Class 10 English A Tiger in the Zoo by Leslie Norris : Question Answer
Class 10 English A Tiger in the Zoo by Leslie Norris : “A Tiger in the Zoo” Leslie Norris द्वारा लिखी गई एक मार्मिक कविता है, जो Class 10 की NCERT English पाठ्यपुस्तक First Flight में शामिल है। 20th century में लिखी गई यह कविता जंगल में एक बाघ की प्राकृतिक भव्यता की तुलना चिड़ियाघर में उसके सीमित अस्तित्व से करती है।
vivid imagery के माध्यम से यह कविता freedom, captivity और natural instincts के नुकसान जैसे themes को दर्शाती है। Norris एक Welsh poet जो प्रकृति और मानवीय अनुभवों के अपने संवेदनशील चित्रण के लिए जाने जाते हैं, बाघ की दुर्दशा का उपयोग empathy जगाने और wildlife के साथ human interference की critique करने के लिए करते हैं। यह कविता Class 10 के छात्रों के लिए एक महत्वपूर्ण अध्ययन है, जो environmental और ethical concerns को उजागर करती है।
Author Details
Leslie Norris(1921–2006), एक वेल्श कवि और लघु-कथा लेखक, प्रकृति, जानवरों और मानवीय भावनाओं के अपने मार्मिक और करुणामय चित्रण के लिए जाने जाते हैं। उनकी रचनाएँ अक्सर प्राकृतिक दुनिया से गहरे जुड़ाव को दर्शाती हैं, जिसमें सादगी को गहन अंतर्दृष्टि के साथ मिलाया जाता है, जिससे “A Tiger in the Zoo” उनकी शैली का एक उत्कृष्ट उदाहरण बनती है।
Setting
कविता दो अलग-अलग परिवेशों के बीच बदलती रहती है: एक चिड़ियाघर के पिंजरे का सीमित स्थान, जहाँ बाघ को वर्तमान में रखा गया है, और एक काल्पनिक प्राकृतिक आवास—एक जंगल जहाँ लंबी घास, पानी के गड्ढे और हिरण हैं। चिड़ियाघर कैद और प्रतिबंध का प्रतिनिधित्व करता है, जबकि जंगल स्वतंत्रता और बाघ के सच्चे वातावरण का प्रतीक है।
Complete Poem
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.
Summary
कविता एक zoo के cage में बंद एक बाघ का वर्णन करती है, जो अपने छोटे से cage में बेचैनी से चहलकदमी कर रहा है। उसकी चमकीली stripes और शांत शक्ति उसके “quiet rage” के साथ contrast करती हैं। कवि imagine करता है कि बाघ अपने natural habitat में होता, जहाँ वह लंबी घासों में छिपा रहता, water holes के पास deer का शिकार करता, या अपनी भीषण उपस्थिति से jungle के किनारे के गाँवों को आतंकित करता।
इसके बजाय, बाघ एक “concrete cell” में trap है, उसकी power सलाखों के पीछे बंधी है और वह zoo visitors को ignore कर रहा है। रात में, वह patrolling cars की आवाज़ सुनता है और अपनी brilliant eyes से तारों को देखता है, जो freedom के लिए longing का symbol है। यह कविता बाघ की dignity और natural instincts के नुकसान के प्रति sympathy जगाती है।
Stanza 1
- Stalks (स्टॉक्स): चुपचाप और गर्व से चलना, खासकर शिकार करते समय। (To walk silently and proudly, often in a predatory way.)
- Vivid (विविड): चमकीले और स्पष्ट। (Bright and intense.)
- Pads of velvet quiet (पैड्स ऑफ वेलवेट क्वाइट): बाघ के पंजे, जो मखमली और शांत होते हैं, जिससे उसके चलने की आवाज़ नहीं आती। (The soft, quiet paws of the tiger, like velvet, making no sound.)
- Quiet rage (क्वाइट रेज): शांत या दबा हुआ गुस्सा; अंदरूनी क्रोध जो बाहर से दिखाई नहीं देता। (Suppressed or hidden anger; inner fury.)
Stanza 2
- Lurking (लर्किंग): घात लगाकर छिपा होना, खासकर किसी को नुकसान पहुँचाने के इरादे से। (To be in a hidden place, often for a sinister purpose.)
- Sliding (स्लाइडिंग): सरकते हुए या धीरे-धीरे चुपचाप चलते हुए। (Moving smoothly and quietly.)
- Water hole (वॉटर होल): पानी का प्राकृतिक स्रोत या तालाब, जहाँ जानवर पानी पीने आते हैं। (A natural pool of water where animals come to drink.)
- Plump (प्लंप): मोटे या भरे हुए। (Well-fed and rounded.)
Stanza 3
- Snarling (स्नार्लिंग): गुर्राना; गुस्से में या धमकी भरी आवाज़ निकालना। (To make an aggressive, guttural sound, showing anger.)
- Baring (बेयरिंग): दिखाना या उजागर करना। (Exposing or showing.)
- Fangs (फैंग्स): नुकीले और लंबे दाँत, खासकर मांसाहारी जानवरों के। (Long, pointed teeth, especially of a carnivorous animal.)
- Terrorising (टेरराइजिंग): आतंकित करना या बहुत ज़्यादा डराना। (To cause extreme fear or terror.)
Stanza 4
- Concrete cell (कंक्रीट सेल): कंक्रीट से बनी एक छोटी, बंद कोठरी या पिंजरा। (A small, enclosed space or cage made of concrete.)
- Ignoring (इग्नोरिंग): अनदेखा करना; किसी पर ध्यान न देना। (Not paying attention to; disregarding.)
Stanza 5
- Patrolling cars (पेट्रोलिंग कार्स): गश्त लगाने वाली गाड़ियाँ; वे गाड़ियाँ जो किसी क्षेत्र की निगरानी या सुरक्षा के लिए घूमती हैं। (Cars that move around an area for surveillance or security.)
- Brilliant (ब्रिलियंट): बहुत चमकदार या तेज। (Very bright and sparkling.)
Questions and Answers
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
- Who is the poet of “A Tiger in the Zoo”?
a) Robert Frost
b) Leslie Norris
c) William Blake
d) John Keats
Answer: b) Leslie Norris - Where is the tiger located in the poem?
a) In a jungle
b) In a zoo cage
c) In a village
d) Near a river
Answer: b) In a zoo cage - What emotion does the tiger feel in the cage?
a) Joy
b) Quiet rage
c) Fear
d) Contentment
Answer: b) Quiet rage - What does the tiger ignore in the zoo?
a) The stars
b) The patrolling cars
c) The visitors
d) The bars
Answer: c) The visitors - Where does the poet imagine the tiger should be?
a) In a city
b) In the jungle
c) In a farm
d) In a circus
Answer: b) In the jungle - What does the tiger stare at in the final stanza?
a) The visitors
b) The stars
c) The bars
d) The patrolling cars
Answer: b) The stars - What is the rhyme scheme of the poem?
a) ABAB
b) AABB
c) ABBA
d) AAAA
Answer: b) AABB - What symbolizes the tiger’s longing for freedom?
a) The cage
b) The stars
c) The visitors
d) The concrete cell
Answer: b) The stars - What does the poet describe the tiger’s paws as?
a) Pads of velvet
b) Sharp claws
c) Heavy feet
d) Silent steps
Answer: a) Pads of velvet - What is the main theme of “A Tiger in the Zoo”?
a) The beauty of nature
b) The cruelty of captivity
c) The power of humans
d) The joy of zoos
Answer: b) The cruelty of captivity
Fill in the Blanks
- The poem “A Tiger in the Zoo” is written by ______.
Answer: Leslie Norris - The tiger stalks in his ______ stripes.
Answer: vivid - The tiger is confined in a ______ cell.
Answer: concrete - The tiger’s rage is described as ______.
Answer: quiet - In the wild, the tiger would lurk near a ______ hole.
Answer: water - The poem has ______ quatrains.
Answer: five - The tiger ignores ______ in the zoo.
Answer: visitors - The tiger’s eyes are described as ______.
Answer: brilliant - The poem’s rhyme scheme is ______.
Answer: AABB - The tiger hears the sound of ______ cars at night.
Answer: patrolling
Short Answer Type Questions
- Where is the tiger in the poem and how is it described?
Answer: The tiger is in a zoo cage, described as pacing with “vivid stripes” on “pads of velvet quiet,” expressing “quiet rage” due to its confinement. - What does the poet imagine the tiger doing in the wild?
Answer: The poet imagines the tiger lurking in tall grasses, hunting deer near a water hole, and terrorizing villages at the jungle’s edge with its fangs and claws. - What is the significance of the tiger’s “quiet rage”?
Answer: The “quiet rage” signifies the tiger’s suppressed anger and frustration at being confined, unable to express its natural instincts in the cage. - What does the tiger stare at in the final stanza, and why?
Answer: The tiger stares at the stars, symbolizing its longing for freedom and a connection to the vast, unattainable world beyond the cage. - How does the poem contrast the tiger’s life in the zoo with its life in the wild?
Answer: The poem contrasts the tiger’s restricted pacing in a zoo cage with its imagined freedom in the jungle, where it would hunt, roam, and inspire fear, highlighting the loss of its natural majesty. - What is the rhyme scheme of “A Tiger in the Zoo”?
Answer: The poem follows an AABB rhyme scheme in each of its five quatrains, creating a rhythmic and lyrical flow. - What does the “concrete cell” symbolize in the poem?
Answer: The “concrete cell” symbolizes the unnatural and restrictive environment of the zoo, stripping the tiger of its freedom and dignity. - How does the poet evoke sympathy for the tiger?
Answer: The poet evokes sympathy by contrasting the tiger’s majestic potential in the wild with its confined, subdued state in the zoo, using vivid imagery and the phrase “quiet rage.” - What is meant by “pads of velvet quiet”?
Answer: “Pads of velvet quiet” refers to the tiger’s soft, silent paws, emphasizing its graceful yet restrained movements in the cage, hinting at its suppressed power. - What lesson does the poem teach about animals in captivity?
Answer: The poem teaches that wild animals like tigers belong in their natural habitats, not in cages, as captivity robs them of freedom, dignity, and their true nature.
Long Answer Type Questions
- Discuss the theme of freedom versus captivity in “A Tiger in the Zoo” and how it is portrayed.
Answer: The theme of freedom versus captivity is central to “A Tiger in the Zoo,” portrayed through the stark contrast between the tiger’s confined life in a zoo and its imagined existence in the wild. In the zoo, the tiger paces a “concrete cell,” its “vivid stripes” and “pads of velvet” restrained, expressing “quiet rage” that evokes sympathy. The poet imagines the tiger in its natural habitat, lurking in tall grasses, hunting deer, or terrorizing villages, embodying power and freedom. This contrast highlights the cruelty of captivity, which strips the tiger of its dignity and instincts. Norris uses vivid imagery and symbolism, like the stars representing unattainable freedom, to critique human interference, urging respect for animals’ natural rights. - How does Leslie Norris use imagery in “A Tiger in the Zoo” to convey the poem’s message?
Answer: Leslie Norris employs vivid imagery in “A Tiger in the Zoo” to convey the message of captivity’s cruelty. In the zoo, images like “vivid stripes,” “pads of velvet quiet,” and “concrete cell” depict the tiger’s beauty and strength, subdued by confinement, evoking sympathy. The “quiet rage” in its eyes suggests suppressed emotions. In contrast, the imagined jungle is rich with “long grass,” “water hole,” and “plump deer,” portraying the tiger’s natural majesty and freedom. The final image of the tiger staring at “brilliant stars” symbolizes its longing for liberty. These contrasting images underscore the loss of the tiger’s essence, critiquing human actions that cage wild animals. - Analyze the structure and tone of “A Tiger in the Zoo” and their contribution to its impact.
Answer: “A Tiger in the Zoo” consists of five quatrains with an AABB rhyme scheme, written in free verse with varying line lengths. This structure creates a rhythmic, lyrical flow that contrasts the tiger’s restricted movements in the cage with its imagined freedom, enhancing the theme of captivity. The consistent rhyme scheme adds a musical quality, making the poem accessible yet poignant. The tone is empathetic and critical, evoking sympathy for the tiger’s “quiet rage” while subtly condemning human interference. The shift from the zoo’s stark reality to the jungle’s vivid imagery intensifies the emotional impact, reinforcing the message that captivity robs animals of their natural dignity and freedom. - Explain the role of contrast in “A Tiger in the Zoo” and how it enhances the poem’s meaning.
Answer: Contrast is pivotal in “A Tiger in the Zoo,” enhancing its exploration of freedom and captivity. The poem juxtaposes the tiger’s confined life in a zoo cage, where it paces with “quiet rage,” with its imagined life in the jungle, where it lurks, hunts, and inspires fear. The zoo’s “concrete cell” and “bars” contrast with the jungle’s “long grass” and “water hole,” highlighting the loss of the tiger’s natural majesty. The tiger’s subdued behavior in captivity contrasts with its fierce potential in the wild. This contrast evokes sympathy and critiques human cruelty, emphasizing that wild animals belong in their natural habitats, not cages, making the poem’s message more powerful. - How does “A Tiger in the Zoo” reflect Leslie Norris’s perspective on the relationship between humans and nature?
Answer: “A Tiger in the Zoo” reflects Leslie Norris’s perspective that humans disrupt the natural order by imposing captivity on wild animals, robbing them of freedom and dignity. The poem portrays the tiger’s confinement in a “concrete cell” as a human-inflicted tragedy, contrasting its subdued state with its imagined majesty in the jungle. Norris’s empathetic tone and vivid imagery, like the tiger’s “quiet rage” and longing gaze at the stars, critique humanity’s role in caging animals for entertainment. The poem advocates for respect for nature, suggesting that animals like the tiger belong in their natural habitats, where their true essence can thrive, aligning with Norris’s broader sensitivity to the natural world.