Chapter-3.1 A Tiger in the Zoo NCERT Solution

A Tiger in the Zoo NCERT Solution edumantra.net

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A Tiger in the Zoo NCERT Solution

Thinking About the Poem (Page 30)

Q1. 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.

(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.

Ans.  (i)

Movements and actions of the Tiger in the cageMovements and actions of the Tiger in the wild
StalkingLurking
(Stepping) On pads of the velvet quietSliding
IgnoringSnarling
Hears (hearing)Baring
Stares (staring)Terrorising

(ii)

Places in the CagePlaces in the Wild
CageThrough long grass
Concrete cellNear the water hole
Behind barsAround houses
The length of his cageAt the jungle’s edge

Q2. 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. What do you think is the effect of this repetition?

Ans. (i) The word quiet appears twice in line 1 (velvet quiet) and in line 2 (quiet rage). The poetic device of ‘repetition’ is used when a particular action is emphasized. The word ‘quite’ is used for describing the ‘quiet’ movement of tiger’s velvety pads. In the second line, ‘quiet’ stands for silent or suppressed rage.

(ii)The word ‘brilliant’ is used twice. First as ‘brilliant eyes’ and then as ‘brilliant stars’. It signifies that the brilliant eyes of the tiger are as brilliant as the brilliant stars shining in the sky.

Q3. 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?

The Tiger

The tiger behind the bars of his cage growls,

The tiger behind the bars of his cage snarls,

The tiger behind the bars of his cage roars.

Then he thinks.

It would be nice not to be behind bars all

The time

Because they spoil my view

 I wish I were wild, not on show.

But if I were wild, hunters might shoot me,

But if I were wild, food might poison me,

But if I were wild, water might drown me.

Then he stops thinking

And…

The tiger behind the bars of his cage growls,

The tiger behind the bars of his cage snarls,

The tiger behind the bars of his cage roars.

—Peter Niblett

The Panther

His vision, from the constantly passing bars,

has grown so weary that it cannot hold

anything else. It seems to him there are

a thousand bars; and behind the bars, no world.

As he paces in cramped circles, over and over,

the movement of his powerful soft strides

is like a ritual dance around a centre

in which a mighty will stand paralysed.

Only at times, the curtain of the pupils

 lifts, quietly. An image enters in,

rushes down through the tensed, arrested

muscles

plunges into the heart and is gone.

—Rainer Maria Rilke

Ans. The urge to live and roam freely is not limited only to human beings. Animals, especially, the big cat like lions and tigers are wild animals. They can’t be ‘domesticated’ or caged in zoos. If done so, these ferociously wild animals always resent any curtailment of their freedom. Their ‘quiet rage’ says a lot of things. Zoos can be defended because they ‘conserve’ and ‘protect’ some species of animals.
However, this is only partly true. They may be useful for educating the public. But the curtailment of freedom is torture and against natural justice. The real habitat of wild animals like tigers and lions is not the zoo but the wilds of the jungle. Yes, there are alternatives to the zoo.
The ‘Tiger Reserves’ can be the alternative to the zoo. The wild animals can live there freely and can be protected and conserved properly.

Q4. Take a point of view for or against zoos, or even consider both points of view and write a couple of paragraphs or speak about this topic for a couple of minutes in class.

Ans.                                                                       Zoos Don’t Preserve

                          or

                      Conserve Animals

                      [A speech – For the Motion]

Respected President, teachers and friends! They say zoos are necessary. “How?” I ask. They say zoos are necessary for the protection and conservation of some species of animals. Sir, I refute it totally. Let me tell my opponents that zoos are not the natural habitats of wild animals. Can the king of the forest, the lion, live happily in a zoo? Can a ferocious tiger be happy behind the bars? I would say a big “No”. Give him the food of his choice and take away his freedom. The tiger will never bargain for it. Sir, in the zoos wild animals like lions and tigers are merely show-pieces just to entertain the public. People buy tickets to entertain themselves.

Sir, freedom is not a special trait limited only to human beings. Animals too need the freedom to roam around freely in their natural habitats. And the jungle is the natural habitat of wild animals. There is an alternative to the zoo. A ‘Tiger Reserve’ can serve all the necessary purposes. It can protect and preserve wild animals in their natural habitat.

 

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