this is a very yet deep poem that shows the actual reality of animas who are kept in the cage in the zoo.

1. NAME – SMRITI BHORAY
PEDAGOGY– ENGLISH
REGISTRATION NO – 11810001
LOVELYSCHOOLOFEDUCATION
DEPARTMENT OFEDUCATION
Chapter – 3 , NCERT BOOK , CLASS – 10TH

2. Lets have fun !!
◦ Recall your memories of childhood and share your experiences of visiting a zoo?
◦ Think about the atmosphere and plight of the animals.

3. Situations of animals in the zoo’s

4. A Tiger in the zoo – Plight of Animals
◦ Zoo – place where animals are caged and displayed for public display , fun and entertainment.
◦ They become restricted in the zoo because of the smaller area and this messes up with their
mental health and eating patters. They become more aggressive and violent.
◦ The mindset of zoo and chaining of animals should change , they should be set free in bigger
biodiversity parks and tourists should be put in the cars for display.
◦ Extinction of koala bears in Australia is an perfect example of how animals get treated in the
zoo.
◦ Poet - LELSIE NORRIS : The poem written by Leslie Norris explains the agony and
helplessness of a caged tiger that lives in a zoo. The poet has tried to explain
about the condition of animals that are caged by human beings for their own fun.

5. LELSIE NORRIS – POET

6. Stanza 1 , 2 and 3

7. Detailed analysis
‘A Tiger in the Zoo’ by Leslie Norris describes a tiger captivated in the cage of a zoo. It has vivid stripes on its
body just like others of its kind. It can only stalk a few steps inside the small cage. Its padded feet reduce the
sound while it moves. Moreover, the poet says his rage is quietened in captivity. The cage makes the wild
instincts of the tiger mute.
The second stanza of ‘A Tiger in the Zoo’by Leslie Norris speaks on what is suitable for the tiger. At this time, it
should be in the forest lurking in shadow and sliding through grass. It should be near the water hole where the
plump deer pass. Whatsoever, through this section, the poet presents the imagery of the wild. It also depicts the
tiger’s instincts.
◦ ‘A Tiger in the Zoo’by Leslie Norris goes on to describe its wild behavior in this section. According to the poet,
the tiger should be snarling around houses at the jungle’s edge. Moreover, the poet uses terrifying imagery in
this section. The “white fangs” and “claws” of the tiger are symbols of power and dominance. It also
symbolically represents fierceness and cruelty. These features make the caged tiger a real tiger of the wild. But,
it is unable to act in such a way that once might have terrorized a village or human habitation.
◦

8. What does these teeth mean ? Poet has
used words in the extract .

9. Imagery and literary device
◦ Personification used in the poem – HE is used to represent tiger.
• This poem contrasts a tiger when it is in its natural habitat and when it is imprisoned in a zoo.
• On a starry night, the poet sees a tiger in a zoo.
• The tiger moves slowly up and down in his cage
• The tiger is full of rage but is quiet in his helplessness.
• The poet is moved to pity for the tiger.

10. Elaborate
What will happen if tigers become extinct one day ?
The food chain will be disrupted and it will cause lot of
imbalance even if one animals becomes extinct.

11. Stanzas – 4

14. Detailed analysis
◦ In the fourth stanza of ‘A Tiger in the Zoo’, the poet says men kept the tiger behind the bars of concrete. Here,
the “bar” is a metaphor for captivity. The cage has even locked its strength. That’s why it stalks the length of his
cage with utter anguish and frustration and ignored those for whose entertainment it was now in such a pathetic
condition.
◦ The last stanza of ‘A Tiger in the Zoo’ by Leslie Norris highlights the agony of captivity. Once the sounds of the
forest made it feel safe and kept its spirit alive. But, now, it hears the sound of the patrolling cars. It stares at the
brilliant stars with its glowing eyes and tries to find solace. The stars remind the tiger of its present situation.
The stars shine in the open and free sky. But, its star-like brilliant eyes see them from behind the bars. It makes
the poet feel sad about its pain.

15. Historical context of the poem
‘A Tiger in the Zoo’by Leslie Norris was written in 1938 when the poet was 17 years old. From age 12, Norris
wanted to be a poet and listened to the poetry of Dylan Thomas and Vernon Watkins. Whatsoever, through this
poem, he presents the attitude of men towards animals. Men drive pleasure from captivating wild animals behind
bars. It, not only pains those animals but the poet’s heart also pains for their sufferings. Moreover, through this
poem, he advocates for the freedom of zoo-animals.

16. Theme of the poem

17. THEME OF THE POEM
‘A Tiger in the Zoo’ by Leslie Norris presents several themes such as freedom vs captivity, tamed vs wild,
wilderness, and natural beauty. The most important theme of the poem is freedom vs captivity. In this poem,
Norris describes how the tiger longs for its freedom. It somehow wants to break its imposed captivity to become
the same wild spirit again. Thereafter, the poet talks about how men try to tame the wild. It not only destroys the
beauty of the wild but it also tries to kill one’s basic instincts. Moreover, the description of the tiger and its
movement in the forest depict the nature of wilderness.
◦ The poet also speaks on the theme of natural beauty in this poem. The tiger is a part of nature that stands for
the beauty of nature as a whole. It represents the wild side of nature still it has its beauty. The poet compares the
luster of the tiger’s eyes to that of the stars.