Class 10 English - KERALA
Poetry: How to Tell Wild Animals
How to Tell Wild Animals by Carolyn Wells is a humorous poem prescribed in the Class 10 Kerala SCERT English syllabus. The poem takes the reader on a dangerous adventure through the jungle, introducing various wild animals like the Asian Lion, Bengal Tiger, Bear, Hyena, and Crocodile. Through witty descriptions, humorous verse, and clever wordplay, the poet explains how ordinary people can identify these ferocious beasts based on their physical traits and behavior. It is an important chapter for board exams as it tests students' comprehension of poetic devices, humor, and stanza analysis.
Start Learning FreeKey Concepts
Humor and Satire
The poet uses gentle humor and irony to describe dangerous situations, suggesting bizarre ways to identify wild animals like being eaten by a tiger or hugged by a bear.
Poetic Devices - Enjambment
The continuation of a sentence without a pause beyond the end of a line, stanza, or couplet, heavily used in this poem to maintain a conversational and fast-paced rhythm.
Poetic Devices - Inversion
The changing of the usual order of words (syntax) for poetic effect, such as 'The beast you eat' instead of 'You eat the beast'.
Poetic Devices - Allusion
A brief and indirect reference to a person, place, thing, or idea of historical, cultural, or literary significance, seen in references to animals like the 'noble wild beast'.
Rhyme Scheme
The poem follows a consistent rhyme scheme of ABABCC in most of its stanzas, which adds a song-like and playful quality to the terrifying subject matter.
Important Formulas
Board Exam Info
In the Kerala SCERT Class 10 English exams, this chapter typically carries 4 to 6 marks. Common question types include reference-to-context questions based on stanzas, identification of poetic devices, short paragraph questions about the humor in the poem, and appreciation questions.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the central theme of 'How to Tell Wild Animals'?
The central theme is humor and the dangers of identifying wild animals through absurd and risky methods suggested by the poet.
How can you distinguish a leopard from a tiger according to the poem?
A leopard has spots all over its body, whereas a tiger has black stripes on a yellow background.
Why does the poet call the hyena's smile deceptive?
The hyena is known to laugh or smile while hunting or luring its prey, which can confuse people into thinking it is friendly.
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