🐅 Poem 3: A Tiger in the Zoo ✍️ --By Leslie Norris

 📝 Summary

This poem contrasts the life of a tiger in the zoo with its natural habitat in the jungle. The poet describes how powerful yet helpless the tiger feels when it's caged.

In the wild, the tiger would roam freely, hunt deer, and terrorize villages, but in the zoo, it paces in a small cage, his strength limited, and his freedom taken.

It’s a powerful commentary on the injustice of animal captivity and the loss of natural freedom.

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🌟 Theme / Message

• The poem shows the difference between freedom and captivity.

• It promotes animal rights and questions cruelty.

• The poet wants us to feel empathy for wild animals that are caged.

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🔍 Stanza-wise Explanation

Stanza	Meaning
He stalks in his vivid stripes...	The tiger walks in his cage. Though powerful, he is helpless and quiet.
He should be lurking in shadow...	He belongs in the forest, hunting deer, not in a cage.
He should be snarling around houses...	He should roam near villages, scaring people — a symbol of wild power.
But he's locked in a concrete cell...	Instead, he is trapped in a hard cage, angry and depressed.
He hears the last voice at night...	At night, he hears the patrolling zookeeper. He stays awake, thinking about freedom.

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✨ Poetic Devices Used

Device	Example	Effect
Imagery	“vivid stripes”, “concrete cell”	Creates strong visual impact
Personification	“He stalks”, “He hears”	Gives tiger human-like qualities
Contrast	Jungle life vs. Zoo life	Highlights theme of freedom vs. captivity
Alliteration	“lurking in shadow”, “snarling around”	Adds rhythm and beauty

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❓ Extra Questions and Answers

1. What is the main idea of the poem?

👉 The poem highlights the sadness and injustice of keeping wild animals in captivity.

2. What kind of life is the tiger supposed to live?

👉 A free life in the wild where he hunts and rules the jungle.

3. How does the poet describe the tiger in the zoo?

👉 He is angry, helpless, silent, and confined.

4. What emotion does the poem evoke in readers?

👉 Sympathy for animals and anger at their captivity.