Poem -How To Tell Wild Animals

 The poem How To Tell Wild Animals  is composed by Carolyn Wells. It is a poem full of humour and fun. 

The poet tells us ways to identify different wild animals.  His description makes the poem very amusing. 

Let's read the poem stanza wise to understand its Contents. 

Stanza -1

If ever you should go by chance

To jungles in 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 it is the Asian Lion...

Solution  -  Poet humorously  tells us how to tell an Asian Lion. It is found in the jungles of Eastern parts. It is a large sized and yellow coloured animal.  He will roar at you and then you will know him. To roar is his natural trait. 

Meanings - advance - approach

                      tawny -   yellow coloured

Rhyming scheme - A abcb

Poetic devices used are - 

1. Enjambment - line  1 & 3

2. Consonance - tawny beast 

3. Asonance -   you should go

4. Omonomotapea  - roars

Stanza - 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.

Solution  - Here,  the poet makes it very easy to identify the Bengal Tiger. He is a noble beast. He will greet you like a noble person.  He has black stripes on black skin.  You must be careful as he may attack and eat you. This is how you can tell the Bengal Tiger. 

Meanings - 

Roam - walk aimlessly 

Discern  - recognise 

Rhyming scheme  - ab,ab,CBSE

Poetic device used - 

Alliteration  - roaming round 

Consonance  - beast  greets, line 5

Imagery 

Stanza -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 again and again. 

Solution - You can meet a wild animal while having a walk. This animal has round spots all over his skin. He will jump at you as soon as he sees you. Your crying with pain and fear will be useless because the leopard will hump at you again.  

Meanings - 

stroll forth - to walk freely 

Peppered   - filled 

Hide.           - background 

Rhyming scheme - ab,ab,cc

Poetic device used - 

Poetic license - lep (as real spelling is lept).

Asonance  - as soon as he has lept on you.

Imagery 

Stanza -4

If when you're walking round your yard,

You meet a creature there,

Who hugs you every, very hard,

Be sure it is the Bear.

If you have any doubts, I guess

He'll give you one more caress.

Solution -  Now the Poet tells us how to identify a bear. He will hug you very hard.  The Poet creates humour when he says that it is his way to show his care and concern.  If you will have any doubts, the bear will again hug you to convince you about his identity.

Meanings - 

Yard - back part of the house

Caress - a soft touch.

Rhyming scheme - ab,ab,cc

Poetic devices used  - 

Alliteration  - your yard

Consonance  - your yards, creature there 

                        - be sure it is the bear.

Enjambment  - line 1

Imagery 

Stanza 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 are crocodiles. 

Solution  -  The poet says that a beginner cannot be sure about identity of a Hyena and crocodile.  But there is a simple rule to tell a Hyena from a crocodile.  If the wild beast is smiling,  it is a Hyena as crocodiles are always found weeping. 

The poet has used the proverb of 'crocodile tears' indirectly and humorously.  

Meanings - 

Novice    - learner/beginner 

Nonplus - get confused

Rhyming scheme  - ab,ab,cc

Poetic device used  - 

Enjambment  - line 3 & 5

Consonance  - line 2

Alliteration  - a novice might nonplus.

Imagery. 

 

Stanza -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.

Solution  -  A Chameleon  is just like a wall lizard. The poet uses humour when he says that it does not have any wings or ears. Chameleon is known for changing colours. If you see nothing on the tree, then it will be Chameleon there . 

Meanings -

Sort - kind

Chameleon  - garden lizard. 

Poetic device used -

Asonance  - line 3 & 4

Consonance  - line 1 & 4

Alliteration  - he hasn't 

Note - Questions and extracts will be seen in next part.