A Tiger in the Zoo
By Leslie Norris
Analysis:
·
The
poem 'A Tiger in the Zoo' is composed by Leslie Norris, a Welsh poet and short story writer who also taught as teacher, lecturer and headmaster.
The poem describes the agony and helplessness of a tiger caged in a zoo
and stresses upon what his life could be if he had been a free animal.
·
The
poet conveys that the tiger should be free and ferocious the way God has created him. He should be free to hide himself behind the long grass to
catch its prey and terrorise the villagers living at the outskirts the forest.
·
Ironically,
the tiger in the zoo is powerless and feels helpless in front of the visitors who tease him for their amusement.
Alone, he hears the noise of the patrolling cars and stares at the brilliant stars.
·
The
poem presents the cage life of a tiger as a stark contrast to that of a free
tiger that lives the way God has created him emphasising that 'freedom is everyone's birth right'.
Line by Line Explanation:
Line 1-4
He stalks in
his vivid stripes
The few
steps of his cage,
On pads of
velvet quiet,
In his quiet
rage.
The poet,
Leslie Norris describes the tiger that walks in a caged cell of the zoo. There
are bright and beautiful stripes over his body. As he walks quietly with his
soft paws or feet, soft like velvet, he is very angry and furious. But he tries
to control his anger and quieten himself as he is helpless. Here, the poet
wants to criticize man’s tendency to show his power because the tiger is unable
to express his anger and grief as his strength is checked behind the bars by
man.
Line 5-8
He should be
lurking in shadow,
Sliding
through long grass
Near the
water hole
Where plump
deer pass.
Here, the
poet wants to tell the readers and the mankind that the tiger is given the
right to freedom by God and he should be roaming in the jungle freely. He
should be free to live quietly in shade and hide in long grass near a pool
where a fat and healthy dear may come to drink water. In fact, the poet wants
to say that the tiger is born to live freely in jungle where he could catch his
prey and eat it but the tiger in the cage is unable to do so.
Line 9-12
He should be
snarling around houses
At the
jungle’s edge,
Baring his
white fangs, his claws,
Terrorising
the village!
Here, it is
highlighted that the tiger being a wild animal should terrorise the people
living at the outskirts of the jungle, with his fearsome snarl (sound of a tiger). He
ought to terrorise the villagers showing his big white teeth and deadly claws,
and not be terrorised by the people. It is quite ironical and unfortunate
for the wild animal like tiger, who is born free and ferrocious, to be behind bars and feel helpless. But, this tiger is locked in a zoo. The poet
felt sad to think the tiger is stripped of his strength and thus, his power is
abused and mocked at.
Line 13-16
But he’s
locked in a concrete cell,
His strength
behind bars,
Stalking the
length of his cage,
Ignoring
visitors.
The poet
believes that the tiger being a wild animal ought to terrorise the villagers,
and not be terrorised by them, which is quite ironical and unfortunate for the
wild animal like tiger. But, unfortunately this tiger is locked in a small cage
of a zoo. The poet felt sad to think that an animal like tiger is stripped of
his strength and put behind bars by man and thus, his power and strength is
abused and mocked at. The tiger is walking in the cage from one end to the
other. He looks out of the cage where many visitors have come to see him and
try to trouble him for their amusement. It makes him angry and furious. But he
tries to ignore them as he is helpless. To divert his attention he keeps
walking.
Line 17-20
He hears the
last voice at night,
the
patrolling cars,
And stares
with his brilliant eyes
At the
brilliant stars.
At night the
tiger hears the sound of patrolling cars which guard and take rounds in the zoo
for the upkeep of its safety. He helplessly and sadly looks at the stars that
are shining brilliantly with his shining eyes which are hopeful of living
freely in jungle. The tiger looks at the stars hopefully and dreams of a life
where he will be free to roam, drink water, hunt and eat its prey in the
forest. The poet wants to sensitize us to protect animals and respect their
right to freedom.
Video on the poem Fog
Poetic Devices:
He stalks
in his vivid stripes
– Alliteration
in his
vivid stripes
- Assonance
On pads of velvet quiet –
Metaphor
In his quiet rage - Oxymoron
He should be lurking in shadow
– Alliteration
Where plump deer pass – Alliteration
Near the water hole -
Consonance
He should be
snarling – Onomatopoeia
Baring his white fangs, his claws – Consonance
white fangs, his claws – Asyndeton (avoiding connector ‘and’)
But he’s locked in a concrete
cell – Irony, Assonance
His strength
behind bars –
Alliteration
But he's locked in a concrete cell, his strength behind bars - Irony
But he's locked in a concrete cell, his strength behind bars - Irony
Baring his white fangs, his claws,
Terrorising the village! - Imagery
stares with his brilliant eyes –
Assonance
stares with his brilliant
eyes –
Consonance
He hears
the last voice at night - Alliteration
patrolling cars, brilliant stars -
Imagery
Video on How to tell Wild Animals
Theme & Message
- Right to freedom is highlighted as the theme of the poem. The tiger may be well fed and protected in the zoo. However, he can’t stay happy until or unless he is free to live, hunt and run under the open sky.
- The poet has emphasised misuse and abuse of nature by mankind. Man has a tendency to control everything, even nature that's why faces negative consequences of it.
- The poem voices the message that nature, animals and all creatures must be respected and protected. They too, must enjoy their right to freedom and the right to live the way they are created by Almighty.
Important Question Answers
Q1. “Freedom
is everyone’s birth right”. How does the poet convey this message through the
poem?
Ans. Not
only humans but the animals too, need freedom and cherish it for life and freedom can’t be bargained
at any cost. The tiger may be well fed and protected in the zoo. However, he
can’t stay happy until or unless he is free to live, hunt and run under the
open sky. He is in quiet rage and longs for freedom. He is angry being behind
the bars and that too, he can’t express that he doesn't like to be teased by the visitors. He would have been a different animal
if he had been free and ferocious in jungle and live the way God has created
him.
Q2. What does
the poet wish to convey through the repetition of the words ‘quiet’ and ‘brilliant’?
Ans. Through
the repetition of the two words ‘quiet’ in first stanza and ‘brilliant’ in the
last stanza the poet wants to make a stark contrast between the tiger in the
cage and the tiger in the jungle. First ‘quiet’ portrays tiger’s noiseless
soles which are soft like velvet and apt for hunting. The second ‘quiet’
pictures grief and anger of a tiger but his anger is suppressed and controlled
as he is not free, and can’t even express his anger.
First
‘brilliant’ refers to tiger’s sad and helpless eyes that are hopeful of living a free life again and the second ‘brilliant’ refers to the stars shining brightly in the open sky. Thus, the repetition conveys two contrary conditions of a tiger. thus, conveying two different conditions of a tiger. Through the repetition of these words two pictures of two different worlds are drawn. The poet intends to sensitise the readers and convey that the tiger in the zoo is not free but has every
right to live freely.
RTC 1
But he's locked in a concrete cell,
His strength behind bars,
Stalking the length of his cage,
Ignoring visitors.
Q1. What does the word 'but' suggest, here?
Q2. Why does the tiger ignore visitors?
Q3. What emotion does the tiger go through in these lines?
Q4. What does the poet want to convey by depicting this situation?
Q5. Which poetic device is used in fourth line?
RTC 2
He hears the last voice at night,
The patrolling cars
And stares with his brilliant eyes
At the brilliant stars.
Q1. Which sound does the tiger hear at night?
Q2. Why are the eyes of the tiger described as brilliant?
Q3. What does the poet convey through repetition of the word 'brilliant'?
Q4. Why does the tiger stare at the stars?
Q5. Which poetic device is used in fourth line?
Answers
RTC 1
A1. The word 'but' suggests the contrast between the ideal and real situation of the tiger. The poet wants to say that tiger is deprived of the life which was blessed to him by God.
A2. The tiger ignores visitors as he is helpless and captivated behind the bars, and can't do anything to the visitors who trouble him by throwing food items at him and disturbing his peace.
A3. The tiger is sad and agitated but his anger and agitation is suppressed and checked behind the bars. He feels helpless and sad.
A4. By depicting this situation the poet wants to convey that the tiger in the zoo lives a life which is a clear contrast to the life which is thought and given to the tiger by God. He wants to convey that tiger is created as a free and ferrocious animal by God and humans don't have any right to take away this freedom from tiger.
A5. Imagery and pathos are used in the fourth line.
RTC 2
A1. The tiger hears the sound of patrolling cars at night.
A2. The eyes of the tiger are described as brilliant as his eyes are shining with a hope and dream of living a free life.
A3. Through repetition of the word 'brilliant' the poet wants to convey a beautiful emotion and hope in the eyes of the tiger who is kept in the zoo. His sky is limited in the zoo and the view of the stars is also limited. There is a glitter of hope in his eyes that once day he will enjoy free life in the zoo.
A4. The tiger stares at the stars because he longs to be free and enjoy a clear view of stars in free jungle.
A5. Imagery is used in fourth line.
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