A Tiger in the zoo – Leslie Norris

Rhyme scheme - abcb

1)Notice the use of a word repeated in lines such as these

1. On pads of velvet quiet, In his quiet rage.
2. And stares with his brilliant eyes at the brilliant stars.
What do you think is the effect of this repetition?

This repetition is a poetic device used by the poet in order to increase the intensity of the
tiger’s rage and his helpless silence. ‘Velvet quiet’ refers to the quiet velvet pads of the tiger,
which cannot run or leap. They can only walk around the limited space in the cage. The use
of ‘quiet rage’ symbolises the anger and ferocity that is building up inside the tiger as it wants
to run out into the forest and attack a deer, but the rage is quiet because he is locked in the
cage and is helpless. The repetition of ‘quiet’ has, thus, brought immense beauty to the poem.
Similarly, the use of ‘brilliant’ for the tiger’s eyes as well as the stars also brings out the
magnificence of these lines. The tiger stares at the brilliant stars with his brilliant eyes
dreaming about how beautiful his life could be in the forest. The repetition thus, gives a
wonderful effect to the poem.

2)How does the tiger act in the cage?

The tiger is not happy being the cage, he is just walking here and there in the cage and
thinking about his family which is in the jungle. He ignores that visitors and just walk with an
attitude as well as sadness. He does not care about what is happening in the zoo and does not
care about giving attention to the visitor. He is powerful outside the cage and while in the
zoo, he does not perform any action because he needs freedom and he wants to be in the
jungle, but cannot go because he has been imprisoned in the cage.

3)Why do you think the tiger looks at the stars?

The tiger belongs in the wild where he can roam freely under the stars. However, in reality, he is
kept in a small cage in a zoo. The tiger looks at the stars from within his cage because he hopes for
a day that he can be free to roam under the stars again.

4)How does a tiger create terror for the villagers?

The tiger terrorises the villagers by growling around the houses of villagers which were at

Jangle's edge. Also, the tiger shows his white fangs and long claws and thus make his fierce
presence to the Villagers. The tiger creates terror by growling around the houses of
villagers which is near the jungle.

5)What is the tiger doing? Why is he ignoring the visitors?

The tiger was ignoring the visitors as he considers the people to be devoid of feelings. He
likes none because no one had ever tried to help him out to make him free from the cage. The
tiger was in rage and anger because its freedom has been curtailed. He was forced to live in a
cage which was very small. Since it was locked in the small cage it was unable to show its
anger and ferocity.

6)Tigers are becoming extinct due to deforestation and poaching. How can people be
sensitized about the need of tiger for the ecological balance?

7)Love for freedom is the natural instinct of every living being. Comment

As man loves freedom, so do all forms of animals. Man has kept animals in zoos for his
pleasure, entertainment and convenience. This is man’s cruelty to animals! The poem A Tiger
in the Zoo portrays the anguish of a tiger caged in a zoo. The tiger feels slave in the concrete
cell. It feels like a prisoner. It misses its freedom in the forest where it should be lurking in
the shadows; stalking its prey in the long grass near water hole, where deer come to drink
water and where it lurks to pounce on them. It can only walk a few steps in the cage. Many
visitors come to see it but it does not pay any heed to them. At night after everyone retires, it
can only look at the stars from its cage. Every living being deserves freedom. It is the natural
instinct of every living being. From human kind to plant to animals, everyone deserves
freedom. Just like we human beings can't think of a life in the prison, similarly it is not right
to restrict the tiger in the prison. It just decreases the life. Proper wildlife sanctuaries need to
be established in order to free tigers as they are at the verge of extinction. They need to be
provided with proper area to live with freedom in the open nature.

8)Is it right to confine wild animals into cages? Why or why not?

It is not right to confine animals within cages, because cage is not the natural habitat of

the animals. They are born free and they should be allowed to roam free in their natural
habitats. And if they are kept confined in cages, they will get depressed and soon die. The
natural place of living for a wild animal is the forest. Keeping them enclosed in the cage is
like restricting the animals from their natural habitat. Animals are an essential part of the
ecosystem. They help in maintaining the balance of nature. Confining them in the cages not
just takes away their freedom but also disturbs the balance of nature. A wild animal in its
natural habitat plays a significant role in maintaining the food web. The loss of freedom for
the sake of entertainment of the humans is very inhumane treatment given to the animals.
Such activities should be prohibited and no animal should be kept in the zoo or cages.