Summary of poem a tiger in the zoo
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THIS POEM CONTRASTS A TIGER IN ITS NATURAL HABITAT AND WHEN IT IS IMPRISONED IN A ZOO.ON A STARRY NIGHT THE POET SEES A TIGER IN THE ZOO. THE TIGER MOVES SLOWLY UP AND DOWN THE CAGE. HE IS FULL OF RAGE BUT QUIET IN HIS HELPLESSNESS. THE POET IS MOVED TO PITY FOR THE TIGER. HE SAYS THAT THE TIGER SHOULD HAVE BEEN IN THE JUNGLE. HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN MOVING QUIETLY IN THE SHADOWS NEAR SOME WATER HOLE,AND WAITING FOR PLUMP DEER TO PASS THAT WAY. BUT SADLY HE IS LOCKED BEHIND BARS IN A CONCRETE CELL. HE DOES NOT TAKE ANY NOTICE OF THE VISITORS.AND IS LOOKING AT THE BRILLIANT STARS WITH HIS BRILLIANT EYES. HE IS NO LONGER FREE TO MOVE IN HIS NATURAL HABITAT AND LOOK AT THE BRILLIAT STARS FROM THERE.
The poem begins with a description of a tiger that is very beautiful and is walking in his little cage. He has beautiful stripes on his skin and has velvet like soft paws. But the tiger is not happy and is quite angry about being confined in the cage. The poet says that if the tiger was not confined to the zoo cage, he would have been hiding himself behind the long grass near some water body, in order to catch its prey that is the deer. Also, he would have terrorised the residents of the villages around the forest area. But the reality is totally opposite to this. He was confined in a cage which was made up of strong building material and he was helpless there. He could not show his power to the visitors, therefore, never tried to terrorize them. The tiger is described as being powerless and agonized by the poet. He says that during night also he is alone, hearing the voice of the patrolling vehicles of police and looking at the stars. The cage life has totally changed the tiger’s personality. The poet is trying to say that the animal which is famous for its fearlessness and freedom is confined and sad due to the human beings who want to derive pleasure by looking at him in the zoo cage.