How to Tell Wild Animals
By Carolyn
Wells
Analysis
:
·
‘How to Tell Wild Animals’ is a humorous poem
composed by Carolyn Wells, an American poet.
·
The poem is humorous in tone and lyrical
in form. It is humorous but it suggests some dangerous ways to identify wild
animals like Asian lion, Bengal tiger, leopard, bear, hynna, chameleon and crocodile.
·
Clever use of vocabulary makes it an
interesting poem.
·
The poem is composed in 6 stanzas of six
lines each rhyming ababcc. Lot of poetic repetition, alliteration and beautiful
use of sound poetic devices make it a musical, rhythmic and lyrical in nature.
·
The poem conveys in a very light hearted
manner the essential characteristics and physical features of animals.
Synopsis
:
·
The poem talks about the dangerous ways
to identify wild animals humorously. The poet describes wild animals such as Asian
lion, Bengal tiger, leopard, bear, crocodile, hyena, and chameleon with their physical
features, sounds and other distinct characteristics to distinguish one animal from the other.
·
The poem is, though very educative and
informative, it is a humorous, witty and interesting. The poet suggests some
dangerous ways of identifying wild animals creating awe and humour.
·
The poem tells if someone ever visits the
forests and happen to encounter Asian Lion, Bengal tiger or a leopard, he/she’ll
be able to identify them by the way they attack upon you, but unfortunately by
that time the person will be eaten by the animal and be dead. This idea of
identifying while dying’ is humorous and adventurous.
·
The poem also describes a bear that can
be identified with its friendly but suffocating bear-hug. A hyena is distinct due to its betraying laugh and a crocodile is known for its fake tears while
swallowing its victim.
Poetic Devices :
A large and tawny beast, - Imagery
If he roars at you as you’re dyin’ - Humour, Onomatopoeia
You’ll know it is the Asian Lion... Assonance
With black stripes on a yellow ground, - Imagery
Just notice if he eats you. - Humour
Whose hide with spots is peppered, - Imagery
As soon as he has lept on you, - Repetition, Poetic license
’Twill do no good to roar with pain, - Humour, Assonance, Onomatpoeia
He’ll only lep and lep again - Humour, Poetic license, Repetition
If when you’re walking round your yard - Consonance
Who hugs you very, very hard, - Oxymoron, Repetition, Humour
Be sure it is a Bear. - Alliteration, Assonance
He’ll give you just one more caress. - Humour
A novice might nonplus, - Poetic license
Hyenas come with merry smiles; - Irony, humour
But if they weep they’re Crocodiles - Repetition, Irony, humour
A lizard sort of thing; - Imagery, metaphor
He hasn’t any ears at all, - Alliteration, Imagery
And not a single wing. - Assonance, Imagery
If there is nothing on the tree, - Assonance
’Tis the chameleon you see. - Irony, humour
RTC
As soon as he has lept on you,
You’ll know it is the Leopard.
’Twill do no good to roar with pain,
He’ll only lep and lep again
Qa. Do you think the
words ‘lept’ and ‘lep’ are spelt
correctly? Why does the poet spell them like this?
Ans. No, the words lept and lep are not spelled. the correct spellings are 'leapt' and 'leap'. these words are misspelt to create musical effect and produce sound like leopard.
Qb. Tell the
prevailing poetic device used in these four lines.
And. Humour and poetic repetition
Qc. Who will roar in
pain? Why?
Ans. The one who encounters a leopard will roar in pain as the leopard will eat him/her.
Qd. Why does the
poet describe the animal?
Ans. The poet describes the animals for the readers' information but adding a pinch of humour also describes the condition of the person who happenes to meet the animal in the forest unfortunately though.
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