NCERT Solutions Class 10 English (First Flight)
The NCERT Solutions in English Language for Class 10 English (First Flight) Poem – 3 A Tiger in the Zoo has been provided here to help the students in solving the questions from this exercise.
Poem – 3 (A Tiger in the Zoo)
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
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.
Answer – 1
| In the Cage | In the Wild |
| Stalks, Few steps of his cage, Quiet rage Locked in concrete cell, Stalking-the length of his cage Ignoring visitors. He hears the last voice Stares at the brilliant stars. | Lurking in shadow, Sliding through long grass, Snarling around houses, Baring his white fangs, his claws, Terrorising the village. |
Answer – 2
| Cage | Wild |
| Few steps of his cage, | Shadow, Long grass, Water |
| Locked, Concrete cell, | hole, Plump deer, |
| Behind bars, Visitors, | Houses at jungle’s edge, |
| Patrolling cars | Village |
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 effect is clear. It stresses the importance of‘brilliant’. It also increases the images of the eyes of the tiger. It does so, of the shining stars also. The tiger’s eyes look like the shining stars.
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 p0werful 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 – Several species of animals are on the verge of extinction. Even tigers and lions are not safe in the forest due to poaching that is done for trade, etc. Zoos are, thus, necessary for the protection or conservation of these species. Zoos are safe and can also be used to educate the public about the importance of wild animals and their role in maintaining the ecological ‘ balance. Wildlife sancturies, reserves and national parks are some alternatives to zoos. These not only help in the protection and conservation of these species, but also provide them with a natural habitat.
