A Tiger in the Zoo Class 10 Question Answer

A Tiger in the Zoo Class 10 Questions and Answers

Textbook Questions

Thinking about the Poem :

Question 1.
i. Find the words that describe the movements and actions of the tiger in the cage and in the wild. Arrange them in two columns.
कविता में से वह शब्द ढूंढो जो चीते की पिंजरे में और जंगल में गतिविधियाँ और कार्य बताते हैं। इन्हें अलग-अलग दो कॉलम्स में लिखें।
Answer:

ii. Find the words that describe the two places, and arrange them in two columns.
वह शब्द ढूँढें जो दो स्थानों (पिंजरा और जंगल) का वर्णन करते हैं। उन्हें अलग-अलग दो कॉलम्स में लिखो।
Answer:

Question 2.
Notice the use of a word repeated in lines such as these :
एक शब्द जिसकी दूसरी पंक्ति में पुनरावृत्ति है, की ओर ध्यान दो, जैसे :
i. On pads of velvet quiet, In his quiet rage.
ii. And stares with his brilliant eyes At the brilliant stars.
What do you think is the effect of this repetition ?
आपके विचार में पुनरावृत्ति का क्या प्रभाव है?
Answer:
This repetition contrasts the actual meaning of the words with that of the tiger in cage.
Such as :
i. Pads of velvet quiet actually means soft pads which do not make noise white walking. The word ‘quiet’ is contrasted with the condition of the tiger in cage that In his quiet rage which means the anger and frustration that the animal must be feeling and yet remains silent. It can’t take that out on anyone.

ii. Similarly, brilliant eyes signifies the beautiful eyes of the tiger and brilliant stars signifies the beautiful shining stars which are free in the sky.

Additional questions short answer type questions

Answer the following questions in about 30-40 words.

Question 1.
What do you understand by ‘His strength behind bars’? What kind of a cage is he locked in ?
Answer:
The tiger is wretched in its cage. His power is confined behind the bars. He was locked in a small cage where he is devoid of freedom. He feels unhappy, frustrated, restless and angry.

Question 2.
Is it safe to allow tigers to live in their natural habitat these days ?
Answer:
Although it is ideal for tigers to live in the wild, today, it will mean certain death for them. Fast diminishing jungles and danger posed by poachers have pushed tigers to the brink of extinction, making their natural home unsafe.

Question 3.
Describe the movement of the tiger in the cage and in the wild.
Or
What difference do you find in the mood of a tiger when he is in a zoo and when he is in a forest?
Answer:
In the zoo, in his small cage and devoid of freedom, the tiger feels unhappy rather frustrated, restless and angry. In the forest he enjoys moving majestically wherever he wants, terrorises the villagers by displaying his sharp teeth and claws. He is happy in the forest, enjoying his liberty and surroundings, but not in the zoo.

Question 4.
The tiger in the poem ‘A Tiger in the Zoo’ has some obvious limitations, describe them in contrast to its natural habitat.
Answer:
The tiger in the zoo was confined to a small space. He was angry that he couldn’t be free to move, hunt and do what he pleased forced to be a showpiece; and the cage’s bars obstructed his view of the starry night. This was all unlike his natural habitat where he hunted fiercely and slept fitfully.

Question 5.
What is the theme of the poem ?
कविता का विषय क्या है?
Or
What message does the poet want to convey through the poem-‘Tiger in the Zoo’?
Answer:
The poet wants to convey that it is cruel to keep the wild animals in small enclosures of the zoo, away from their natural habitat. They feel angry, helpless and unhappy and remember their life and environment in the forest.

Long answer type questions

Answer the following questions in about 100-150 words:

Question 1.
‘But he’s locked in a concrete cell,
His strength behind bars,
Stalking the length of his cage,
Ignoring visitors.’
Animals, big and small, are being used by humans for their selfish ends ? What is your opinion regarding the exploitation of animals?
Mention some examples that you can see as a possible solution to this problem.
Answer:
It is true that animals, big and small, are being used by humans for their selfish ends. We use them for our own benefits. Animals are killed, poached and captured for commercial benefits. Humans have encroached on their space and sheltered them in zoos which is truly inhuman. In the poem, the poet showed the plight of a tiger.

He is captured and confined to a small cage. He is frustrated, angry and restless. He longs for freedom. Confinement brings bondage and bondage is cruelty. Everyday we see many animals suffering due to humAnswer: Monkeys, bears captured and made to dance on roads, elephants are chained and forced to lift heavy loads.

Many animals are sheltered in zoos for the entertainment of human beings. They are kept in poor conditions. They are treated inhumanly. We should learn to respect nature and its inhabitants. After all, these animals too share the earth with us.

Question 2.
Some animals are becoming extinct; the tiger is one such animal. What do you think could be the reason ? Should this decrease in number be stopped ? Why ?
Answer:
The primary threats to the survival of tigers are poaching and habitat loss due to intensive development. The tigers are getting extinct. The tigers are on the list of endangered species and the reason behind it is human interference. Humans hunt tigers for their commercial benefits. The loss of habitats also leads to a reduction in prey animals, so the area can support fewer tigers.

Moreover, tigers are poached for trophies such as teeth and fur and for traditional medicines. The growing human population clears the forest areas to make them agricultural land for growing food. This creates problem of destruction of tiger’s habitat. Tigers are the backbone of food web and forest, hence should be protected.

Question 3.
‘And stares with his brilliant eyes,
At the brilliant stars.’
We can no longer do that. How do we feel about the ‘tigers in the zoo’? You can even imagine yourself in captivity.
Or
When there is natural habitat for tigers and other wild animals, is it justified for humans to shift them from there to other locations ? Give a reasonable answer to justify it.
Or
The tiger in the poem is feeling miserable in a concrete cell. Does it not amount to cruelty ? Express your opinion about keeping wild animals in zoos. Is there any lesson for humans ?
Answer:
The tiger in the poem is wretched in its cage. It longs for freedom. It may be well looked after, but the fact of the matter is that unless one is free, one is not alive. Confinement brings bondage, and bondage is cruelty. One may argue that at least this way they all will not be killed and will not become extinct. However, taking away one’s freedom to keep one alive kills the desire to live anyhow.

Even humans throughout the world oppose the chains of slavery and oppression. How are other living creatures any different? Humans have encroached on their space, and are sheltering them in zoos, which is truly inhuman. Humans must learn to respect nature, for humans exist only due to nature.

Summary :

This poem contrasts a tiger in the zoo with the tiger in its natural habitat. The poem moves from the zoo to the jungle, and back again to the zoo.

यह कविता एक चिड़ियाघर के शेर और अपने प्राकृतिक घर में रहने वाले शेर में अंतर दर्शाती है। यह कविता चिड़ियाघर से जंगल की ओर बढ़ती है, और फिर वापिस चिड़ियाघर में आती है।

Complete text with hindi translation and extract based short answer type questions :

Stanza – I :

He stalks in his vivid stripes The few steps of his cage, On pads of velvet quiet, In his quiet rage.

Vocabulary:

• Stalks (स्टॉक्स) – to pursue, to walk (चलना)
• Vivid (विविद) – bright (चमकदार)
• Stripes (स्ट्रिप्स) – lines in a pattern (धारियाँ)
• Pads (पैड्स) – foot base पग
• Rage (रेज) – violent and uncontrolled anger (बेकाबू और बैहशी गुस्सा)

हिन्दी अनुवाद – वह अपनी चमकदार धारियों के साथ चल रहा है। अपने पिंजरे में, कुछ कदम, अपने मखमल के पगों से, चुपचाप अपने अंदर बेकाबू गुस्से के साथ चल रहा है। अर्थात् चिड़ियाघर का शेर अपनी चमकदार धारियों और नुकीले पंजों के बावजूद चुपचाप चलता रहता है। उसके हाथ में शुष नहीं है सिवाय अपना गुस्सा दबाए रखने में।

Question i.
Who is described in these lines and what charperoristics are highlighted?
Answer:
A tiger in a zoo is described in these lines. That tiger is very calm and quiet. He takes calculated steps in the restricted space of his cage. His paws are soft and he has a quietness about him, though he is known for his rage and wildness.

Question ii.
How is he different from a tiger in a forest?
Answer:
A tiger in a forest exhibits his rage and walks with ferocity. He stays in an open place and can move freely around the forest. On the contrary is the life of a tiger in a zoo.

Stanza – II :

He should be lurking in shadow, Sliding through long grass Near the water hole where plump deer pass.

Vocabulary :

• Lurking (लरकिंग) – to lie hidden in wait (छुपकर इंतजार करना)
• Shadow (शैडो) – shade of an object (परछाई)
• Plump (प्लम्प) – slightly fat (गदराया हुआ)

हिन्दी अनुवाद – वह छुपकर छाँव में बैठा होगा, धीरे-धीरे लंबी घास में से फिसल रहा होगा। पानी के किनारे से जहाँ पर मोटे हिरन गुजरते हैं।
अर्थात् : जंगल का शेर पेड़ के पीछे या लंबी घास में या पानी के किनारे छुपकर अपने शिकार मोटे हिरन का इंतजार करता है।

Question i.
What is a tiger supposed to do?
Answer:
A tiger is supposed to be moving in shadow, without anyone’s notice. It should slide behind tall bushes or near the water hole where its prey arrives to drink water.

Question ii.
What does the tiger in the poem do?
Answer:
The tiger in the poem is in a zoo. It is calm and quiet, controlling its rage. It moves with its soft paw in the restricted space of its cage.

Stanza – III :

He should be snarling around houses At the jungle’s edge, Baring his white fangs, his claws, Terrorising the village.

Vocabulary:

• Snarling (स्नारलिंग) – to growl with teeth गुर्राना
• Edge (एज) – cutting side of a blade किनारा
• Baring (बेरिंग) – to show, to expose नग्न, खुला
• Fangs (फंगस) – a tooth by which an animal seizes and holds फन
• Terrorising (टैरर राइजिंग) – to scare someone डराना
• Claws (क्लॉज) – a sharp curved nail of an animal पंजे

हिन्दी अनुवाद – वह जंगल के किनारे पर स्थित घरों के चारों तरफ गुर्राता हुआ घूम रहा होगा। अपने सफेद दाँत, अपने पंजों को दिखाते हुए गाँव में दहशत फैलाते हुए।
अर्थात् : जंगल का शेर जंगल के किनारे स्थित गाँवों तक में जाने को आज़ाद है। उसके वहाँ जाने मात्र से ही लोगों में दहशत बैठ जाती है।

Question i.
What does the tiger in a forest do?
Answer:
The tiger in a forest secretly moves around the houses at the edge of the jungle. His tooth and claw brings a fear in the minds of the village who dare not step out at night.

Question ii.
Why does the poet make a comparison here?
Answer:
The poet makes this comparison as he is concerned about the nature of the tiger found in a zoo. Unlike the one that is found in a forest in its natural habitat, the tiger in a zoo is in an enclosed cage, and so has lost its natural instincts.

Stanza – IV

But he’s locked in a concrete cell,
His strength behind bars,
Stalking the length of his cage,
Ignoring visitors.

Vocabulary :

• Concrete (कांक्रीट) – hard strong building (मजबूत इमारत)
• Strength (स्ट्रेन्थ) – Power (मजबूती, ताकत)
• Stalk (स्टॉक) – to walk slowly with stiff strides in a proud manner (चलना)
• Ignore (इग्नोर) – to refuse deliberately (नजर अंदाज करना)

हिन्दी अनुवाद – परन्तु वह मज़बूत जेल में कैद है, उसकी मजबूती व ताकत सलाखों के पीछे बंद है। वह आने-जाने वाले यात्रियों को नजर अंदाज करते हुए अपने पिंजरे की लम्बाई माप रहा है।

अर्थात् : पिंजरे में कैद शेर केवल पिंजरे में चुपचाप घूमने के सिवाय कुछ नहीं कर सकता। उसकी ताकत, व मजबूती सब पिंजरे में कैद है।

Question i.
What concerns the poet in these lines?
Answer:
The poet looks at the tiger in a zoo. He is concerned about the loss of its natural instincts. While a tiger in its natural habitat is fearsome, the one in the zoo is calm and quiet, locked in its cell. His strength is locked within its cage, and he just moves within its enclosed space.

Question ii.
What idea does the name ‘tiger’ bring to your mind, unlike the one described in these lines?
Answer:
Unlike the tiger in a zoocage, a tiger is a fierce. wild animal. It hides itself behind tall bushes waiting for its prey and uses its tooth and claw to hunt.

Stanza – V :

He hears the last voice at night, The patrolling cars, And stares with his brilliant eyes At the brilliant stars.

Vocabulary :

• Patrol (पैट्रॉल) – to roam around (घूमना)
• Stare (स्टेयर) – to look at very concentratingly (घूरना, देखना)

हिन्दी अनुवाद – वह रात्रि में आखिरी आवाज़ केवल निगरानी रखने वाली कारों की आवाजें सुनता है और अपनी चमकदार आँखों से चमकदार सितारों को घूरता है।

अर्थात् : चिड़ियाघर में शेर को केवल घूमती हुई गाड़ियों की आष्मजें सुनाई देती हैं, किसी पशु-पक्षी की आवाज़ नहीं आती। उसे केवल सितारे ही दिखाई पड़ते हैं, कोई जानवर, पेड़-पौधे नहीं दिखाई देते।

Question i.
Who is the description about and what idea do you gather from this?
Answer:
The description is about the tiger kept in a zoo. Being locked in a cage, the tiger has lost its natural instinct. It does not look fearsome, though it has sharp teeth and claws. It does not hide behind the bushes to attack its prey. Rather, it leads a quiet life and walks softly within its enclosed space.

Question ii.
What characteristics of a tiger are portrayed in these lines?
Answer:
A tiger is a majestic wild animal with sparkling fiery eyes that show its rage. It walks near the village at the jungle’s edge, frightening people. But the tiger in a zoo quietly hears sound of the patrolling cars and stares blankly at the stars.

Class 10 English Question Answer