NCERT Solution For Class 10 English Chapter 3 Poem – A Tiger in the Zoo
NCERT Solution For Class 10 English First Flight Poem
Thinking about the Poem
Question 1: 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.
Answer:
(i)
| In the Cage | In the Wild |
| Stalks | lurking in the dark |
| a few of his cage’s steps | Gliding across the tall grass |
| Silent fury | Barking near homes |
| enclosed in a concrete cell | Showing off his white teeth and claws |
| Following his cage’s whole length | Terrorising the village |
| Ignoring visitors | |
| Stares with his brilliant eyes at the brilliant stars |
(ii)
| Cage | Wild |
| Few steps of his cage | Shadow |
| Locked | Water hole |
| Concrete cell | Long grass |
| Behind bars | Plump deer |
| Visitors | Houses at the jungle’s edge |
| Patrolling cars | Village |
NCERT Solution For Class 10 English First Flight Poem
Question 2: 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?
Answer:
The poet uses this repetition to create a lyrical effect that heightens the tiger’s anger and his helplessness as he stares out of the concrete cell of the cage. “Velvet quiet” describes a tiger’s velvet pads, which remain still and silent. The tiger’s only option was to move around the small enclosure. The phrase “quiet rage” describes the tiger’s rising rage and feral nature, which is symbolized by his desire to break out into the forest and attack a deer. The tiger is powerless and imprisoned within the cage, therefore his wrath is muted.
The poem has a beautiful lyrical quality due to the repeated use of the word “quiet.” In a similar vein, calling the stars and the tiger’s eyes “brilliant” highlights their magnificent qualities. Dreaming of a life in the wild where he might have lived freely and with beauty, the tiger fixes his sparkling eyes on the stars. Consequently, the lines have a certain splendor due to the repetition, which also produces a beautiful rhythmic impact.
Question 3: 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
NCERT Solution For Class 10 English First Flight Poem
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 stands 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
Answer:
Many animal species are housed together in zoos. Certain creatures are in risk of going extinct or are endangered. In the same way, poaching for illegal trade has made even endangered lions and tigers unsafe in the wild. Thus, zoos are essential to the preservation and defense of these kinds of animals. The public should be made aware of the value of wild animals and their crucial role in preserving the ecological balance of the environment, so ensuring that zoos serve as safe havens for animals.
National parks, wildlife sanctuaries, forest reserves, and other such places might be used as zoo alternatives instead. In addition to offering these creatures a home in the middle of nature, these solutions will safeguard or conserve these species.
Question 4: 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.
Answer:
Activity to be done by yourself.
NCERT Solution For Class 10 English First Flight Poem
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