A Tiger in the Zoo - Class 10 CBSE

1. Rhyme Scheme

The poem generally follows an **ABCB** rhyme scheme in each stanza (e.g., 'stripes-bars', 'quiet-rage' in stanza 1; 'grass-pass', 'hole-plump' in stanza 2). This consistent pattern gives the poem a musical quality and helps maintain a steady rhythm.

2. Alliteration

The repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words in close proximity, adding to the poem's rhythm and drawing attention to certain phrases.

• "He stalks in his vivid stripes" (s sound)
• "velvet quiet" (v sound)
• "pads of velvet" (p, v sound)
• "plump deer" (p, d sound)
• "baring his white fangs, his claws" (h, w sound)
• "through his long grass" (t, h sound)
• "His strength behind bars" (s, b sound)

3. Imagery

The use of descriptive language that appeals to the five senses, creating vivid mental pictures for the reader.

• Visual: "vivid stripes", "pads of velvet", "shadow, lurking in long grass", "plump deer pass", "white fangs", "brilliant eyes".
• Auditory: "snarls around houses", "hearing the last voice at night", "patrolling cars".

4. Metaphor

A figure of speech where a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable, suggesting a resemblance.

• "pads of velvet" (The tiger's paws are compared to velvet, highlighting their softness and silent movement.)
• "velvet quiet" (The tiger's movement is as silent and smooth as velvet.)

5. Enjambment

The continuation of a sentence without a pause beyond the end of a line, couplet, or stanza. This often creates a fluid reading experience and can emphasize a certain idea or action.

• "He stalks in his vivid stripes / The few steps of his cage" (The thought of stalking continues onto the next line, emphasizing the limited movement.)
• "lurking in shadow, / Sliding through long grass" (The actions are continuous.)

6. Personification

Attributing human qualities or actions to animals or inanimate objects. While tigers do stalk and snarl, the poem describes their inner feelings and actions with a human-like depth of emotion and purpose.

• "He stalks in his vivid stripes" (stalking is given a sense of proud, deliberate movement despite confinement)
• "in his quiet rage" (Rage is a deep human emotion.)
• "ignoring visitors" (implies conscious decision)

7. Oxymoron

A figure of speech in which apparently contradictory terms appear in conjunction.

• "quiet rage" (The tiger's rage is powerful but suppressed due to captivity, hence 'quiet'.)

8. Symbolism

The use of objects or ideas to represent something else, often a broader concept.

• "Bars" and "cage": Symbolize confinement, loss of freedom, and the artificiality of the zoo environment.
• "Stars": Symbolize freedom, the vastness of the natural world, and the tiger's longing for its true habitat.