How to Tell Wild Animals - Extract Based Questions

Home / Textual Notes /Grade 10 /  How to Tell Wild Animals

1. If everyou should go by chance
To junglesin the east;
And if there should to you advance
A large and tawny beast.
If he roars at you as you're dyin'
You'll know itis the Asian Lion...

a) Who is the speaker in these lines?

The poet, Carolyn Wells, herself is the speaker in these lines.

b) How does the poet describe the physical appearance of the Asian Lion?

The poet describes the Asian Lion as huge in size and dull yellowish brown colour.

c) Where does the Asian Lion live?

Asian Lions live in the forests of the eastern countries.

d) How can an Asian Lion be identified?

The poet states that a lion can be identified by its large body with dull, brown colour. He can be identified further by his loud roaring which frightens a person to death.

e) Why does the poet use 'dyin' instead of 'dying'?

The poet uses poetic license and taking liberty with language, uses 'dyin' instead of 'dying' to make it rhyme with 'Lion' in the next line.

2. Or if some time when roaming round,
A noble wild beast greets you,
With black stripes on a yellow ground,
Just notice if he eats you.
This simple rule may help you learn
The Bengal Tiger to discern.

a) How does the poet describe the Bengal Tiger?

It is noble and majestic.

b) What does 'yellow ground' refer to?

'Yellow ground1 refers to the yellow-coloured skin of the Bengal Tiger.

c) The poetic device used in the first line is ___________

Alliteration- roaming round

d) 'This simple rule' here refers to

(i) The Bengal Tiger roams around

(ii) The Bengal Tiger will eat you ✔

(iii)The Bengal Tiger is a noble beast

(iv) The Bengal Tiger greets you

e) A word in the stanza that means the same as 'identify' or 'recognise' is ____

Discern

3. If strolling forth, a beast you view,
Whose hide with spots is peppered,
As soon as he has lept on you,
You’ll know it is the Leopard.
’Twill do no good to roar with pain,
He’ll only lep and lep again.

a) How can you identify a leopard?

        Spot peppered skin

b) How does a leopard behave towards human beings?

        He pounces upon his prey, kills and eat them.

c) It is no use crying in pain because

(i) the leopard will be frightened

(ii) the leopard will leap on you again and again ✔

(iii) the leopard will spare you

(iv) the leopard will hug you hard

d) Two words which have been spelt incorrectly in the stanza are _____ and ______

        lept and lep

4. If when you’re walking round your yard
You meet a creature there,
Who hugs you very, very hard,
Be sure it is a Bear.
If you have any doubts, I guess
He’ll give you just one more caress.

(a) The distinctive behaviour of a bear is that it very hard.

        Hugs

(b) The poetic device used in the first line is _____

(i) repetition 

(ii) poetic license 

(iii) alliteration ✔

(iv) metaphor

(c) A word in the stanza that means 'a gentle or loving touch or stroke' a person is ______

        caress

(d) The tone in the last two lines is

(i) serious 

(ii) humorous ✔

(iii) critical

(iv) satirical

(e) The rhyme scheme of the stanza is...............

ababcc

 

5. Though to distinguish beasts of prey
A novice might nonplus,
The Crocodile you always may
Tell from the Hyena thus:
Hyenas come with merry smiles;
But if they weep they’re Crocodiles.

a) Who is novice?

A novice is a beginner who has not yet got much knowledge or experience.

b) How is the second line an example of' poetic licence?

The poet takes liberty with language and uses 'nonplus' for 'nonplussed' to make it rhyme with 'thus'.

c) In the above stanza, both the hyena and the crocodile have been referred to as ______

       Beasts of prey

d) The unique feature of a hyena is that

(i) it frightens people 

(ii) it weeps quietly

(iii) it has a smiling face ✔

(iv) it has beautiful eyes

e) A crocodile can be recognized by its habit of ________

        shedding tears

 

6. The true Chameleon is small,
A lizard sort of thing;
He hasn’t any ears at all,
And not a single wing.
If there is nothing on the tree,
’Tis the chameleon you see.

a) What is peculiar about chameleon?

It has no ears and wings.

b) The poetic device in the last two lines is

(i) paradox ✔

(ii) repetition 

(in) anaphora 

(iv) simile

c) What is the rhyme scheme of the stanza?

The rhyme scheme of the stanza is ababcc.