NCERT Class 10 English Chapter 4 How to Tell Wild Animals
NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English First Flight Chapter 4 How to Tell Wild Animals (Poem)
Thinking about the Poem
(Page 45)
Question 1.
Does ‘Dyin’ really rhyme with ‘lion’ ? Can you say it in such a way that it does?
Answer:
No, ‘Dyin’ does not rhyme with ‘lion’. If we change the pronunciation of lion by speaking it as ‘lying’ then it may rhyme with the word ‘dyin’.
Question 2.
How does the poet suggest that you identify the lion and the tiger? When can you do so according to him?
Answer:
A lion is a large and tawny beast. A Bengal Tiger has black stripes on its yellow coat. A lion roars when it falls upon its prey, while a tiger attacks silently. We can identify the two while roaming in the jungle.
Question 3.
Do you think the words ‘lept’ and ‘lep’ in the third stanza are spelt correctly? Why does the poet spell them like this?
Answer:
The words ‘lept’ and ‘lep’ are not spelt correctly. The poet has spelt them like this in order to maintain the rhythm of the poem. The correct spelling of the words, ‘lept’ is leapt and ‘lep’ is leap. The poet has intentionally spelt them incorrectly to create a sense of humour.
Question 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)?
Answer:
A bearhug is when the bear hugs his prey tightly with both hands and presses him to death.
There are indeed similar expressions and popular ideas about wild animals in every language. For example, in Hindi, we say ‘Magarmach ke aansu aaana’ (Crocodile tears) ‘Haathi ke daant dikhane ke aur, khane ke aur’, ‘Ab pachtaye hot kya jab chidiya chug gai khet’, ‘Girgit ke tarah rang badalna’.
Question 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?
Answer:
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 maintains the rhyme scheme of the poem. By writing it incorrectly, ‘nonplus’ rhymes with ‘thus’.
Question 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)?
Answer:
One can find plenty of examples in poetry where poets take liberties with language. This is called ‘poetic licence’. Poets take such liberties in order to create proper rhyming and rhythm. For example, in the following lines the word ‘prest’ is used instead of ‘pressed’ so that it may rhyme with ‘breast’.
A tree whose hungry mouth is prest Against the earth’s sweat flowing breast
Question 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.
Answer:
The way the poet has used language and ideas in the poem is indeed humourous. The lines from the poem that appears to be funny are “A noble wild beast greets you”. The idea that a wild beast is going to welcome you is quite funny. The language in the line, “He’ll only lep and lep again” is also very humorous. The concept of ‘lep’ from the word ‘leopard’ generates humour
Extra Questions and Answers
Reference-to-Context Questions
Read the stanza given below and answer the questions that follow:
Question 1.
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) The tiger’s body is covered with ……….. stripes with a …………. coloured hide.
Answer:
black, yellow
(b) The two contradictory words used in line 2 are …………… and ……………
Answer:
noble, wild
(c) The poet warns that if anyone notices this beast and the tiger eats him, then it is for sure
a leopard. (True/False)
Answer:
False
(d) The word means same as ‘to identify’.
Answer:
discern
Question 2.
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) …………. is a beast with spots on its skin.
Answer:
Leopard
(b) According to the poet, one comes to know of the referred animal when it on ……….. one.
Answer:
leaps
(c) On seeing the above mentioned creature, one should understand that there will be no use of shouting or crying out of pain because it will keep on pouncing on him. (True/False)
Answer:
True
(d) ………….. in the stanza means same as ‘jumped high’.
Answer:
lept
Question 3.
The Crocodile you always may
Tell from the Hyena thus:
Hyenas come with merry smiles;
But if they weep they’re Crocodiles.
(a) Hyena always ……………. while gulping down its victim.
Answer:
smiles
(b) While eating its prey, crocodiles tend to
Answer:
weep
(c) According to the poet people might get confused between ………… hyena and crocodile. (TVue/False)
Answer:
True
(d) The word means same as ‘jolly’.
Answer:
merry
Long Answer Question
Question 1.
‘Appearances are deceptive.’ Cite examples from the poem, ‘How to Tell Wild Animals’, to corroborate this statement.
Answer:
Encountering the Asian Lion will be by hearing its roar while dying. Meeting an animal with black stripes on a yellow ground he should ensure that he is not eaten, as he has encountered a Bengal Tiger. When a beast with skin peppered with spots leaps on the person that would be an encounter ‘ with a leopard. Roaring in pain is futile, because the animal will ‘lep and lep’. Similarly, a hug in the dark, would be a bear. When confused between a crocodile and a hyena, the former would emit a merry smile, while the latter would weep tears. Chameleons appear not like lizard-like creatures with no ears, but as nothing on a tree.