Question 1.
Read the poem again and work in pairs or groups to do the following tasks.
1. Find the words that describe the movements and actions of the tiger in
the cage and in the wild. Arrange them in two columns.
2. 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.
Answer1:
| 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 |
Question 2.
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.
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 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.
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
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.