Poet: Leslie Norris
The poem “A Tiger in the Zoo” contrasts the life of a tiger in captivity with its natural habitat. The poet shows the majestic creature’s frustration, helplessness, and lost freedom when it is confined in a zoo cage. The poem appeals to our sense of sympathy and justice for wild animals, especially tigers, which are meant to roam freely in forests.
He stalks in his vivid stripes…
The tiger is shown pacing back and forth in his cage. His beautiful stripes and quiet, angry movements show how unnatural captivity is for him.
He should be lurking in shadow…
The poet describes the tiger’s natural behavior in the wild — hiding in the jungle, near waterholes, hunting deer silently.
He should be snarling around houses…
At night, tigers often roam near villages. The poet reminds us that the tiger belongs in the forest, not behind bars.
But he’s locked in a concrete cell…
This stanza brings us back to reality. The tiger is locked in a small cage, where he cannot even show his power. He is angry but helpless.
He hears the last voice at night…
The tiger hears sounds of visitors and the patrolling of guards. But he remains quiet, trapped in a cage, far from freedom.
The poet criticizes the practice of keeping wild animals in zoos. Tigers are powerful creatures of the wild and should live in forests, not in cages. The poem creates sympathy for animals and raises awareness about wildlife conservation.
| Device | Example | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Imagery | “He stalks in his vivid stripes” | Helps the reader visualize the tiger |
| Personification | “He hears the last voice at night” | Gives the tiger human-like abilities |
| Alliteration | “Stalks in his vivid stripes” | Repetition of ‘s’ sound for effect |
| Contrast | Free jungle vs. zoo cage | Highlights the unnatural life in captivity |
| Enjambment | Sentences flow beyond lines | Keeps the poem’s rhythm natural |
Animals are not meant to be kept in cages. They deserve to live freely in their natural environment. The poem is a strong statement against animal cruelty and a call for respecting wildlife.
Q1. Who is the poet of the poem “A Tiger in the Zoo”?
Ans: Leslie Norris is the poet of the poem “A Tiger in the Zoo”.
Q2. Where is the tiger kept in the poem?
Ans: The tiger is kept in a concrete cell in the zoo.
Q3. What is the tiger doing inside the cage?
Ans: The tiger is pacing (walking) up and down the cage.
Q4. What does the tiger do at night?
Ans: The tiger hears the sounds of the patrolling cars and stares at the stars.
Q1. How does the poet contrast the tiger in the zoo with the tiger in the forest?
Ans: The poet shows that the tiger in the zoo is helpless and confined in a small cage, whereas in the forest, the tiger is free to roam, hunt, and show its strength. The contrast highlights the loss of freedom.
Q2. What does the tiger do in the wild according to the poet?
Ans: In the wild, the tiger lurks in the shadow of trees, slides through long grass near the water hole, and hunts deer.
Q3. How does the tiger feel in the cage?
Ans: The tiger feels angry, helpless, and frustrated. Though he has strength, he cannot use it due to confinement.
Q4. What message does the poet want to convey through the poem?
Ans: The poet wants to convey that wild animals should not be kept in cages. They should live freely in their natural habitat.
Q1. Describe the tiger in the zoo as shown in the poem.
Ans: The poet describes a tiger confined in a concrete cell of a zoo. It walks silently in its cage, full of anger and frustration. It should be living freely in the forest, stalking prey, and roaring near human settlements. But instead, it is forced to live behind bars, unable to express its strength. At night, it listens to the sounds outside and stares at the stars, probably dreaming of freedom. The poem evokes sympathy for the tiger and criticizes animal captivity.
Q2. What are the differences in the tiger’s behavior in the zoo and in the forest?
Ans: In the forest, the tiger is free and behaves naturally. It hides in the grass, hunts deer near waterholes, and roams fearlessly near villages. It expresses its strength and is part of the wild environment. In the zoo, the tiger is restricted in a small cage. It walks back and forth, angry but helpless. It cannot hunt or roam. The poet highlights the contrast to show how captivity suppresses the tiger’s true nature.
Q1. Who is the poet of the poem “A Tiger in the Zoo”?
Ans: Leslie Norris.
Q2. Where is the tiger kept in the poem?
Ans: The tiger is kept in a concrete cell in the zoo.
Q3. What is the tiger’s mood in the zoo?
Ans: The tiger is angry, helpless, and sad in the zoo.
Q4. What kind of stripes does the tiger have?
Ans: The tiger has vivid (bright and clear) stripes.
Q5. What does the tiger hear at night?
Ans: He hears the last voice of the visitors and the sound of the patrolling cars.
Q1. How does the tiger behave in the cage?
Ans: The tiger walks silently in his cage with rage and helplessness. He cannot show his strength or hunt freely.
Q2. What does the poet suggest the tiger should be doing instead of being in a cage?
Ans: The poet says the tiger should be lurking in the jungle, hunting deer near the waterhole and roaming near villages.
Q3. What is the main contrast shown in the poem?
Ans: The poem contrasts the tiger’s natural life in the wild with his miserable life in captivity.
Q1. Describe the tiger’s life in the zoo and compare it with its life in the forest.
Ans: In the zoo, the tiger lives a sad, restricted life in a small concrete cell. He walks silently, full of anger but unable to express his power. In contrast, in the forest, he roams freely, hunts deer, and lives with pride. The poet highlights how captivity makes even a fierce animal like a tiger look helpless and broken.
Q2. What message does the poet want to convey through the poem “A Tiger in the Zoo”?
Ans: The poet wants to create awareness about the cruelty of keeping wild animals in cages. He shows that animals like tigers are meant to live freely in their natural habitat. The poem is a call for animal rights and wildlife conservation.
Read the stanza below and answer the questions that follow:
“He stalks in his vivid stripes
The few steps of his cage,
On pads of velvet quiet,
In his quiet rage.”
(a) What do the words “vivid stripes” refer to?
Ans: They refer to the bright and clear stripes on the tiger’s body.
(b) Why is the tiger said to be in “quiet rage”?
Ans: Because the tiger is angry but cannot express it as he is trapped in a cage.
(c) What does the line “On pads of velvet quiet” suggest?
Ans: It suggests that the tiger’s paws are soft and he moves silently.
Paragraph-wise comprehension with questions and answers
He stalks in his vivid stripes
The few steps of his cage,
On pads of velvet quiet,
In his quiet rage.
He should be lurking in shadow,
Sliding through long grass
Near the water hole
Where plump deer pass.
He should be snarling around houses
At the jungle’s edge,
Baring his white fangs, his claws,
Terrorising the village!
But he’s locked in a concrete cell,
His strength behind bars,
Stalking the length of his cage,
Ignoring visitors.
He hears the last voice at night,
The patrolling cars,
And stares with his brilliant eyes
At the brilliant stars.
MCQs
Line: “He stalks in his vivid stripes”
Q1. What does the word “stalks” mean in the poem?
A. Runs fast
B. Hides silently
C. Walks slowly and quietly
D. Jumps playfully
✅ Answer: C
Q2. What does “vivid stripes” refer to?
A. Bright lights in the zoo
B. The cage bars
C. The tiger’s clear and bright body stripes
D. The zoo path
✅ Answer: C
Line: “The few steps of his cage”
Q3. What does this line suggest about the cage?
A. It is spacious
B. It is dark
C. It is very small
D. It is open
✅ Answer: C
Line: “On pads of velvet quiet”
Q4. What are “pads of velvet”?
A. Zoo benches
B. Cushions in the cage
C. The tiger’s soft paws
D. Footsteps of the guard
✅ Answer: C
Q5. What does the poet convey through “velvet quiet”?
A. The tiger is sleeping
B. The tiger moves silently
C. The tiger is making noise
D. The tiger is roaring
✅ Answer: B
Line: “In his quiet rage”
Q6. What does “quiet rage” refer to?
A. Loud anger
B. Suppressed anger
C. Happiness
D. Confusion
✅ Answer: B
Line: “He should be lurking in shadow”
Q7. Where should the tiger be, according to the poet?
A. In the zoo
B. In the forest, hiding
C. In the circus
D. In the water
✅ Answer: B
Line: “Sliding through long grass”
Q8. What is the tiger doing in the long grass?
A. Playing
B. Resting
C. Moving silently
D. Eating
✅ Answer: C
Line: “Near the water hole”
Q9. Why is the tiger near the water hole?
A. To swim
B. To drink water
C. To catch prey
D. To bathe
✅ Answer: C
Line: “Where plump deer pass”
Q10. What does “plump deer” suggest?
A. Weak animals
B. Fast deer
C. Healthy and fat deer
D. Dangerous animals
✅ Answer: C
Line: “He should be snarling around houses”
Q11. What does “snarling” mean?
A. Roaring angrily
B. Jumping happily
C. Laughing loudly
D. Running quickly
✅ Answer: A
Line: “At the jungle’s edge”
Q12. Where are the houses located?
A. In the zoo
B. Deep in the jungle
C. On the mountain
D. Near the jungle
✅ Answer: D
Line: “Baring his white fangs, his claws”
Q13. What is the tiger doing by baring his fangs and claws?
A. Playing
B. Sleeping
C. Showing his anger or readiness to attack
D. Cleaning his teeth
✅ Answer: C
Line: “Terrorising the village!”
Q14. What is the effect of the tiger’s presence near the village?
A. People are happy
B. People are scared
C. People are dancing
D. People are ignoring him
✅ Answer: B
Line: “But he’s locked in a concrete cell”
Q15. Where is the tiger locked?
A. Wooden cage
B. Metal cage
C. Concrete cage
D. Glass enclosure
✅ Answer: C
Line: “His strength behind bars”
Q16. What is the poet highlighting here?
A. The tiger’s beauty
B. The tiger’s freedom
C. The tiger’s power being useless in a cage
D. The zoo’s safety
✅ Answer: C
Line: “Stalking the length of his cage”
Q17. What does this line show?
A. The tiger is free
B. The tiger is calm
C. The tiger is roaming in the forest
D. The tiger is restless and walking in his cage
✅ Answer: D
Line: “Ignoring visitors”
Q18. What is the tiger’s reaction to visitors?
A. He enjoys their company
B. He plays with them
C. He ignores them
D. He welcomes them
✅ Answer: C
Line: “He hears the last voice at night”
Q19. Whose voice does the tiger hear at night?
A. Villagers
B. Animals
C. Visitors and zookeepers
D. Birds
✅ Answer: C
Line: “The patrolling cars”
Q20. What does this show?
A. The zoo is unsafe
B. Guards are checking the area
C. The tiger is watching a movie
D. Cars are entering the zoo
✅ Answer: B
Line: “And stares with his brilliant eyes”
Q21. How are the tiger’s eyes described?
A. Tired
B. Dull
C. Brilliant
D. Dark
✅ Answer: C
Line: “At the brilliant stars”
Q22. What is the tiger looking at?
A. The moon
B. The lights
C. The guards
D. The stars in the sky
✅ Answer: D
