POEM – 3 A TIGER IN THE ZOO
Thinking about the Poem
1. Read the poem again and work in pairs or groups to do the following tasks.
Find the words that describe the movements and actions of the tiger in the cage and in the wild. Arrange them in two columns.
| In the Cage | In the Wild |
| Stalks, Few steps of his cage, Quiet rage Locked in concrete cell, Snarling around houses, 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,
Baring his white fangs, his claws, Terrorizing the village. |
2. Find the words that describe the two places and arrange them in two columns.
| Cage | Wild |
| Few steps of his cage
Locked, Concrete cell, Behind bars, Visitors, Patrolling cars |
Shadow, Long grass, Water
hole, Plump deer, Houses at jungle’s edge, Village |
Notice the use of a word repeated in lines such as these
1. On pads of velvet quiet, In his quiet rage.
2. And stares with his brilliant eyes at the brilliant stars.
3. What do you think is the effect of this repetition?
A 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’ symbolizes the anger and ferocity that is building up inside the tiger as it 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 magnificence 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.
