ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS:
1. What do you understand by ‘his strength behind bars’? What kind of a cage is he locked in ?
Ans: The tiger is literally bounded in his cage. His power is behind the bars. He is not free, so he feels frustrated, helpless and unhappy. The cage of the tiger is made up of concrete and iron bars.
2. Is it safe to allow tigers to live in their natural habitat these days ?
Ans: It is ideal for the tigers to be in their natural habitats but these days poachers and hunters have made it unsafe for them to be in their natural homes.And because of this the tiger population may soon become extinct.
3. Why do you think the tiger was stalking in the cage ? What does it show ?
Ans: I think the tiger was feeling restless and uneasy in that small cage. He was helpless as he could not come out of the cage and enjoy his freedom. He just did not want to be a source of entertainment for human beings. He was not afraid of anyone but was made helpless due to being enclosed in the cage.
4. What message does the poet want to convey through the poem – Tiger in the Zoo ?
Ans: The poet wants to convey to us 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. They are meant to be free in the forest where they can live naturally.
5. What is the Central Idea of the poem ‘The tiger in the zoo’ ?
Ans: The Central Idea of the poem “The tiger in the zoo” is that the poet Leslie Norris shows us the life of a tiger in the cage. He says that tigers should be in their natural habitat and not held captive in cages of bars and cement.