A Tiger in the Zoo Summary
The poem written by Leslie Norris explains the agony and helplessness of a caged tiger that lives
in a zoo. The poet explains what his life could be if he had been a free animal. The poet has tried
to explain about the condition of animals that are caged by human beings for their own fun.
The poem begins with a description of a tiger that is very beautiful and is walking in his little
cage. He has beautiful stripes on his skin and has velvet like soft paws. But the tiger is not happy
and is quite angry about being confined in the cage. The poet says that if the tiger was not
confined to the zoo cage, he would have been hiding himself behind the long grass near some
water body, in order to catch its prey that is the deer. Also, he would have terrorised the residents
of the villages around the forest area. But the reality is totally opposite to this. He was confined
in a cage which was made up of strong building material and he was helpless there. He could not
show his power to the visitors, therefore, never tried to terrorize them. The tiger is described as
being powerless and agonized by the poet. He says that during night also he is alone, hearing the
voice of the patrolling vehicles of police and looking at the stars. The cage life has totally
changed the tiger’s personality. The poet is trying to say that the animal which is famous for its
fearlessness and freedom is confined and sad due to the human beings who want to derive
pleasure by looking at him in the zoo cage.
A Tiger in the Zoo Poem Explanation
Poem
He stalks in his vivid stripes
The few steps of his cage,
On pads of velvet quiet,
In his quiet rage.
Word Meaning
Stalks: follows
Vivid: bright colored
Pads: paws of tiger
Rage: anger
Explanation of the poem passage above – Here the poet says that the tiger that is confined in
the zoo moves around in the cage under his bright coloured skin. He further says that the tiger
can take only a few steps because the cage is small and it is not easy to move in it. One cannot
hear his footsteps because he has very soft feet, like velvet because of which there is no sound of
the tiger’s footsteps. The tiger tries to control his anger by quietly walking in the limited area of
his cage. He is angry because he is not free.
Literary Devices
Rhyme scheme: abcb (cage-rage)
Personification: The tiger is personified because the poet refers him as ‘he’.
Metaphor: Tiger’s paws are compared with velvet (pads of velvet)
Enjambment: Sentence is continuing to next line without any punctuation mark.
Imagery: poet tries to create an image about the tiger (He stalks in his vivid stripes The few steps
of his cage)
The poem written by Leslie Norris explains the agony and helplessness of a caged tiger that lives
in a zoo. The poet explains what his life could be if he had been a free animal. The poet has tried
to explain about the condition of animals that are caged by human beings for their own fun.
The poem begins with a description of a tiger that is very beautiful and is walking in his little
cage. He has beautiful stripes on his skin and has velvet like soft paws. But the tiger is not happy
and is quite angry about being confined in the cage. The poet says that if the tiger was not
confined to the zoo cage, he would have been hiding himself behind the long grass near some
water body, in order to catch its prey that is the deer. Also, he would have terrorised the residents
of the villages around the forest area. But the reality is totally opposite to this. He was confined
in a cage which was made up of strong building material and he was helpless there. He could not
show his power to the visitors, therefore, never tried to terrorize them. The tiger is described as
being powerless and agonized by the poet. He says that during night also he is alone, hearing the
voice of the patrolling vehicles of police and looking at the stars. The cage life has totally
changed the tiger’s personality. The poet is trying to say that the animal which is famous for its
fearlessness and freedom is confined and sad due to the human beings who want to derive
pleasure by looking at him in the zoo cage.
A Tiger in the Zoo Poem Explanation
Poem
He stalks in his vivid stripes
The few steps of his cage,
On pads of velvet quiet,
In his quiet rage.
Word Meaning
Stalks: follows
Vivid: bright colored
Pads: paws of tiger
Rage: anger
Explanation of the poem passage above – Here the poet says that the tiger that is confined in
the zoo moves around in the cage under his bright coloured skin. He further says that the tiger
can take only a few steps because the cage is small and it is not easy to move in it. One cannot
hear his footsteps because he has very soft feet, like velvet because of which there is no sound of
the tiger’s footsteps. The tiger tries to control his anger by quietly walking in the limited area of
his cage. He is angry because he is not free.
Literary Devices
Rhyme scheme: abcb (cage-rage)
Personification: The tiger is personified because the poet refers him as ‘he’.
Metaphor: Tiger’s paws are compared with velvet (pads of velvet)
Enjambment: Sentence is continuing to next line without any punctuation mark.
Imagery: poet tries to create an image about the tiger (He stalks in his vivid stripes The few steps
of his cage)
