A Tiger in the Zoo

About the Poem

A Tiger in the Zoo is a poem written by Welsh poet Leslie Norris. The poem vividly portrays the contrast between the tiger’s natural instincts and its captivity in a zoo. It’s a well-known poem that delves into themes of freedom, the natural world, and human intervention.

About the Author

Leslie Norris, born in England in 1921, started writing poetry during his teenage years. He served in the Royal Air Force during World War II. Following the war, he pursued a career in education, working as a headmaster and later as a college lecturer in both the UK and the USA. In 1974, he left his teaching career to become a full-time writer. Norris received numerous esteemed accolades for his poetry and short stories.

Explanations

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

In the first stanza of the poem, the poet is talking about a tiger who is trapped in a cage at the zoo. The tiger has striking and colourful stripes on its fur. It moves quietly inside the cage, stepping softly on its padded paws. Even though it’s quiet, there’s a sense of anger or frustration in the way it moves. The poet is describing how the tiger is confined to a small space and how this makes the tiger feel.

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

In this part of the poem, the poet is imagining where the tiger should be if it were in the wild, instead of in a cage at the zoo. The poet says the tiger should be hiding in the shadows, moving quietly through tall grass near a watering hole. This is where the tiger could hunt and catch plump deer as they walk by. The poet is contrasting the tiger’s natural habitat with its current captivity in the zoo.

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

The third stanza continues to envision the tiger in its natural habitat. Here, The poet imagines that the tiger should be growling and prowling near the houses at the edge of the jungle, showing its sharp teeth and claws. This would frighten the people in the village. The poet is highlighting the contrast between the tiger’s natural behaviour and its current situation in the zoo, where it can’t express its wild instincts.

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

In the fourth stanza, the poet returns to discussing tiger’s current situation in the zoo. The tiger is confined in a small space made of concrete walls. The phrase “His strength behind bars” means that the tiger’s physical strength and prowess are effectively useless and restrained in this confined space. The tiger paces back and forth in its cage and doesn’t pay much attention to the people who come to see it in the zoo. Here, the poet is emphasizing how the tiger’s true nature is suppressed and confined by the physical barriers of its cage.

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

In the final part of the poem, the poet talks about the tiger’s experience at night. The tiger hears the last voices of the day, likely from people or zookeepers, and the sounds of patrolling cars. In response to these sounds, the tiger gazes at the night sky filled with bright stars with its brilliant, shining eyes.

This part of the poem suggests that the tiger’s life in captivity is lonely and disconnected from the natural world. The tiger listens to the human activities and the night sounds, but it’s unable to be part of them. Its “brilliant eyes” could symbolize its longing for freedom and the wild, contrasting with the brilliance of the stars above. The poet is emphasizing the tiger’s isolation and its yearning for the open, wild spaces it’s missing while in captivity.

Reference to Context

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

a) What are the ‘vivid stripes’ the poet is referring to?

Answer—The ‘vivid stripes’ the poet is referring to are the distinctive, colourful markings on the tiger’s fur. Tigers are known for their beautiful and eye-catching striped patterns.

b) What are the tiger’s actions in the cage? Contrast the movement of the tiger in the cage with those of a tiger in a jungle.
Answer—In the cage, the tiger’s actions involve stalking back and forth within the limited space. This contrasts with the movements of a tiger in the jungle, where it would roam freely, hunt, and explore its natural habitat. In the cage, the tiger’s movement is confined and restricted, preventing it from behaving as it would in the wild.

c) What do you think the poet means by ‘quiet rage’?
Answer—’Quiet rage’ suggests that the tiger, despite appearing calm and quiet, is internally filled with a sense of frustration or anger. It conveys the idea that the tiger is not at peace in its captivity and longs for its natural, wild life. This phrase captures the internal turmoil and restlessness of the tiger in its constrained environment.

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

a) What is the meaning of the term ‘snarling around houses’?
Answer— ‘Snarling around houses’ means that the tiger should be making threatening and aggressive sounds or actions near the homes at the edge of the jungle. It suggests that the tiger would be displaying its wild and fearsome behaviour.

b) According to the poet, why should the tiger be ‘terrorizing the village’?
Answer—According to the poet, the tiger should be terrorizing the village to reflect its natural, wild instincts. In the wild, tigers can be formidable predators, and they may come into conflict with human settlements on the fringes of the jungle. The poet is emphasizing the contrast between the tiger’s untamed nature and its current captivity.

c) Which verse in the poem contrasts most sharply with this one? List the points of contrast.
Answer—The verse that contrasts most sharply with this one is the first stanza, where the poet describes the tiger pacing quietly in its cage. In the second stanza, the poet envisions the tiger in its natural habitat, while the first stanza shows the tiger in its confined zoo enclosure.

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

a) Which was the last voice that the tiger heard? What do you think he should have heard instead?

Answer—The last voice that the tiger hears is likely the last voices of the day, likely from people or zookeepers, and the sounds of patrolling cars. The tiger should have heard the sounds of the jungle, the night creatures, and the rustling of leaves, which would be its natural environment.

b) Why do you think the tiger stared at the stars?
Answer—The poet suggests that the tiger stares at the stars as a way of expressing its longing for the freedom of the wild. It could be a symbol of the tiger’s connection to the vast, open world beyond the confines of its cage. The stars represent the natural world and the tiger’s distant, unattainable homeland.

c) Why does the poet refer to both the tiger’s eyes as well as the stars as ‘brilliant’?
Answer—The poet uses the term ‘brilliant’ to describe both the tiger’s eyes and the stars to convey their brightness, intensity, and significance. The tiger’s eyes are described as brilliant because they reflect its inner wild spirit and power. The stars are described as brilliant because they symbolize the vast, untamed world beyond the zoo, which the tiger yearns for. This repetition of ‘brilliant’ emphasizes the tiger’s connection to the natural world.

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