contrast to its natural habitat.
The tiger in the zoo was confined to a small space. He was angry that he couldn’t
move or hunt freely as in the wild. The bars of the cage obstructed his view of the
starry night. This was all unlike his natural habitat where he hunted fiercely.

2. What message does the poet want to convey through the poem ‘A Tiger in the Zoo’?
The poet tries to expose the miserable life led by the animals in the zoo. The poet
wants to convey that it is cruel to keep the wild animals in small enclosures of the
zoo because they feel angry, unhappy and miss their free life in the forest.

3. Why do you think the tiger was stalking in the cage? What does it show?
The tiger was stalking in the cage as he 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 human beings.

4. How does the tiger terrify the villagers?
The villagers’ houses are situated near the jungle. The tiger prowls around these
houses and terrifies the villagers by snarling at them and showing his fangs and
claws.

5. How does the tiger behave at night?
At night the tiger feels lonely in his cafe. He hears the sound of the patrolling
cars. He looks through the bars at the shining stars.

6. How does the tiger walk in the cage?
The tiger is slowly and quietly moving along the length of the cage in a
threatening manner. He also ignores the visitors who have come to see him as he
walks.

7. Describe the tiger in the cage.
The tiger in the paces up and down in the cage restlessly and in anger. He is
confined in the narrow cell and keeps staring the stars as if longing for freedom.
He is helpless and ignores visitors.

8. Describe the tiger in the wild.
The tiger in the wild is majestic. He is free and lies under the shades and hunts for
prey. He moves near the water because food is in plenty there. Sometimes he
snarls and terrorises the villagers.

9. Why does the tiger express his rage quietly?
The tiger expresses his rage quietly because there is nothing he can do from
behind the bars of his cage. He is helpless as his strength now lies caged. He is no
longer free as he was in the jungle.

10. Where should the tiger have been according to the poet?
The poet thinks that the tiger should have been in the jungle, lurking in the
shadow of long grass to prey on the deer near the water hole. He should also be
on the outskirts of the jungle snarling around houses and terrifying villagers.

11. Why is the tiger ignoring the visitors?
The tiger is ignoring the visitors because he does not feel he is meant to entertain
them. He is angry to be put on display when his purpose is different. Thus, he
stops taking any notice of them.

12. Why do you think the tiger looks at the stars?
The tiger feels very helpless in the cage. He stares at the stars with hope that
someday he would be able to run free in the wild. The brilliant stars, thus,
provides him with some sort of comfort.

13. What do you understand by `His strength behind bars’? What kind of a cage is he locked in?
The tiger is powerful than human beings but being in a cage has made him
helpless. He is devoid of freedom. He feels unhappy, frustrated, restless and
angry.

Answer the following questions in 100-120 words:

1. Animals, big and small, are being used by humans to meet their selfish desires. What is your opinion regarding the exploitation of animals? Mention some examples that you can see as a possible solution to this problem.
It is true that animals, big and small are being used by humans for their selfish
desires. Humans have encroached on their space and sheltered them in zoos in
inhuman ways. In the poem, the poet has shown the plight of a tiger. He is
captured and confined in a small cage. Confinement brings bondage and
bondage is cruelty.
In order to overcome these problems, the government needs to declare certain
places as wildlife sanctuaries in order to protect animals in their natural habitat.
It also needs to enforce stricter laws against exploitation of animals. There has
to be increased awareness against cruelty towards animals and the importance
of maintaining an ecological balance.

2. Is it right to confine wild animals into cages? Why or why not?
Wild animals are meant to live in the wild. They are not meant to be caged and
displayed in the zoos. We all know that the tiger is on the verge of extinction.
There used to be a time when they used to roam proudly and freely in the
jungle. They are not meant to live a life in confinement. They also have the right

to freedom like all other living beings. Confinement leads to depression and
misery. Moreover, their offspring lose the hunting capabilities as they are not
trained to hunt in the wild. As a result, they would not be able to feed
themselves. Furthermore, confining wild animals disturbs the whole ecological
balance. Hence, we should let the animals run free in the wild. They belong to
the forest and not to the cage.

Questions from the text book.

Thinking about the Text

I. Read the poem again and work in pairs or groups to do the following tasks.

i. Find the words that describe the movements and actions of the tiger in the cage
and in the wild. Arrange them in two columns.

In the Cage In the Wild                                        In the Wild

o stalks in his quiet rage                                o lurking in the shadow
o stalking-the length of his cage                   o sliding through long grass
o ignoring visitors                                         o snarling around houses
o hears the last voice of patrolling                o baring his white fangs
cards
o stares at the brilliant stars.                         o terrorising the village

ii. Find the words that describe the two places and arrange them in two columns.
Now try to share ideas about how the poet uses words and images to contrast
the two situations.

In the Cage In the Wild                                                  In the Wild
o few steps of his cage                                        o lurking in the shadows
o locked                                                               o long grass
o concrete cell                                                     o water hole
o bars                                                                   o plump deer
o visitors                                                              o houses at jungle’s edge

II. Notice the use of a word repeated in lines such as these

1. On pads of velvet quiet, In his quiet rage.
2. And stares with his brilliant eyes At the brilliant stars.
What do you think is the effect of this repetition?
Repetition is a poetic device used to seek attention to the idea and to make it
memorable. In this poem, ‘Velvet quiet’ refers to the quiet, velvet paws of the
tiger, which cannot run or leap in the wild freely. They can only walk around
the small cage. ‘Quiet rage’ refers to the anger and ferocity that is building up
inside the tiger as it wants to go into the wild but has to remain quiet because
he is caged. Similarly, the tiger has a dream of being free in its ‘brilliant’ eyes.
So it sees the stars that have also been described as brilliant with the same
eyes. The words ‘quiet’ and ‘brilliant’ have repeated to show the contrast and
to build emphasis.

III. Read the following two poems one about a tiger and the other about a panther. Then discuss:

Are zoos necessary for the protection or conservation of some species of animals?
Are they useful for educating the public?
Are there alternatives to zoos?
Several species of animals are on the verge of extinction. Even tigers and lions
are not safe in the forest due to poaching that is done for trade, experiments
etc. Thus, zoos are necessary for the conservation of various animals and their
rare species. Zoos are safe and can also be used to educate the public about
the importance of wild animals and their role in maintaining the ecological
balance. Wildlife sanctuaries, reserves and national parks are some alternatives
to zoos. These not only help in the protection and conservation of these
species, but also provide them with a natural habitat.

PRACTICE QUESTIONS

Q1 Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.

(a) He hears the last voice at night,
The patrolling cars,
And stares with his brilliant eyes
At the brilliant stars.

i. What does the tiger hear at night?
The tiger hears the voice coming from the patrolling cars at night.

ii. What does the tiger look at in the night?
The tiger looks at the brilliant stars shining in the sky at the night.

iii. What is the effect of the repeated use of the word ‘brilliant’?
The repeated use of brilliant shows the contrast. The brilliant stars are free
while the brilliant eyes are inside the cage.

iv. Give the synonym of ‘patrolling’.
guarding/ watching


(b) But he’s locked in a concrete cell,
His strength behind bars,
Stalking the length of his cage,
Ignoring visitors.

i. What does the phrase ‘his strength behind the bar’ suggests?
It means that he is capable of terrorizing the humans when in a jungle but
locked in a cage, he is restrained and feels helpless.

ii. Why does the tiger ignore the visitors?
The tiger ignores the visitors because he does not feel he is meant to entertain
them. He is angry to be put on display when his purpose is different.

iii. What does the tiger do in the cage?
The tiger walks to and fro in his cage and ignores the visitors.

iv. Give the antonym of the word ‘locked’ from the extract.
unlocked/ opened

Q2 Answer the following questions in 30-40 words each.

(a) Why should the tiger snarl around houses at the edge of the forest?

The tiger should snarl around houses at the edge of the forest so that the

villagers will not disturb the peace of the forest. Secondly, they will not kill or

capture the animals for money or for entertainment.

(b) Is it safe to allow tigers to live in their natural habitat these days?

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.

(c) What difference do you find in the mood of a tiger when he is in a zoo and when

he is in a forest?

In his small cage in the zoo, the tiger feels unhappy, frustrated and restless

because he is devoid of freedom. In the forest, he enjoys moving majestically

wherever he wants, terrorizing the villagers by displaying his sharp teeth and

claws. He is happy in the forest, enjoying his liberty and surroundings.

(d) What does a tiger do behind the bars of its cage?

Behind the bars of its cage, the tiger stalks along the length of the cage,

ignores visitors, hears patrolling cars and stares at the brilliant stars shining in

the sky.

Q3 Answer the following questions in in 100 -120 words.

(a) 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?

The primary threats to the survival of tigers are poaching and habitat loss due

to extensive development. The tigers are on the list of endangered species

because of human interference. Humans hunt tigers for their commercial

benefits. The loss of habitat also leads to a reduction in prey animals, so the

area can support fewer tigers. Moreover, tigers are poached for their teeth,

fur and traditional medicines. The growing population clears the forest areas

for agriculture and housing. This creates a problem for the tiger’s habitat.

Tigers are an integral part of the food chain and hence they should be

protected.

(b) Love for freedom is the natural instinct of every living being. Comment.

Everyone loves freedom and does not want to live in confinement.

What message does the poem ‘A Tiger in the Zoo’ convey?

One may argue that keeping the animals in the zoo, will protect them from

being killed and become extinct. However, taking away one’s freedom to

keep one alive kills the desire to live. Even humans throughout the world

oppose the chains of slavery and oppression.

How are other living creatures any different? We must learn to respect

nature, for humans exist only due to nature. God has made all living beings

different and each living being has a different requirement to survive. While

animals can’t live like humans living in one house for ages, humans cannot

live like animals in the wild. Hence, Love for freedom is the natural instinct of

every living being.