How To Tell Wild Animals Class 10 Notes

Key Learnings from the Poem

• The poem uses humor and irony to describe dangerous wild animals.
• It satirizes traditional methods of identifying animals, highlighting their potentially fatal outcomes.
• Carolyn Wells employs vivid imagery and colloquial language to create a distinct tone.
• Each animal is characterized by one or two prominent, often exaggerated, features.
• The poet uses poetic license and deliberate misspellings (e.g., 'lept') for humorous effect and rhyme.
• The central theme revolves around the danger and unpredictable nature of wild beasts.
• Key poetic devices include alliteration, anaphora, inversion, and hyperbole.
• The poem cautions against relying solely on theoretical knowledge for animal identification.

Glossary of Poetic Devices & Terms

Alliteration

The repetition of an initial consonant sound in multiple words in a line or phrase (e.g., 'roaming round', 'noble wild beast').

Anaphora

The repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses (e.g., 'If ever you go... If some time when...').

Inversion (or Anastrophe)

Reversing the normal word order of a sentence or phrase, typically for emphasis or to maintain rhyme/meter (e.g., 'A noble wild beast greets you').

Hyperbole

Exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally (e.g., the idea of a bear's 'tight embrace').

Irony

A literary device where the intended meaning is different from the actual meaning of the words, often used for humor or emphasis. In the poem, the 'tips' to identify deadly animals are ironically deadly themselves.

Poetic License

The freedom to depart from facts or normal conventions of language in writing poetry (e.g., using 'lept' instead of 'leapt').

Rhyme Scheme

The pattern of rhymes at the end of lines of a poem. The poem primarily uses an 'aabb' rhyme scheme.

Assonance

The repetition of vowel sounds within non-rhyming words near each other (e.g., 'huge and terrible beast').

Poem Overview and Central Idea

Carolyn Wells's "How To Tell Wild Animals" is a delightful and humorous poem that takes a satirical approach to identifying dangerous creatures. The poet describes various wild animals – the Asian Lion, Bengal Tiger, Bear, Leopard, Hyena, and Crocodile – by highlighting their most terrifying and distinctive characteristics, often with a twist of dark humor. The central idea revolves around the irony of trying to 'identify' these animals based on their looks or behaviour, as the methods suggested would likely lead to the observer's demise. For instance, the advice to distinguish an Asian Lion by its 'roaring' implies that one would have to be dangerously close to experience it. Similarly, the 'noble wild beast' with black stripes is the Bengal Tiger, which would simply eat you.

The poem's tone is light-hearted and playful, despite dealing with extremely dangerous subjects. This contrast creates much of the humor. Wells uses vivid imagery and a conversational style, making the poem accessible and engaging. The poem also subtly points out the danger of venturing into animal habitats without proper understanding or caution, as the 'tips' provided are based on the animal's immediate and often fatal reaction. The consistent use of anaphora (e.g., 'If ever you go...', 'If some time when...') and the aabb rhyme scheme contribute to the poem's musicality and rhythm, making it easy to read and remember. Ultimately, the poem serves as a humorous cautionary tale about the true nature of wild animals, emphasizing that their defining traits often come with deadly consequences for humans.

Distinguishing Wild Animals: A Quick Guide (Poem's Perspective)

Exam Strategies for 'How To Tell Wild Animals'

To ace questions on this poem, focus on its humorous and ironic tone. Examiners often look for your ability to identify the poetic devices (alliteration, anaphora, inversion, hyperbole) and explain their effect. Pay close attention to the specific, often exaggerated, descriptions of each animal. Don't just list the animals; explain how the poet uses these descriptions to create humor or convey a message. Be prepared for extract-based questions where you might need to identify the animal or explain a particular line's meaning. Always quote relevant lines from the poem to support your answers. Avoid writing purely factual answers about animals; instead, focus on the poetic interpretation and the poet's craft.

Quick Revision Check

• Q1: What is the primary tone of the poem? A1: The primary tone of the poem is humorous and ironic, using dark humor to describe dangerous situations.
• Q2: How does the poet distinguish between a Hyena and a Crocodile? A2: The poet says a Hyena comes with 'merry smiles' (laughing sounds), while a Crocodile can be identified by its 'tears' while eating.
• Q3: Name two poetic devices used in the poem with examples. A3: Alliteration ('roaming round', 'noble wild beast') and Anaphora ('If ever you go...', 'If some time when...').
• Q4: What is the humorous irony in the poem's advice? A4: The irony lies in the 'tips' provided for identification; following them would almost certainly lead to the observer's death, making the advice practically useless and comically dangerous.

Frequently Asked Questions