A Tiger in the Zoo - First Flight - Class 10 - CBSE English
About the Author - A Tiger in the Zoo | First Flight | Class 10 Literature | CBSE English
Leslie Norris (1921-2006) was a Welsh author and poet known for his short stories and poetry works. Born in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, Norris studied at the University of Wales and later became a professor of English literature at Brigham Young University in the United States. He published numerous short stories and poetry collections, often exploring themes of nature, rural life, and the human condition. His work has been widely anthologized and recognized with various literary awards throughout his career.
Summary - A Tiger in the Zoo | First Flight | Class 10 Literature | CBSE English
"A Tiger in the Zoo" by Leslie Norris is a poem that describes the plight of a magnificent tiger who is trapped in a cage in a zoo. The poem begins by portraying the tiger as he paces back and forth in his cage, his vivid stripes contrasting sharply against the concrete walls. Even though the tiger's steps are quiet and his rage is suppressed, the speaker can sense the tiger's quiet fury, which is a stark contrast to his natural habitat, where he would be able to roam free.
The poem's second stanza describes what the tiger's life should be like if he were in his natural environment. The speaker envisions the tiger lurking in the shadows and sliding through the long grass, searching for prey near the waterhole where the plump deer pass. In this way, the tiger is shown as a natural predator, fierce and strong, living in harmony with the wild.
The third stanza portrays the tiger as a terrorizing figure, snarling around houses at the jungle's edge, baring his fangs and claws, and striking fear into the villagers' hearts. This description further emphasizes the tiger's power and majesty, which starkly contrasts his current condition of being trapped in a small cage.
In the fourth stanza, the speaker reminds the reader that the tiger is now locked in a concrete cell, his strength and power rendered useless behind bars. The tiger is shown to be pacing up and down the length of his cage, ignoring the visitors who come to see him.
The poem's final stanza describes how the tiger hears the last voice of the night, the patrolling cars, and stares up at the brilliant stars with his brilliant eyes. This final image reminds the reader that the tiger is still a majestic creature, despite being imprisoned in a small cage.
Overall, the poem highlights the cruelty of keeping wild animals in captivity and how it deprives them of their natural habitats and instincts. It serves as a poignant reminder to respect the natural World and work towards preserving these majestic creatures' habitats.
Themes - A Tiger in the Zoo | First Flight | Class 10 Literature | CBSE English
The themes present in the poem "A Tiger in the Zoo" by Leslie Norris are as follows:
- Captivity and Freedom: The poem portrays the contrast between the natural habitat of a tiger in the wild and the confined space of a zoo. The tiger's natural instincts and desires are curbed by the boundaries of his cage. The poem highlights the tiger's yearning for freedom and the injustice of being held captive.
- Power and Strength: The poem describes...
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Symbols - A Tiger in the Zoo | First Flight | Class 10 Literature | CBSE English
There are a few symbols used in the poem "A Tiger in the Zoo" by Leslie Norris:
🐯 Tiger
The tiger is the central symbol of the poem, representing power, strength, and ferocity. However, in the poem's context, the tiger is a captive animal confined to a small space, unable to exercise its natural instincts. The tiger also symbolises beauty and grace as it moves on its "pads of velvet quiet," and its "brilliant eyes" stare at the stars
Cage
The cage symbolises ...
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Vocabulary - A Tiger in the Zoo | First Flight | Class 10 Literature | CBSE English
- Vivid - Bright and intense in colour.
- Stalks - Walks in a stiff, haughty or proud way.
- Pads - Soft, cushion-like parts of an animal's foot.
- Velvet -
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Rhyme Scheme - A Tiger in the Zoo | First Flight | Class 10 Literature | CBSE English
The rhyme scheme of the poem "A Tiger in the Zoo" by Leslie Norris is AABB. This means ...
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Poetic Devices - A Tiger in the Zoo | First Flight | Class 10 Literature | CBSE English
The poem "A Tiger in the Zoo" by Leslie Norris employs several poetic devices to enhance its meaning and appeal to the reader. Some of the poetic devices used in the poem are:
- Alliteration: The repetition of the same sound at the beginning of words in a sentence or line. For example, "behind bars"
- Assonance: The repetition of vowel sounds in words. For example, "Stalks in his vivid stripes" and "Near the water hole."
- Imagery
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A Tiger in the Zoo - Questions and Answers | First Flight | Class 10 Literature | CBSE English
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He stalks in his vivid stripes The few steps of his cage, On pads of velvet quiet, In his quiet rage. a. Name the poem and the poet. b. Why could the tiger walk only a few steps? c. How does the tiger move in the cage? d. What do you mean by ‘vivid’? e. Why is he in quiet rage? f. Give synonyms to ‘rage’. g. Why is the tiger angry? h. Explain ‘On pads of velvet quiet’.
a. The poem is ‘A Tiger in the Zoo’ and the poet is Leslie Norris. b. The tiger could walk only a few steps because he was locked up in a cage and there was limited space. c. The tiger moves as if he is stalking some animal and seems to be moving in a threatening way. d. ‘Vivid’ means intensely deep and bright colour of tiger’s stripes. e. The tiger is filled up with pent up energy and anger as he is not free to live in the wild but is restricted to his cage. He is quiet as he is helpless. f. The synonym of rage is anger. g. The tiger is filled with rage as he is kept captive in the small cage and feels helpless. This has created a lot of pent up anger. h. His legs tread steadily as they are padded and cushioned underneath for stealthy movement.
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He should be lurking in shadow, Sliding through long grass, Near the water hole Where the plump deer pass. a. Where should the tiger be lurking? b. What should he wait for near the water hole? c. Where is the tiger now? d. What does ‘plump deer’ suggest? e. Give an antonym of ‘plump’
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He should be snarling around houses At the jungle's edge, Baring his white fangs, his claws Terrorising the village! a. Where should the tiger be snarling? b. Who should he be terrorizing? c. Where was he? d. How do humans conduct themselves? e. What does the poet try to suggest through these lines? f. How does the tiger scare the people? g. What is the meaning of fangs? h. Why does he ‘snarl’? i. How does ‘he’ show his presence? j. Find out a word from the stanza which means the same as ‘growling’
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But he's locked in a concrete cell, His strength behind bars, Stalking the length of his cage, Ignoring visitors. a. Where is the tiger? b. Where is tiger’s strength? c. Why does he ignore visitor? d. What contrast poet has brought? e. Why do visitors come here? f. The expression ‘stalking the length of the cage’ implies.
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He hears the last voice at night, The patrolling cars, And stares with his brilliant eyes At the brilliant stars. a. What voice does the tiger hear at night? b. Where does the tiger look? c. Do you think the tiger is happy? d. What do you mean by ‘patrolling’.
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How does a tiger create terror for the villagers?
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Leslie Norris has described some of the activities of a tiger behind the bars of its cage. Write them.
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Describe the tiger in the cage.
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Describe the tiger in the wild.
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What is the significance of ‘should be’?
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Why should tiger snarl?
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Find the words that describe the movements and action of the tiger in the cage and in the wild. Arrange them in two columns.
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Find the words that describe the two places, and arrange them in two columns.
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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.
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Quiz - A Tiger in the Zoo | First Flight | Class 10 Literature | CBSE English
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