A TIGER IN THE ZOO

POET ;LESLIE NORRIS

THEME

The poem written by Leslie Norris explains the agony and helplessness of
a caged tiger that lives in a zoo. The poet explains what his life could be if
he had been a free animal. The poet has tried to explain about the
condition of animals that are caged by human beings for their own fun.

LITERARY DEVICESRhyme Scheme: abcb abcb abcb abcb abcb 

Stanza 1

i. Personification - The poet refers to the tiger as he and not it. Thus,
the tiger has been personified. 

ii. Metaphor - The paws of tiger have been compared with velvet. 

iii. Enjambment - The sentences are being continued to the next line.

iv. Imagery - The poet has given detailed visual description about the
tiger - He stalks in his vivid stripes.

v. Assonance - There is a prominent sound of the vowel 'i' - 

1. He stalks in his vivid stripes

2. In his quiet rage.

vi. Consonance - There is a prominent sound of the consonant 's' - 

"stalks in his vivid stripes."

vii. Oxymoron - The poet has used two words which are opposite in
meaning - quiet and rage. 

viii. Synecdoche - Here, the poet has used the phrase vivid stripes for
the whole body of the tiger. 
Stanza 2

i. Enjambment – EXAMPLE: Sliding through long grass

Near the water hole.

ii. Alliteration - It is the repetition of a letter at the start of closely

placed words - "plump pass". There is repetition of the letter 'p'. 

iii. Imagery - The poet has given a brief description of the tigers
activities - lurking in shadow, sliding through long grass.

Stanza 3

i. Enjambment – Example:  He should be snarling around houses

At the jungles edge

ii. Onomatopoeia - In this stanza, the poet has used the word snarling,
which denotes the aggressive sound made by the tiger. 

iii. Assonance - 

1. There is a prominent sound of the vowel 'i' - Baring his white

fangs, his claws.
2. There is a prominent sound of the vowel 'o' - He should be
snarling around houses.

iv. Consonance - Prominent sound of 's' - Baring his white fangs, his
claws.

Stanza 4

i. Assonance - There is a prominent sound of the vowel 'e' - he's

locked in a concrete cell.
ii. Consonance - Prominent sound of 's' - His strength behind bars.

iii. Alliteration - It is the repetition of 'a' letter at the start of closely

placed words - behind bars. There is repetition of the letter 'b'. 

 Stanza 5

Poetic Devices:

i. Enjambment – eg:And stares with his brilliant eyes

At the brilliant stars.

ii. Alliteration- It is the repetition of a letter at the start of closely

placed words - "he hears". There is repetition of the letter 'h'. 

iii. Assonance- There is a prominent sound of the vowel 'i' - "with his
brilliant".

iv. Repetition - The word "brilliant" has been repeated.