A Tiger in the Zoo
By– Leslie Norris
COMPREHENSION OF STANZAS
Read the following stanzas and answer the questions that follow :
STANZA 1
He stalks in his vivid stripes
The few steps of his cage,
On pads of velvet quiet,
In his quiet rage.
Questions :
(a) Who is ‘he’ here? How does ‘he’ walk?
(b) What emotion does ‘he’ show?
(c) What does ‘pads of velvet’ mean?
(d) Name the poem and the poet.
(e) Which words rhyme in this stanza?
Answers :
(a) Here ‘he’ is the tiger. ‘He’ walks with pride.
(b) ‘He’ shows anger coupled.
(c) ‘Pads of velvet’ means this animal’s soft soles.
(d) Poem: A Tiger in the Zoo.
Poet: Leslie Norris.
(e) The rhyming words are cage – rage
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STANZA 2
He should be lurking in shadow,
Sliding through long grass
Near the water hole
Where plump deer pass.
Questions :
(a) How should the tiger walk through the grass?
(b) Why should the tiger lurk in the shadow?
(c) Who passes near the water hole?
(d) Where should the tiger hide to himself?
(e) Which are the rhyming words in this stanza?
Answers :
(a) The tiger should slide through the grass.
(b) The tiger should lurk in the shadow to hunt for food.
(c) The fat deer pass near the water hole.
(d) The tiger should hide to himself near the water hole.
(e) The rhyming words are grass-pass.
STANZA 3
He should be snarling around houses
At the jungle’s edge.
Baring his white fangs, his claws,
Terrorising the village!
Questions :
(a) What should he be doing near the houses?
(b) Where are these houses situated?
(c) How would he terrorise the villagers?
(d) Who does ‘he’ refer to in this stanza?
(e) Which are the rhyming words in this stanza?
Answers :
(a) He should be snarling near the houses.
(b) These houses are at the edge of the jungle.
(c) He would terrorise the villagers by showing his fangs and claws.
(d) ‘He’ refers to the tiger.
(e) The rhyming words are edge-village.
STANZA 4
But he locked in a concrete cell,
His strength behind bars,
Stalking the length of his cage,
Ignoring visitors.
Questions :
(a) in what kind of a cell is he locked?
(b) Whose strength is behind bars?
(c) How does he react to the visitors?
(d) Who is being ignored?
(e) Name the poem and the poet.
Answers :
(a) He is locked in a concrete cell.
(b) The strength of the locked animal is behind bars.
(c) He ignores the visitors.
(d) The visitors are being ignored.
(e) Poem: A Tiger in the Zoo.
Poet: Leslie Norris.
STANZA 5
He hears the last voice at night, [H.B.S.E. March. 2017 (Set-B)]
The patrolling cars,
And stares with his brilliant eyes
At the brilliant stars.
Questions :
(a) What sound does the tiger hear at night?
(b) How do his eyes look?
(c) At what does he look at night?
(d) Which word in the stanza means ‘looks intently’?
(e) Which are the rhyming words in this stanza?
Ans.
(a) The tiger hears the sound of the patrolling cars at night.
(b) His eyes look brilliant.
(c) He looks at the shining stars at night.
(d) The word is ‘stares’.
(e) The rhyming words are cars-stars.
Stanza-6: (Page 29)
He stalks in his vivid stripes
The few steps of his cage,
On pads of velvet quiet,
In his quiet rage.
Word-Meaning: Stalk—to walk in an angry or proud way Vivid—very bright, Stripes—long lines on the body, Cage—a box made of bars or wire, Pads—cushion, Velvet—a soft silk cloth Quiet—making very little noise, Rage—violent anger
Paraphrase
The tiger is bound in his cage. Stripes on his skin are clearly visible. His heels look like pads an of velvet. On his pads of velvet, he walks quietly within his cage. He doesn’t seem to be happy to be in his unnatural abode. So, without showing his anger, he walks around quietly in his cage.
Questions:
(a) What can be said about the stripes on his body?
(b) What are pads of velvet?
(c) Where is the tiger now?
(d) Why is he in his ‘quiet rage’?
Answers:
(a) The stripes on his body are clearly visible.
(b) The heels of the tiger are soft like the pads of velvet.
(c) The tiger is bound in his cage.
(d) He is unhappy and angry but controls his rage quietly.
Stanza-7: (Page 29)
He should be lurking in shadow,
Sliding through long grass
Near the water hole
Where plump deer pass.
Word-Meaning: Lurking—waiting secretly, Shadow—(here) darkness, Sliding through—moving smoothly and quietly, Water hole—a small pool of water where animals go to drink
Paraphrase
The tiger knows how to ambush his hunt. He doesn’t attack by challenging his prey directly. He lies in the shade of trees, unseen to his victims. He slides silently through the long grass before charging upon his hunt. He reaches silently to the water hole where plump and well grown up deer come to drink water.
Questions:
(a) Why does the tiger lurk in shadow?
(b) Why does he slide through the long grass?
(c) Where does the tiger generally go in the search of his prey?
(d) What can he find near the water hole?
Answers:
(a) The tiger knows how to ambush his hunt and so he lurks in shadow unseen.
(b) He slides through the long grass to ambush his prey unseen and unnoticed.
(c) The tiger generally goes to the water hole in search of his victims.
(d) He can hunt his favourite plump deer who come there for drinking water.
Stanza-8: (Page 29)
He should be snarling around houses
At the jungle’s edge,
Baring his white fangs, his claws,
Terrorising the village!
Word-Meaning: Snarling—making an aggressive growl showing teeth, Around—in various directions, At the Jungle’s edge—at the outer area of jungle, Baring—not covered with, White fangs—two long sharp teeth, Claws—nails of animals or birds, Terrorising—creating fear,
Paraphrase
Had he not been bound in his cage, the tiger would have been roaming around freely. He should have been growling around the houses of the human settlement at the outskirts of the jungle. There, he would open out his sharp long white teeth and paws just to terrorise the villagers.
Questions:
(a) Where should be the tiger snarling around?
(b) Where are the houses situated?
(c) How does he terrorise the villagers?
(d) Does he really attack the villagers?
Answers:
(a) He should be snarling around the houses of the human settlement.
(b) The houses are situated at the edge of the jungle.
(c) He terrorises the villagers by opening out his long sharp teeth and powerful claws.
(d) No, he doesn’t really attack but only terrorises the villagers.
Stanza-9 (Page 29)
But he’s locked in a concrete cell,
His strength behind bars,
Stalking the length of his cage,
Ignoring visitors.
Word-Meaning: Locked—put under lock, Concrete cell—a cell made up of concrete, Strength—power, Behind—backwards Bars—prison, Ignoring—paying no attention, Visitors—persons who visit,
Paraphrase
Unfortunately, the tiger is not left free in the jungle but is locked in a cage made of cement and concrete in a zoo. His unbound strength is caged in behind the bars. They’re locked in the cage, he walks around arrogantly ignoring the visitors.
Questions:
(a) Where is the tiger locked?
(b) What has gone wrong with his strength?
(c) Where does he stalk around?
(d) Why does he ignore the visitors?
Answers:
(a) The tiger is locked in a cage made up of cement and concrete.
(b) The powerful tiger has been put behind the bars.
(c) He stalks proudly around the length of his cage.
(d) He hates to entertain the visitors and stalks proudly just ignoring them.
Stanza-10: (Page 29)
He hears the last voice at night,
The patrolling cars,
And stares with his brilliant eyes
At the brilliant stars.
Word-Meaning: Last voice at night- the last voice heard at night, Patrolling- cancers which patrol or keep watch, Stares – looks for a long time, Brilliant eyes—very bright eyes
Paraphrase
At night, the caged tiger hears the last voices of the patrolling cars. Being locked in the cage, he looks towards the sky. He goes on staring the brilliant stars that are shining freely in the sky like his brilliant eyes.
Questions:
(a) Where is the tiger locked in?
(b) What does he hear at night?
(c) Why does he stare at the brilliant stars?
(d) Why do cars patrol at night?
Answers:
(a) The tiger is locked in a cage in a zoo.
(b) He hears the voice of the patrolling cars at night.
(c) He stares at the brilliant stars because they are shining freely in the sky.
(d) Cars patrol at night to supervise and safeguard the animals lodged in the zoo.
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