HOW TO TELL WILD ANIMALS
CAROLYN
WELLS
THINKING ABOUT THE POEM
1) Does ‘dyin’ really rhyme with ‘lion’? Can
you say it in such a way that it does?
Ans: No, ‘dyin’ does not rhyme with ‘lion’. It
may rhyme with the word ‘dyin’ if we change the pronunciation of lion by
speaking it as ‘lying’.
2) How does the poet suggest that you
identify the lion and the tiger? When can you do so according to him?
Ans: The poet suggests that we can identify
the lion and the tiger while roaming in the jungle. According to poet a lion is
a large and tawny beast whereas a Bengal tiger has black stripes on its yellow
coat. A tiger attacks its prey silently, while a lion roars when it falls upon
its prey.
3) Do you think the words ‘lept’ and ‘lep’ in
the third stanza are spelt correctly? Why does the poet spell them like this?
Ans: The words ‘lept’ and ‘lep’ are not spelt
correctly in the third stanza. The poet has spelt them like this to keep up
with the rhythm of the poem. The correct spelling of the words, 'lept' is leapt
and 'lep' is leap. The poet has purposefully spelt them mistakenly to make a
comical inclination.
4) Do you know what a ‘bearhug’ is? It’s a
friendly and strong hug-such as bears are thought to give, as they attack you!
Again, hyenas are thought to laugh and crocodiles to weep (‘crocodile tears’)
as they swallow their victims. Are there similar expressions and popular ideas
about wild animals in your own language (s)?
Ans: A “bearhug” is when the bear hugs its prey tightly with both hands and presses
it to death.
“Girgit ke tarah rang badalna”
“Magarmach ke aansu aaana”
“Haathi ke daant dikhane ke aur, khane ke aur”
“Ab pachtaye hot kya jab chidiya chug gai khet”
There are similar expressions and popular ideas about wild animals in Hindi
language.
5) Look at the line ‘A
novice might nonplus.” How would you write this ‘correctly’? Why is the poet’s
‘incorrect’ line better in the poem?
Ans: The line “A novice might nonplus” can be
written correctly as “A novice might be nonplussed”. However, the poet's
incorrect line is better in the poem as it keeps up with the rhyme scheme of
the poem. By composing it mistakenly, 'nonplus' rhymes with 'thus'.
6) Can you find other examples of poets
taking liberties with language, either in English or in your own language? Can
you find examples of humorous poems in your own language (s)?
Ans: One can discover a lot of examples in poetry where poets mistreat
language. This is called 'poetic licence'. Poets take such freedoms to make
legitimate rhyming and rhythm. For instance, in the accompanying lines the word
'prest' is utilized rather than 'pressed' so it might rhyme with 'breast'. A
tree whose hungry mouth is prest against the earth's sweat flowing breast.
7) Much of the humour in the
poem arisesfrom the way language is used. Although the ideas are funny as well.
If there are particular lines in the poem that you especially like, share these
lines with the class, speaking briefly about what it is about the ideas or the
language that you like or find funny.
Ans: The manner in which the poet has utilized
language and thoughts in the poem is without a doubt humourous. The lines from
the poem that has all the earmarks of being clever are "A noble wild beast
greets you". The possibility that a wild beast will welcome you is very
entertaining. The language in the line, "He'll only lep and lep
again" is also exceptionally humorous. The idea of 'lep' from the word
'leopard' creates humor
