1-Mark Questions :

1. Who is the poet of the poem "A Tiger in the Zoo"?

Answer: Leslie Norris.

2. What does the tiger do in his cage to show his helplessness?

Answer: He stalks the few steps of his cage and ignores visitors.

3. Where should the tiger be lurking to hunt the plump deer?

Answer: He should be lurking in the shadow near the water hole.

4. What is the "concrete cell" referring to in the poem?

Answer: It refers to the small, strong cage in the zoo where the tiger is locked.

5. What does the tiger hear at night in the zoo?

Answer: He hears the sound of the patrolling cars.

6. Identify the poetic device used in the phrase "pads of velvet quiet."

Answer: Metaphor (the tiger's paws are compared to soft velvet).

7. According to the poem, where is the tiger’s strength hidden?

Answer: His strength is hidden behind the bars of his cage.

8. What does "snarls" mean according to the glossary?

Answer: It means to make an angry, warning sound.

9. What does the tiger stare at with his brilliant eyes at night?

Answer: He stares at the brilliant stars.

10. At what edge should the tiger be snarling if he were free?

Answer: At the jungle’s edge.

2-Mark Questions :

1. How does the tiger walk in the cage?

Answer: The tiger walks with pride and "vivid stripes," but his movement is restricted. He can only take a "few steps" because the cage is small, walking silently on his soft "velvet" pads.

2. Why is the tiger in a "quiet rage"?

Answer: The tiger is in a rage because he is a powerful wild animal trapped in a small cage. His rage is "quiet" because he is helpless and cannot escape or show his true power to the visitors.

3. Describe how the tiger would behave in the wild near a village.

Answer: In the wild, the tiger would be at the jungle's edge, snarling around houses. He would show his white fangs and claws to terrorize the villagers.

4. Contrast the tiger’s eyes in the zoo with the stars he looks at.

Answer: Both the tiger's eyes and the stars are described as "brilliant". This repetition suggests a connection between the tiger’s longing for freedom and the vast, free world represented by the stars.

5. What is the significance of the tiger "ignoring visitors"?

Answer: The tiger ignores visitors because he no longer feels the need to show his strength or terrorize them. He is frustrated by his confinement and finds the human presence meaningless behind bars.

6. How does the poem "A Tiger in the Zoo" contrast the two environments?

Answer: The poem moves between the restrictive, "concrete cell" of the zoo and the natural habitat of the "long grass" and "water hole" in the jungle. It contrasts a life of captivity with a life of natural freedom.

7. According to Peter Niblett’s poem, why does the tiger think it's better to be behind bars?

Answer: The tiger thinks bars protect him from hunters who might shoot him, food that might be poisoned, or water that might drown him.

8. In Rilke’s poem "The Panther," what has happened to the animal's vision?

Answer: The panther's vision has grown "weary" from constantly seeing the bars. It has reached a point where it seems like there are "a thousand bars" and no world exists beyond them.

9. What does the "ritual dance" in the panther poem symbolize?

Answer: The pacing in "cramped circles" like a "ritual dance" symbolizes the repetitive and meaningless movement of a powerful animal whose "will stands paralysed" by captivity.

10. What message does the poet Leslie Norris want to convey through this poem?

Answer: The poet conveys that wild animals belong in their natural habitats where they can live freely. Captivity changes their nature, suppresses their strength, and turns their natural majesty into frustration and "quiet rage".