NCERT Solution for Class 10 English : First Flight – Poem 3 A Tiger in the Zoo
NCERT solution is important for student to cover entire chapter. NCERT solution Poem will help the student to understand the answers of Intext questions and Exercise Questions.
Thinking About the Poem
Question.1. Read the poem again, and work in pairs orgroups 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.
Answer.
| 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. |
(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.
| In the Cage | In the 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 |
Question.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. This repetition is a poetic device used by the poet in order to increase the intensity of the tiger’s rage and his helpless silence. ‘Velvet quiet’ refers to the quiet velvet pads of the tiger, which cannot run or leap. They can only walk around the limited space in the cage. The use of ‘quiet rage’ symbolises the anger and ferocity that is building up inside the tiger as he wants to run out into the forest and attack a deer, but the rage is quiet because he is locked in the cage and is helpless. The repetition of ‘quiet’ has, thus, brought immense beauty to the poem. Similarly, the use of ‘brilliant’ for the tiger’s eyes as well as the stars also brings out the magnificance of these lines. The tiger stares at the brilliant stars with his brilliant eyes dreaming about how beautiful his life could be in the forest. The repetition thus, gives a wonderful effect to the poem.
Question.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
Answer. Do yourself
Question.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.
The Greater Cats
The greater cats with golden eyes
Stare out between the bars.
Deserts are there, and different skies,
And night with different stars.
—Victoria Sackville-West
Answer. Do yourself (The following answer is given only for reference, the students should use their own creativity to answer this question)
- Forest is the home for animals.
- The Tigers and the Panthers are wild beasts, they will only be happy in a forest. No matter how well they are being kept but a home is a home.There is a feeling of comfort at home. The zoo people may treat them well and give them the best of food but still Tigers and the Panthers will not be comfortable.
- All living beings on earth have an equal right to live their life peacefully where they want to live and how they want to live.We may search for other option of entertainment like musical programs, rides for children, games for all age groups. There are many other ways of entertainment than keeping these animals into cages. The poor animals never look happy in the zoo.
The Greater Cats
The greater cats with golden eyes
Stare out between the bars.
Deserts are there, and different skies,
And night with different stars.
—Victoria Sackville-West
