A Tiger in the Zoo Poem Explanation Notes

 

A Tiger in the Zoo Poem Explanation Notes

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.

LESLIE NORRIS

In the opening stanza, the poet describes the appearance of the tiger in the zoo. He says that the stripes on the tiger’s body are visible from a far distance. These stripes are darker in colour than the rest of his body structure. The tiger moves in the cage but can walk only a few steps as the cage is small. He walks quietly due to its smooth velvet pads. The tiger is full of anger, but he suppresses it due to his helplessness.

In the second stanza, the poet imagines the life of the tiger in the jungle. He describes the other side of the tiger when he is a free animal. The poet says that, in the natural habitat, i.e the dark forest, the tiger would have been lying in the shadow of the tree or hiding in the long grass to prevent other animals from noticing his movement. In this way, he would reach the water hole where all the animals of the forest come to drink water. When a deer would pass through the water hole, he would attack him and have him as a meal for the day.

In the third stanza, the poet says that the tiger would be growling at the edge of the jungle near the village. The tiger would show his white long sharp teeth and long carved nails while moving here and there to scare the villagers. Here, the poet wants to convey that if we destroy the forests, then tigers will forcefully come out to towns and villages for their food. Thus, they will become the cause of terror to humans.

In the fourth stanza, the poet stops imagining the tiger’s forest life and returns to the real condition. The poet says that the tiger is locked in a strong cell, which is made up of sturdy material. He has all the strength and power, but he is still behind bars. The tiger moves slowly and quietly in his cage and pays no attention to people who are coming to see him.

In the last stanza, the poet says that the tiger does not sleep at night. He hears the sound of the patrolling car. The noise of the patrolling car disturbs the tiger and does not allow him to sleep. He keeps staring at the stars with his brilliant eyes. He gets lost in his thoughts and wonders why he has been imprisoned in the cage.

We hope this CBSE Class 10 English First Flight Poem Notes A Tiger in the Zoo must have helped students 

ज़ू में बन्द बाघ|

बाघ के शरीर पर चमकीली काली धारियां हैं और वह दबे हुए गुस्से के साथ, अपने गद्देदार पैरों पर गर्वीले अंदाज में चलता है|

उसे तो अंधेरे में छुप के रहना चाहिए या फिर लंबी घास के बीच से गुजरना चाहिए, किसी पोखरे के पास, जहां मोटे तगड़े हिरन आते हैं|

उसे जंगल के छोर पर बसे घरों के बाहर हुँकार भरनी चाहिए| अपने दांतो और पन्जों को दिखाकर, गांव भर को डराना चाहिए|

लेकिन वह तो सीमेंट-बालू के पक्के कमरे में बन्दी है और उसकी ताकत भी सलाखों में कैद है| वह अपने पिंजरे में दो चार कदम भर चलता है, सभी आने जाने वालों को अनदेखा करते हुए|

रात में आखिरी आवाज जो वह सुनता है, होती है, निगरानी करने वालों की गाड़ियों की और फिर अपनी चमकदार आंखों से देखता है चमकते सितारे|