summary of chapter tiger in the zoo
Answers
Leslie Norris was a Welsh poet and short story writer. He was born in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales in 1921. Norris knew at the age of 12 that he would be a poet. As a teenager, he would ride his bike to a nearby town to listen to poets such as Dylan Thomas and Vernon Watkins. Norris’ first poem was published in 1938 and his first book of poetry came out in 1943.
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The poem consists of 5 stanzas. Each of these stanzas is again made up of 4 lines. Hence, the entire poem consists of 20 lines in total.
The tiger moves up and down of his cage. The stripes on his body are of strong bright colour. The tiger moves quietly on his velvet pads. He is full of rage but is quiet. (because he knows that he is helpless here.)
Looking at the imprisoned tiger, the poet is filled with pity. He says that the poor tiger should have been in his natural habitat. Then at this point of the night ,he would have been lying in the shadows of trees and sliding quietly through the long grass. There, near the water hole, he would be waiting for some fat deer to pass that way. Thus he would be lying there in expectation of a heavy feast.
Here the poet imagines what the tiger would be doing in case he failed to find any prey in his natural habitat. He says that the tiger would be growling at the edge of jungle near some village. He would be showing his white fangs and claws while moving here and there. He would thus become a cause of terror for the villagers. The poetess here gives a hint that if we destroy the natural habitat of tigers, they will be forced to turn to our towns and villages to find their food.
The poet sees the tiger logged in a concrete cell in the zoo. In spite of all his strength, he now lies imprisoned behind the bars. Very slowly and silently, he moves up and down along the length of the cage. He takes no note of the visitors who come to the zoo to have a look at him.
The tiger knows no rest during the day because of the visitors. Even at night he remains disturbed due to the noise of the patrolling cars. He keeps staring at the brilliant stars with his brilliant eyes. Perhaps he is asking heaven why he has been imprisoned there.
Answer:
Stanza - 1:
He stalks in his vivid stripes
The few steps of his cage ,
On pads of velvet quite ,
In his quite rage.
Meaning:
In this stanza , the poet describes the appearance of the tiger in the zoo and its daily movements .He says that the tiger moves up - down of his cage. The stripes on its body can be distinguished even seen from far as they are darker in colour then the rest of its coat. The tiger walk quietly without making a sound because of his smooth velvet pads. The tiger is able to walk only few steps because of the length of its cage. It covers the distance in a a few mere steps only. The tiger is full of anger but it is helpless and suppressed and he knows it very well .
Stanza - 2 :
He should be lurking in shadow,
Sliding through long grass
Near the water hole
Where plump deer pass.
Meaning:
In this stanza , the poet is filled with pity while looking at the imprisoned tiger the poet images another life for the tiger other than the zoo. He says that the poor tiger should have been in his natural habitat that is in the wild forest. He says that under normal conditions. This Tiger would have been moving in the darkness not in the clear day light. It would have been line in the shadows of trees or hiding itself behind long grass so that its prey will not be able to dictate it's movement . it this way , the tiger would have moved near the water whole were all the animals of the forest came to drink on sunny afternoon . There , near the water whole , he would be waiting for some fat deer to Past that way. Thus he would be lying there in expectation of a feast.
Stanza - 3 :
He should be snarling around houses
At the jungle's edge,
Baring his white fangs, his claws,
Terrorising the village!
Meaning:
In this stanza , the poet says that even though he would prefer the tiger to live in while it is not as if it would lose all touch with human civilisations. He imagine what the tiger will do in case he failed to find any prey in his natural habitat. He says that the tiger would be growling at the edge of jungle near some village. He would be showing this white fangs and claws while moving here and there with the intention of scaring all the inhabitat of that village. He would though become a cause of terror of the villagers. The poet here give a hint that if we distroy the natural habitat of tiger, they will be forced to turn to our town and villages to find there food.
Stanza - 4:
But he's locked in a concrete cell,
His strength behind bars,
Stalking the length of his cage,
Ignoring visitors.
Meaning:
In this stanza, the poet stops image in the tiger alternate life andertons to its real one. The poet sees the tiger caged in a small concrete sale in the zoo like a prisoner in the jail. In spite of all his strength, it now lies impression behind the bars. The pays attention to the visitors who come to see him every day at the zoo. Instead of this, the tiger very slowly and silently, moves up - down along the length of the cage without any disterbanc in the form of human intervention.
Stanza - 5:
He hears that last voice at night,
The patrolling cars,
And stares with his brilliant eyes
At the brilliant stars.
Meaning:
In this stanza, the poet describes about the daily routine of the tiger. The tiger does not rest during the day because of the visitors. Even at night it saty a week till the very last voice of the zoo keeper locking up and going home can be heard. After that too, it does not go to sleep. All night, it remains disturbe due to the noise of patrolling car. He keeps staring at the brilliant stars with his brilliant eyes. Perhaps he is asking even why he has been imprisoned here.