th

Class 10
English
Nelson Mandela
Long Walk to Freedom

Explanation
Nelson Mandela Long Walk to Freedom

About the Author

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was a South African anti-apartheid activist,

politician, and statesman who served as the first president of South
Africa from 1994 to 1999. He was the country's first black head of state
and the first elected in a fully representative democratic election.

(18 July 1918 – 5 Dec 2013)

Nelson Mandela Long Walk to Freedom

Chapter Explanation

BEFORE YOU READ

● ‘Apartheid’ is a political system that separates people according to their race. Can
you say which of the three countries named below had such a political system
until very recently?

(i) United States of America (ii) South Africa (iii) Australia

● Have you heard of Nelson Mandela? Mandela, and his African National Congress,
spent a lifetime fighting against apartheid.

● Mandela had to spend thirty years in prison. Finally, democratic elections were
held in South Africa in 1994, and Mandela became the first black President of a
new nation.

● In this extract from his autobiography, Long Walk to Freedom, Mandela speaks
about a historic occasion, ‘the inauguration’. Can you guess what the occasion
might be? Check your guess with this news item (from the BBC) of 10 May 1994.
Nelson Mandela Long Walk to Freedom

Chapter Explanation

Mandela Becomes South Africa’s First Black President

Nelson Mandela has become South Africa’s first Black President after more
than three centuries of White rule.

Mr Mandela’s African National Congress (ANC) party won 252 of the 400 seats
in the first democratic elections of South Africa’s history.

The inauguration ceremony took place in the Union Buildings amphitheatre in

Pretoria today, attended by politicians and dignitaries from more than 140
countries around the world. “Never, never again will this beautiful land
experience the oppression of one by another, ” said Nelson Mandela in his
address.

… Jubilant scenes on the streets of Pretoria followed the ceremony with

blacks, whites and coloureds celebrating together... More than 100,000 South
African men, women and children of all races sang and danced with joy.
Nelson Mandela Long Walk to Freedom

Chapter Explanation

TENTH May dawned bright and clear. For the past few days I had been pleasantly
besieged by dignitaries and world leaders who were coming to pay their respects
before the inauguration. The inauguration would be the largest gathering ever of
international leaders on South African soil.

The ceremonies took place in the lovely sandstone amphitheatre formed by the Union
Buildings in Pretoria. For decades this had been the seat of white supremacy, and now
it was the site of a rainbow gathering of different colours and nations for the
installation of South Africa’s first democratic, non-racial government.

Glossary
(To be) Besieged by to be surrounded closely by
Amphitheatre, a building without a roof, with many rows of seats rising in steps (Typical of Ancient Greece and Rome)
Nelson Mandela Long Walk to Freedom

Chapter Explanation

On that lovely autumn day, I was accompanied by my daughter Zenani. On the

podium, Mr de Klerk was first sworn in as second deputy president.

Then

Thabo Mbeki was sworn in as first deputy president.

When it was my turn, I pledged to obey and uphold the Constitution and to devote
myself to the wellbeing of the Republic and its people. To the assembled guests and
the watching world, I said:
Nelson Mandela Long Walk to Freedom

Chapter Explanation

Today, all of us do, by our presence here... confer glory and hope to newborn liberty.
Out of the experience of an extraordinary human disaster that lasted too long, must
be born a society of which all humanity will be proud.

We, who were outlaws not so long ago, have today been given the rare privilege to be
host to the nations of the world on our own soil. We thank all of our distinguished
international guests for having come to take possession with the people of our
country of what is, after all, a common victory for justice, for peace, for human
dignity.

Glossary
confer (a formal word) here, give
We, who were outlaws because of its policy of apartheid, many countries had earlier broken off diplomatic relations
with South Africa
Nelson Mandela Long Walk to Freedom

Chapter Explanation

We have, at last, achieved our political emancipation.

We pledge ourselves to liberate all our people from the continuing bondage of
poverty, deprivation, suffering, gender and other discrimination.

Never, never, and never again shall it be that this beautiful land will again experience
the oppression of one by another.

The sun shall never set on so glorious a human achievement.

Let freedom reign. God bless Africa!

Glossary
Emancipation freedom from restriction
Deprivation State of not having one's rightful benefits
Discrimination being treated differently or unfavourably
Nelson Mandela Long Walk to Freedom

Oral Comprehension Check

1. Where did the ceremonies take place? Can you name any public
buildings in India that are made of sandstone?

Ans. The ceremonies took place in the lovely sandstone amphitheatre

formed by the Union Buildings in Pretoria, which were attended by
dignitaries and world leaders of several nations. In India, the
Rashtrapati Bhavan and Red Fort are two public buildings that are made
of red sandstone.
Nelson Mandela Long Walk to Freedom

Oral Comprehension Check

2. Can you say how 10 May is an ‘autumn day’ in South Africa?

Ans. South Africa is located in the Southern Hemisphere, i.e., below the
equator. In the Southern Hemisphere, the timing of the seasons is
different from that of Europe and Asia, which are in the Northern
Hemisphere. In Southern Africa, autumn is from March to April, and
winter is from June to September. That is how May 10 becomes a ‘lovely
autumn day’ in South Africa.
Nelson Mandela Long Walk to Freedom

Oral Comprehension Check

3. At the beginning of his speech, Mandela mentions “an extraordinary

human disaster”. What does he mean by this? What is the “glorious …
human achievement” he speaks of at the end?

Ans. In Mandela’s speech ‘an extraordinary human disaster’, he wanted

to express his strong feelings against the practice of Apartheid in South
Africa. Under Apartheid, there was racial segregation of people based
on colour, and the blacks suffered the most as they were discriminated
against by the rest. They could not enjoy the right to freedom. Mandela
was jailed for 18 years on the infamous ‘Robben Island’ where he was
mistreated by the authorities. He considered it a “great glorious human
achievement” that he became the first Black President of South Africa,
where the blacks were deprived of basic needs and suffered different
kinds of discrimination, and were treated badly.
Nelson Mandela Long Walk to Freedom

Oral Comprehension Check

4. What does Mandela thank the international leaders for?

Ans. Mandela felt extremely privileged to welcome the dignitaries and

international leaders at the swearing-in ceremony because it was not
too long ago when the South Africans were considered outlaws. He
therefore, thanked all of them for having come from far and wide to
witness the historical oath-taking ceremony of the first Black President
of South Africa. This was a wonderful gesture of international
recognition to a newly born free democratic nation. This event could be
considered as a common victory for justice, peace and human dignity.
Nelson Mandela Long Walk to Freedom

Oral Comprehension Check

5. What ideals does he set out for the future of South Africa?

Ans. Mandela set the ideals of liberating the people of South Africa
from the continuing bondage of poverty, deprivation, suffering, gender
and other discrimination. He wanted the people of the country to enjoy
the right to freedom from all forms of bondage and prejudice.
Nelson Mandela Long Walk to Freedom

Chapter Explanation

A few moments later we all lifted our eyes in awe as a spectacular array of South
African jets, helicopters and troop carriers roared in perfect formation over the Union
Buildings. It was not only a display of pinpoint precision and military force, but a
demonstration of the military’s loyalty to democracy, to a new government that had
been freely and fairly elected. Only moments before, the highest generals of the South
African defence force and police, their chests bedecked with ribbons and medals from
days gone by, saluted me and pledged their loyalty. I was not unmindful of the fact
that not so many years before they would not have saluted but arrested me. Finally a
chevron of Impala jets left a smoke trail of the black, red, green, blue and gold of the
new South African flag.

Glossary
Spectacular Array an impressive display (colourful and attractive)
Not unmindful of conscious of; aware of
Chevron a pattern in the shape of a V
Nelson Mandela Long Walk to Freedom

Chapter Explanation

The day was symbolised for me by the playing of our two national anthems, and the
vision of whites singing ‘Nkosi Sikelel –iAfrika’ and blacks singing ‘Die Stem’, the old
anthem of the Republic. Although that day neither group knew the lyrics of the
anthem they once despised, they would soon know the words by heart.

On the day of the inauguration, I was overwhelmed with a sense of history. In the first
decade of the twentieth century, a few years after the bitter Anglo-Boer war and
before my own birth, the white-skinned peoples of South Africa patched up their
differences and erected a system of racial domination against the dark-skinned
peoples of their own land. The structure they created formed the basis of one of the
harshest, most inhumane, societies the world has ever known.

Glossary
Despised Had a very low opinion of
Nelson Mandela Long Walk to Freedom

Chapter Explanation

Now, in the last decade of the twentieth century, and my own eighth decade as a man,
that system had been overturned forever and replaced by one that recognised the
rights and freedoms of all peoples, regardless of the colour of their skin.

That day had come about through the unimaginable sacrifices of thousands of my
people, people whose suffering and courage can never be counted or repaid. I felt that
day, as I have on so many other days, that I was simply the sum of all those African
patriots who had gone before me. That long and noble line ended and now began
again with me. I was pained that I was not able to thank them and that they were not
able to see what their sacrifices had wrought.

Glossary
Wrought old-fashioned, formal word) done, achieved
Nelson Mandela Long Walk to Freedom

Chapter Explanation

The policy of apartheid created a deep and lasting wound in my country and my
people. All of us will spend many years, if not generations, recovering from that
profound hurt. But the decades of oppression and brutality had another, unintended,
effect, and that was that it produced the Oliver Tambos, the Walter Sisulus, the Chief
Luthulis, the Yusuf Dadoos, the Bram Fischers, the Robert Sobukwes of our time* —
men of such extraordinary courage, wisdom and generosity that their like may never
be known again.

Glossary
Profound deep and strong
Nelson Mandela Long Walk to Freedom

Chapter Explanation

Perhaps it requires such depths of oppression to create such heights of character. My

country is rich in the minerals and gems that lie beneath its soil, but I have always
known that its greatest wealth is its people, finer and truer than the purest diamonds.

It is from these comrades in the struggle that I learned the meaning of courage. Time
and again, I have seen men and women risk and give their lives for an idea. I have
seen men stand up to attacks and torture without breaking, showing a strength and
resilience that defies the imagination. I learned that courage was not the absence of
fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he
who conquers that fear.

Glossary
Resilience the ability to deal with any kind of hardship and recover from its effects
Nelson Mandela Long Walk to Freedom

Chapter Explanation

No one is born hating another person because of the colour of his skin, or his
background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate,
they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its
opposite. Even in the grimmest times in prison, when my comrades and I were pushed
to our limits, I would see a glimmer of humanity in one of the guards, perhaps just for
a second, but it was enough to reassure me and keep me going. Man’s goodness is a
flame that can be hidden but never extinguished.

Glossary
pushed to our limits Pushed to the last point in our ability to bear pain
Nelson Mandela Long Walk to Freedom

Oral Comprehension Check

1. What do the military generals do? How has their attitude changed,
and why?

Ans. The highest military generals of South African defence forces and
police saluted and pledged their loyalty to Mandela. This was of great
significance because, during the Apartheid era, they would have
arrested him and put him behind bars. Their attitude towards Blacks
changed due to the struggles and sacrifices that were put in by many
heroes of South Africa. This struggle for freedom was not just a struggle
with Apartheid, it also brought a massive change in the mindsets of
many people. Mandela believed that love is something that could be
taught and human beings are naturally inclined towards love more,
rather than hate.
Nelson Mandela Long Walk to Freedom

Oral Comprehension Check

2. Why were two national anthems sung?

Ans. On the auspicious occasion of the inauguration ceremony, two

national anthems were sung – the Whites sang ‘Nkosi Sikelel –iAfrika’
and the Blacks sang ‘Die Stem’ that was the old anthem of the Republic.
Singing of both the anthems symbolized the equality of rights between
Whites and Blacks.
Nelson Mandela Long Walk to Freedom

Oral Comprehension Check

3. How does Mandela describe the systems of government in his

country –
(i) in the first decade, and
(ii) in the final decade, of the twentieth century?

Ans. In the first decade of the twentieth century, the white-skinned

people of South Africa patched up their differences and erected a
system of racial domination against the dark-skinned peoples of their
own land. This created the basis of one of the harshest, most inhumane,
societies the world has ever seen or known.
In the final decade of the twentieth century, the previous system of
government had been overturned forever and replaced by one that
recognised the rights and freedoms of all peoples, regardless of the
colour of their skin.
Nelson Mandela Long Walk to Freedom

Oral Comprehension Check

3. How does Mandela describe the systems of government in his

country –
(i) in the first decade, and
(ii) in the final decade, of the twentieth century?

Ans. In the first decade of the twentieth century, the white-skinned

people of South Africa patched up their differences and erected a
system of racial domination against the dark-skinned peoples of their
own land. This created the basis of one of the harshest, most inhumane,
societies the world has ever seen or known.
In the final decade of the twentieth century, the previous system of
government had been overturned forever and replaced by one that
recognised the rights and freedoms of all peoples, regardless of the
colour of their skin.
Nelson Mandela Long Walk to Freedom

Oral Comprehension Check

4. What does courage mean to Mandela?

Ans. According to Mandela, courage was not the absence of fear, but
the triumph over it. A brave man is not one who does not feel afraid,
but one who conquers that fear.
Nelson Mandela Long Walk to Freedom

Oral Comprehension Check

5. Which does he think is natural, to love or to hate?

Ans. Mandela thought that love comes more naturally to the human
heart rather than hate.
Nelson Mandela Long Walk to Freedom

Chapter Explanation

In life, every man has twin obligations — obligations to his family, to his parents, to
his wife and children; and he has an obligation to his people, his community, his
country. In a civil and humane society, each man is able to fulfil those obligations
according to his own inclinations and abilities.

But in a country like South Africa, it was almost impossible for a man of my birth and
colour to fulfil both of those obligations. In South Africa, a man of colour who
attempted to live as a human being was punished and isolated. In South Africa, a man
who tried to fulfil his duty to his people was inevitably ripped from his family and his
home and was forced to live a life apart, a twilight existence of secrecy and rebellion. I
did not in the beginning choose to place my people above my family, but in
attempting to serve my people, I found that I was prevented from fulfilling my
obligations as a son, a brother, a father and a husband.

Glossary
Inclinations natural tendencies of behaviour
Inevitably unavoidably
Nelson Mandela Long Walk to Freedom

Chapter Explanation

I was not born with a hunger to be free. I was born free — free in every way that I
could know. Free to run in the fields near my mother’s hut, free to swim in the clear
stream that ran through my village, free to roast mealies under the stars and ride the
broad backs of slow-moving bulls. As long as I obeyed my father and abided by the
customs of my tribe, I was not troubled by the laws of man or God.

It was only when I began to learn that my boyhood freedom was an illusion, when I
discovered as a young man that my freedom had already been taken from me, that I
began to hunger for it. At first, as a student, I wanted freedom only for myself, the
transitory freedoms of being able to stay out at night, read what I pleased and go
where I chose. Later, as a young man in Johannesburg, I yearned for the basic and
honourable freedoms of achieving my potential, of earning my keep, of marrying and
having a family — the freedom not to be obstructed in a lawful life.

Glossary
Illusion something that appears to be real but is not
Transitory not permanent
Nelson Mandela Long Walk to Freedom

Chapter Explanation

But then I slowly saw that not only was I not free, but my brothers and sisters were
not free. I saw that it was not just my freedom that was curtailed, but the freedom of
everyone who looked like I did. That is when I joined the African National Congress,
and that is when the hunger for my own freedom became the greater hunger for the
freedom of my people. It was this desire for the freedom of my people to live their
lives with dignity and self respect that animated my life, that transformed a
frightened young man into a bold one, that drove a law-abiding attorney to become a
criminal, that turned a family-loving husband into a man without a home, that forced
a life-loving man to live like a monk. I am no more virtuous or self-sacrificing than the
next man, but I found that I could not even enjoy the poor and limited freedoms I was
allowed when I knew my people were not free.

Glossary
Curtailed reduced
Nelson Mandela Long Walk to Freedom

Chapter Explanation

Freedom is indivisible; the chains on anyone of my people were the chains on all of
them, the chains on all of my people were the chains on me.

I knew that the oppressor must be liberated just as surely as the oppressed. A man
who takes away another man’s freedom is a prisoner of hatred; he is locked behind
the bars of prejudice and narrow-mindedness. I am not truly free if I am taking away
someone else’s freedom, just as surely as I am not free when my freedom is taken
from me. The oppressed and the oppressor alike are robbed of their humanity.

Glossary
Prejudice a strong dislike without any good reason
Nelson Mandela Long Walk to Freedom

Oral Comprehension Check

1. What “twin obligations” does Mandela mention?

Ans. Mandela mentions two obligations that every man has in life –
(i) obligations to his family, to his parents, to his wife and children; and
(ii) he has an obligation to his people, his community and his country.
Nelson Mandela Long Walk to Freedom

Oral Comprehension Check

2. What “twin obligations” does Mandela mention?What did being free

mean to Mandela as a boy, and as a student? How does he contrast
these “transitory freedoms” with “the basic and honourable
freedoms”?

Ans. Like any other kid, Mandela felt freedom meant being happy,
making merry and enjoying the blissful life in his childhood years.
However, when a young fellow becomes an adult, the antics of
childhood look transitory because all the childish activities are
worthless from an adult’s perspective. When a person becomes an
adult, he learns to earn a livelihood and earn his own bread and butter.
In such a scenario, he understands the basic and honourable freedom in
his family and the society that he lives in.
Nelson Mandela Long Walk to Freedom

Oral Comprehension Check

3. Does Mandela think the oppressor is free? Why/Why not?

Ans. Mandela does not feel that the oppressor is free because, in his
opinion, an oppressor is like a victim of hatred who is locked behind the
bars of prejudice and narrow-mindedness. He feels that both the
oppressor and the oppressed are robbed of their humanity and peace of
mind
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Class 10
English
Nelson Mandela
Long Walk to Freedom

NCERT Solutions
Nelson Mandela Long Walk to Freedom

NCERT Solutions

1. Why did such a large number of international leaders attend the

inauguration? What did it signify the triumph of?

Ans. Being a part of the inauguration ceremony, the international leaders

showed solidarity with the end of Apartheid as a gesture from the
international community. This signified the victory of good over evil and the
triumph of a tolerant society without prejudice and discrimination of caste,
colour or creed.
Nelson Mandela Long Walk to Freedom

NCERT Solutions

2. What does Mandela mean when he says he is “simply the sum of all those
African patriots” who had gone before him?

Ans. By saying that he is “simply the sum of all those African patriots”,
Mandela offers his tribute to all the people who had sacrificed their lives in
favour of the struggle for freedom. He says that he shall always remain
grateful and thankful to those who had gone before him because those
freedom fighters had paved the path of cooperation and unity for him.
Therefore, Mandela felt that when he came to power, he would bring equality
among his people with their support and cooperation.
Nelson Mandela Long Walk to Freedom

NCERT Solutions

3. Would you agree that the “depths of oppression” create “heights of

character”? How does Mandela illustrate this? Can you add your own examples
to this argument?

Ans. Yes, I agree with the statement that “depths of oppression” do create
‘heights of character”. Nelson Mandela illustrates this by citing examples of
great heroes of South Africa such as Oliver Tambo, Walter Sisulu, Chief
Luthulis, Yusuf Dadoos, Bram Fischers, and Robert Sobukwes, among others
who inspired others by sacrificing their lives in the long struggle for freedom.
In India’s pre-Independence era, there was a galaxy of great leaders who
didn’t bend their knees to the oppression of British rule, such as Netaji
Subhash Chandra Bose, Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Lala
Lajpat Rai, Chandra Shekhar Ajad, Bhagat Singh and many more. Nelson
Mandela seems to be absolutely right, if we compare them with the quality of
political leaders that came later. It seems that great leaders are created in the
crucible of oppression and suffering.
Nelson Mandela Long Walk to Freedom

NCERT Solutions

4. How did Mandela’s understanding of freedom change with age and

experience?

Ans. With age and rich experience, Mandela understood the essence of
freedom in everyone’s life. As a young boy, he always thought that he was
born free and could do anything that he wanted. He strongly believed that as
long as he obeyed his father and abided by the customs of his tribe, he was
free in every possible way. However, as he grew older, he started feeling that
freedom was required to raise a family and to earn a livelihood, and this
started dominating his thoughts and views. In due course of time, he realised
that he was selfish and was leading an illusionary life during his boyhood. He
slowly understood that it was not his freedom alone that was being curtailed,
but the freedom of all Black people was retrenched. Mandela understood that
his people were being deprived and discriminated and this led him to develop
a hunger for the freedom of his people.
Nelson Mandela Long Walk to Freedom

NCERT Solutions

5. How did Mandela’s ‘hunger for freedom’ change his life?

Ans. During his youth, Mandela realised that it was not just his freedom alone
that was being curtailed, but the freedom of all Black people. The hunger for
his own freedom became the hunger for freedom for all his fellow brothers
and sisters. In the process, this changed the fearful man into a bold rebel.
Mandela sacrificed the comforts of a settled family life to fight for the
freedom of his countrymen. He joined the African National Congress, and this
transformed him from a frightened young man into a fearless person who
fought against racial prejudice and colour discrimination.
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Class 10
English
POEM
A Tiger in the Zoo
Explanation
A Tiger in the Zoo

About the Poet

George Leslie Norris was a prize-winning Welsh poet and short story writer.
Norris is considered one of the most important Welsh writers of the post-war
period, and his literary publications have won many prizes.

(21 May 1921 – 6 April 2006)

A Tiger in the Zoo

Theme of the Poem

The comparison between wild animals’ freedom and their lives in captivity is
the theme of Leslie Norris’ poem “A Tiger at the Zoo.” The poem examines the
feelings of loss and imprisonment that a tiger in a zoo experiences, as well as
the contrast between the animal’s wild, untamed soul and the constrained life
it is forced to live in captivity.
A Tiger in the Zoo

Poem

He stalks in his vivid stripes

The few steps of his cage,
On pads of velvet quiet,
In his quiet rage.

Glossary
Stalks: Follows
Vivid: Bright colored
Pads: Paws of tiger
Rage: Anger
A Tiger in the Zoo

Poem

Explanation of the Poem:

Here the poet says that the tiger that is confined in the zoo moves around in
the cage under his bright coloured skin. He further says that the tiger can take
only a few steps because the cage is small and it is not easy to move in it. One
cannot hear his footsteps because he has very soft feet, like velvet because of
which there is no sound of the tiger’s footsteps. The tiger tries to control his
anger by quietly walking in the limited area of his cage. He is angry because he
is not free.
A Tiger in the Zoo

Poem

He should be lurking in shadow,

Sliding through long grass
Near the water hole
Where plump deer pass.

Glossary
Lurking: To be hidden as to wait for your prey
A Tiger in the Zoo

Poem

Explanation of the Poem:

The poet says that if this tiger was free, he would have hid himself behind the
long grass near the water bodies so that he could easily catch a deer in order to
have it as its food. Basically, the poet wants to say that the actual life of a tiger
is to live in jungle where he could catch his prey and eat it but the tiger in the
cage cannot do so.
A Tiger in the Zoo

Poem

He should be snarling around houses

At the jungle’s edge,
Baring his white fangs, his claws,
Terrorising the village!

Glossary
Snarling: Warning sounds made by animals
Baring: Uncovered
Fangs: Sharp tooth of animals
A Tiger in the Zoo

Poem

Explanation of the Poem:

The poet says that if the tiger would have been free, he would have snarled
around the houses located at the outskirts of the forest. He would terrorise
people with his sharp tooth and claws. This would create fear among the
people living in the villages.
A Tiger in the Zoo

Poem

But he’s locked in a concrete cell,

His strength behind bars,
Stalking the length of his cage,
Ignoring visitors.

Glossary
Concrete: Building made of bricks, cement, sand and water
A Tiger in the Zoo

Poem

Explanation of the Poem:

Now the poet comes to the reality of the tiger that is inside the cage. He says
that the tiger is confined in a strong cell which is made of strong building
material. He further says that as the tiger is behind bars, so his ferociousness is
also behind the bars. He just stalks in the cage. He never tries to terrorise the
visitors because his power is restricted by the cage. Therefore, he never tries to
terrorise the visitors as he cannot attack them.
A Tiger in the Zoo

Poem

He hears the last voice at night,

The patrolling cars,
And stares with his brilliant eyes
At the brilliant stars.

Glossary
Patrolling: To guard, to vigil
A Tiger in the Zoo

Poem

Explanation of the Poem:

The poet says that in the night, the tiger hears the sounds of the patrolling
cars. Patrolling cars are the vehicles of police which are used to guard at night.
So, in the night the tiger hears the sounds of these cars. He then stares at the
shining stars with his shining eyes. The poet wants to say that the tiger is sad
and as he is confined in the cage, so, he cannot do anything. Therefore, he
stares at the stars in the night and tries to divert his thoughts towards them.
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Class 10
English
POEM
A Tiger in the Zoo
Rhyme Scheme - Poetic Devices
NCERT Solutions
A Tiger in the Zoo

Rhyme Scheme

The rhyme scheme for first, second and fifth stanza is abcb
For third and fifth stanza is abcd.

He stalks in his velvet stripes. a

The few steps of his cage, b
On pads of velvet quiet, c
In his quiet rage. b
But he’s locked in a concrete cell, a
His strength behind bars, b
Stalking the length of his cage, c
Ignoring visitors. d
A Tiger in the Zoo

Poetic Devices

They are the literary devices, or in simple words, tools used by writers and
speakers to enhance the literal meaning of words.
A few poetic devices in the poem are:
● Imagery
● Symbolism
● Oxymoron
● Personification
● Alliteration
● Metaphor
● Repetition
● Enjambment
● Consonance
● Assonance
A Tiger in the Zoo

Poetic Devices

Imagery
The imagery is conveyed through
‘vivid stripes’, ‘lurking in the shadow’, sliding through long grass’, ‘snarling around
houses’, terrorising the village’, ‘stalking the length of his cage’, ignoring visitors’, ‘stars
with his brilliant eyes’, ‘at the brilliant stars’
Symbolism
Norris symbolises the words ‘cage’ and ‘sky’.
● ‘Cage’ symbolises the captivity of the tiger by humans.
● ‘Sky’, on the other hand, symbolises the freedom that the caged tiger longs for.
● By symbolising ‘cage’ and ‘sky’, Norris shows the helplessness of the tiger.
A Tiger in the Zoo

Poetic Devices

Oxymoron – The use of two consecutive words that have contradictory

meanings.
● The poet uses the phrase ‘quiet rage’, in which the words ‘quiet’ and
‘rage’ have contrasting meaning making it mean ‘silent anger’ or
‘suppressed anger’.
● This contrasting phrase is used to convey that though the tiger is quiet in
the cage, it is full of rage.
Personification
● The tiger is referred to with the use of the pronoun ‘he’, implying that he
can feel like humans do, that is, feeling helpless at being imprisoned and
wanting to be free.
● Therefore, the tiger has been personified, that is, has been given
human-like qualities in this poem.
A Tiger in the Zoo

Poetic Devices

Alliteration
Repetition of initial consonant sounds in the same line Alliteration has been used
in phrases
● ‘should be lurking in shadow’
● ‘plump deer pass’, ‘in a concrete cell’
● By highlighting soft sounds like ‘s’, ‘p’ and ‘c’, Norris draws the reader's’
attention towards the tiger’s condition – what it is and what it should be.
Metaphor
Metaphor is a literary device used to make a comparison without using the words
‘like’ or ‘as’.
● ‘On pads of velvet quiet’ – this phrase compares the paws of the tiger to
velvet because of the quality of softness of velvet
A Tiger in the Zoo

Poetic Devices

Repetition
Repetition of words/phrases in the same line.
● The words ‘stalk’, ‘quiet’ and ‘brilliant’ are repeated throughout the
poem.
● The word ‘stalk’ and ‘quiet’ refer to the strength of the tiger and how it
has been trapped inside the cage.
● The word ‘brilliant’, on the other hand, refers to both the sky and the
tiger’s eyes. It represents the tiger’s yearning to be free.
Enjambment – Sentence is continuing to next line without any punctuation
mark Stanza 2 – the second and the third line
Consonance – Use of ‘s’ sound (stalks, his, stripes)
Assonance – Use of vowel sound ‘I’ (in his vivid stripes).
A Tiger in the Zoo

NCERT Solutions

Read the poem again, and work in pairs or groups to do the following tasks.
(i) Find the words that describe the movements and actions of the tiger in the
cage and in the wild. Arrange them in two columns.

In the cage In the wild

Stalks, quiet rage, ignoring visitors, Lurking in shadow, sliding through

hears the sound of patrolling cars, the long grass, snarling around
stares at stars houses, baring his white fangs,
terrorizing the village
A Tiger in the Zoo

NCERT Solutions

Read the poem again, and work in pairs or groups to do the following tasks.
(ii) Find the words that describe the two places, and arrange them in two
columns.
Now try to share ideas about how the poet uses words and images to contrast
the two situations.

Cage Wild

Few steps of his cage Shadow, long grass

Locked in concrete cell Snarling around houses
His Strength behind bars Baring his white fangs, his claws
Terrorising the village Ignoring visitors
A Tiger in the Zoo

NCERT Solutions

Notice the use of a word repeated in lines such as these:

(i) On pads of velvet quiet, In his quiet rage.
(ii) And stares with his brilliant eyes At the brilliant stars.
What do you think is the effect of this repetition?
Ans. The poet has repeated the words to give a nice impact to his poem. Like
the use of quiet with velvet pads describes that the tiger has to walk in the
limited area of his cage. He cannot run as he would have done had it been in
the forest. Whereas ‘quiet rage’ shows the hidden anger inside him which has
grown stronger because of his confinement in the cage. The next word he used
is ‘brilliant’. The word brilliant in the first line means the twinkling bright stars
and the brilliant words used for the tiger’s eyes shows the sadness of the tiger
who would have led a free and fearless life if it were in the jungle.
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