A Tiger in the Zoo Solutions

Content Structure

1. About the author – Leslie Norris
2. Theme of the A Tiger in the Zoo
3. Summary of the A Tiger in the Zoo
4. Explanation
5. Word meanings
6. Thinking about the poem
7. Extra Questions and Answers
- A. Multiple Choice Questions and Answers (MCQs)
- B. Fill in the blanks
- C. True and false
- D. Short Questions and Answers
- E. Long Questions and Answers
- F. Grammar

1. About the author – Leslie Norris

Leslie Norris’s full name was George Leslie Norris, and he was a famous poet and short story writer. He was born on 21st May, 1921, in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales. He started writing in the 1940s and became well known for his poems and stories about life in Wales. In 1983, he moved to the United States and taught at Brigham Young University in Utah. There he worked as a professor of creative writing and poet-in-residence. Some of his famous books are Finding Gold, The Loud Winter, and Sliding. His works were translated into many languages, and he won several awards. He died on 6th April, 2006, in Provo, Utah, USA.

2. Theme of the A Tiger in the Zoo

The poem shows the difference between freedom and life in a cage, and it tells how the tiger is strong and powerful but lives in a cage.
The tiger feels angry, sad, and restless because it cannot move freely.
The poem compares the wild jungle with the zoo, showing what should live in nature and what should stay out of cages.
The poem teaches us to respect animals and allow them to live freely in nature, not in cages.

3. Summary of the A Tiger in the Zoo

The poem talks about a tiger that is trapped in a zoo, even though it naturally lives in the wild. It hunts near water and in the jungle and can frighten both animals and humans. In the zoo, the tiger is locked in a small concrete cage, where it walks quietly on soft paws and ignores the visitors. At night, it hears sounds like voices and cars, and it looks at the stars with its bright, sharp eyes. The poem shows that the tiger is powerful and free in the wild but sad and unhappy because it is locked in a cage.

4. Explanation

Stanza 1

“He stalks in his vivid stripes
The few steps of his cage,
On pads of velvet quiet,
In his quiet rage.”

Explanation: In this stanza, the tiger walks quietly inside the small cage, showing its careful and soft movements. Its bright and beautiful stripes make it look strong and proud. The tiger moves on its soft paws like it is trying to stay calm, but in its heart, it feels angry and restless because it cannot move freely in the jungle. Its quiet rage shows that it is meant to live in the wild, where it can hunt, move around, and live freely, not in a small cage.

Stanza 2

“He should be lurking in shadow,
Sliding through long grass
Near the water hole
Where plump deer pass.”

Explanation: In the wild, the tiger would hide quietly in the shadows and move softly through the tall grass. It would go near the water hole to find plump deer to hunt. This shows that the tiger is strong, clever, and careful. It knows how to move silently and wait quietly to catch the deer. These lines show how powerful and smart the tiger is in its natural home.

Stanza 3

“He should be snarling around houses
At the jungle’s edge,
Baring his white fangs, his claws,
Terrorising the village!”

Explanation: In the wild, the tiger would roam freely near the edge of the jungle and could scare people and other animals with its sharp teeth and strong claws. It would growl loudly and show its power, warning others to stay away. These lines show that the tiger is dangerous, strong, and powerful in its natural home. The poem helps us understand how scary and free the tiger is in the wild, compared to its quiet life in the cage.

Stanza 4

“But he’s locked in a concrete cell,
His strength behind bars,
Stalking the length of his cage,
Ignoring visitors.”

Explanation: The tiger is trapped in a small concrete cage and cannot use its full strength. It walks around in the cage, moving slowly and quietly. The tiger ignores the visitors, showing that it is bored and unhappy. Although it is strong and powerful, its energy is wasted in the cage, and it cannot roam freely as it would in the wild.

Stanza 5

“He hears the last voice at night,
The patrolling cars,
And stares with his brilliant eyes
At the brilliant stars.”

Explanation: At night, the tiger listens to noises from outside the cage, like voices and the sounds of patrolling cars. The tiger is trapped, but it looks at the stars with its bright, sharp eyes. This shows that its courage is still strong, and it continues watching and noticing what is happening around it. These lines help us understand that, although the tiger is locked up, it is still strong and brave inside.

5. Word meanings

	Word	Meanings
1.	Stalks	Walks quietly while hunting
2.	Vivid	Bright
3.	Pads	Soft parts under the tiger’s feet
4.	Rage	Anger
5.	Lurking	Hiding and waiting quietly
6.	Sliding	Moves smoothly
7.	Plump	Chubby
8.	Snarling	Showing teeth and making an angry growling sound
9.	Edge	Border
10.	Baring	Showing
11.	Fangs	Long sharp teeth
12.	Terrorising	Scaring or frightening someone
13.	Claws	Sharp nails on an animal’s feet
14.	Concrete cell	Strong stone or cement room where animals are kept
15.	Bars	Metal rods used to lock animals in
16.	Patrolling	Watching
17.	Stares	Looks at something for a long time
18.	Brilliant	Shining
19.	Visitors	People who come to see something or Guests
20.	Snarls	Angry sound

6. Thinking about the poem

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.
Ans:

In the cage	In the wild
Stalks quietly	Lurking in shadow
Walks on pads of velvet	Sliding through long grass
Stalking the length of cage	Hunting near water holes
Ignores visitors	Snarling around houses
Shows quiet rage	Baring fangs and claws

Cage	Wild
Concrete cell	Jungle
Confined space	Open grass, water holes
Limited movement	Wide space to roam freely
Visitors around	Deer and animals nearby

Poet’s idea: The poet shows how the tiger is strong and free in the wild, but unhappy and angry in the cage.

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?
Ans:

“Quiet” and “brilliant” are repeated to show emphasis.
“Quiet” shows both the tiger’s soft movements and hidden anger.
“Brilliant” highlights the bright, sharp beauty of its eyes and the stars.
Repetition helps the reader see the tiger’s feelings and notice important things.

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

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

Ans: In The Tiger by Peter Niblett, the tiger thinks about freedom but also fears dangers in the wild. This shows that zoos protect animals from hunters, lack of food, or dangerous water.

In The Panther by Rainer Maria Rilke, the panther seems trapped and sad, showing that cages can stop an animal from living freely and happily.

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
Ans:

Good: Zoos can keep special and unusual animals safe from hunters and danger. They also help people learn about animals and nature.
Bad: Animals in cages can feel sad and unhappy because they lose their freedom and cannot live freely like in the wild.
Better: Zoos are helpful if they look after the animals well, give them enough space, and make their home like the wild.

7. Extra Questions and Answers

A. Multiple Choice Questions and Answers (MCQs)

1. How does the tiger move inside its cage?
(a) On pads of velvet, quietly
(b) Loudly and quickly
(c) Jumping and running
(d) Sleeping all the time

Ans: (a) On pads of velvet, quietly

2. What emotion does the tiger feel inside the cage?
(a) Happiness
(b) Fear
(c) Quiet rage
(d) Excitement

Ans: (c) Quiet rage

3. What animals does the tiger hunt near the water hole?
(a) Monkeys
(b) Fish
(c) Birds
(d) Deer

Ans: (d) Deer

4. What is the tiger’s home in the poem?
(a) Jungle
(b) Concrete cage
(c) Water hole
(d) Open field

Ans: (b) Concrete cage

5. What does the tiger see at night while in the cage?
(a) The moon only
(b) Other animals
(c) Brilliant stars
(d) Forest trees

Ans: (c) Brilliant stars

6. What does “vivid stripes” refer to?
(a) The tiger’s claws
(b) The tiger’s beautiful coat pattern
(c) The cage walls
(d) The grass around the tiger

Ans: (b) The tiger’s beautiful coat pattern

7. What does the tiger “stalk” in the poem?
(a) The few steps of its cage
(b) Its food
(c) Visitors
(d) The stars

Ans: (a) The few steps of its cage

8. What does the tiger “ignore” in the poem?
(a) Its cage
(b) The stars
(c) The water hole
(d) Visitors

Ans: (d) Visitor

9. Why does the tiger look at the stars?
(a) To see its prey
(b) To feel free in spirit
(c) To scare visitors
(d) To sleep

Ans: (b) To feel free in spirit

10. Which of these best describes the tiger’s eyes?
(a) Small and weak
(b) Closed and sleepy
(c) Brilliant and sharp
(d) White and dull

Ans: (c) Brilliant and sharp

B. Fill in the blanks

1. The tiger walks on __________ of velvet quiet. (pads)
2. The tiger feels __________ inside the cage. (quiet rage)
3. Near the water hole, the tiger hunts __________. (deer)
4. The tiger bares its white __________ and claws near villages. (fangs)
5. The tiger is locked in a __________ cell. (concrete)
6. The tiger walks the __________ of its cage. (length)
7. The tiger stares at the brilliant __________. (stars)
8. The tiger’s stripes are described as __________. (vivid)
9. The tiger ignores __________ who come to see it. (visitors)
10. The tiger’s movement in the cage is soft and __________. (quiet)

C. True and false

1. The tiger walks loudly in its cage. (False)
S/S: The tiger moves softly on its paws, showing quiet and careful steps.

2. In the wild, the tiger hides in shadows and moves through long grass. (True)
S/S: The poet describes the tiger’s natural behavior of stalking and hunting in its jungle home.

3. The tiger hunts elephants near the water hole. (False)
S/S: The tiger hunts deer, which are smaller and easier for it to catch.

4. The tiger enjoys being locked in a concrete cage. (False)
S/S: The tiger is trapped and cannot use its strength, so it is unhappy in the cage.

5. The tiger ignores visitors who come to see it in the zoo. (True)
S/S: The tiger does not care about the people around; it just walks quietly in its cage.

6. At night, the tiger stares at the stars with brilliant eyes. (True)
S/S: Even in captivity, the tiger’s spirit and sharpness are shown when it looks at the stars.

7. The poet says the tiger’s stripes are dull and weak. (False)
S/S: The tiger’s stripes are bright and vivid, showing its natural beauty.

D. Short Questions and Answers

1. How does the poet describe the tiger’s movements in the cage?
Ans: The tiger moves softly and carefully, sliding quietly on its smooth steps, showing its strength and power even inside the cage.

2. What does the tiger do near villages in the jungle?
Ans: In the jungle, the tiger moves near villages and shows its sharp teeth and claws, which can scare people. This shows that it is strong and powerful in the wild.

3. What sounds does the tiger hear at night in the cage?
Ans: At night, the tiger hears noises from outside, like people leaving and patrolling cars. These sounds remind it that it is trapped, but it still looks at the stars, showing its courage is strong.

4. What do the tiger’s eyes show in the poem?
Ans: The tiger’s bright and sharp eyes show its strength and courage while it is trapped, and they reveal that it is still wild and powerful.

5. How does the poet show the difference between the tiger’s life in the cage and in the wild?
Ans: The poet shows the difference by describing the tiger as free, hunting, hiding, and strong in the wild, while in the cage it walks slowly, ignores people, and cannot use its full energy.

6. What does the tiger’s “quiet rage” mean in the poem?
Ans: “Quiet rage” means the tiger is angry inside but does not show it, and it feels restless because it cannot hunt or move freely in the cage.

7. What is the main message of the poem about the tiger?
Ans: The poem shows that tigers should live in the wild because keeping them in cages makes them sad and unhappy and takes away their natural freedom.

8. What is the central theme of “The Tyger”?
Ans: “The Tyger” talks about how wonderful and strange nature is. It asks how God could make a soft lamb and a powerful, scary tiger, showing that the world has both soft and powerful creatures.

E. Long Questions and Answers

1. Describe the tiger’s life in the cage as mentioned in the poem.
Ans: The tiger’s life in the cage is quiet but angry. It walks softly on its velvet-like paws, moving carefully in the small cage, and it looks calm on the outside while feeling restless because it cannot hunt or roam freely. Visitors come, but the tiger ignores them. At night, it hears voices and cars, yet its bright eyes look at the stars, showing its courage is still strong.

2. How does the poet show the difference between the tiger’s life in the wild and in captivity?
Ans: In the wild, the tiger hides in shadows, moves through tall grass, hunts deer, and can scare people near villages with its fangs and claws. In the cage, it is locked in a small concrete space, cannot use its strength, and walks quietly, ignoring visitors. This shows that the tiger’s freedom and power are lost in captivity.

3. Why is the tiger unhappy in the cage according to the poem?
Ans: The tiger is unhappy because it cannot live freely like in the jungle. It cannot hunt, stalk, or show its strength. It moves quietly, ignores visitors, and feels restless. The small cage stops it from using its full power. At night, it looks at the stars, reminding it of freedom. The tiger’s courage stays alive, but it is sad.

4. What does the tiger do at night in the cage and what does it show about its nature?
Ans: At night, the tiger listens carefully to the distant voices of people leaving and the sounds of patrolling cars outside. The tiger looks at the bright stars with sharp eyes, showing that its courage and strength are still strong and that it still dreams of freedom. Its body is trapped, but its mind and heart remain connected to the wild.

5. What lesson about nature and freedom can we learn from this poem?
Ans: The poem teaches that wild animals, like tigers, belong in nature, where they can use their strength and move freely. When animals are kept in cages, they become sad and restless, but their courage and natural instincts remain strong. The poem reminds us to respect animals and give them space to live freely.

F. Grammar

Voice change

1. He ignores visitors.
Ans: Visitors are ignored by him.

2. The tiger bares his white fangs.
Ans: His white fangs are bared by the tiger.

3. He hears the patrolling cars at night.
Ans: The patrolling cars are heard by him at night.

4. He terrorises the village.
Ans: The village is terrorised by him.

5. He stares at the brilliant stars.
Ans: The brilliant stars are stared at by him.

6. The tiger watches the stars at night.
Ans: The stars are watched by the tiger at night.

7. The visitors watch the tiger.
Ans: The tiger is watched by the visitors.

8. He should hunt plump deer near the water hole.
Ans: Plump deer near the water hole should be hunted by him.

Narration change

1. The tiger said, “I should be free in the jungle.”
Ans: The tiger said that he should be free in the jungle.

2. The tiger said, “I ignore the visitors.”
Ans: The tiger said that he ignored the visitors.

3. He said, “I walk on pads of velvet quietly.”
Ans: He said that he walked on pads of velvet quietly.

4. The tiger said, “I stare at the brilliant stars.”
Ans: The tiger said that he stared at the brilliant stars.

5. He said, “I should hunt plump deer near the water hole.”
Ans: He said that he should hunt plump deer near the water hole.

6. The tiger said, “I move in my cage with quiet rage.”
Ans: The tiger said that he moved in his cage with quiet rage.

7. He said, “I should be snarling around houses at the jungle’s edge.”
Ans: He said that he should be snarling around houses at the jungle’s edge.

8. The tiger said, “I terrorise the village.”
Ans: The tiger said that he terrorised the village.

9. The tiger said, “I should be lurking in shadow.”
Ans: The tiger said that he should be lurking in shadow.

10. The tiger said, “I stalk the few steps of my cage.”
Ans: The tiger said that he stalked the few steps of his cage.

11. He said, “I hold my strength behind bars.”
Ans: He said that he held his strength behind bars.

12. The tiger said, “I should slide through long grass near water holes.”
Ans: The tiger said that he should slide through long grass near water holes.