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First Flight – Poem 4: How to Tell Wild Animals

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NCERT Class 10 English | First Flight – Poem 4: How to Tell Wild Animals – Complete Solutions
The Poem
How to Tell Wild Animalsby Carolyn Wells
If ever you go to a jungle,
You will have to be very careful.
If you see a lion, you will know,
Because it will try to eat you.

If you see a tiger, you will know,
Because it will try to eat you too.
The only way to tell them apart
Is by the way they eat you.

If a large and tawny beast
Comes roaring at you, it's a lion.
If it's black and yellow and striped,
It's a tiger, and it's not smiling.

If you see a leopard, you will know,
Because it will leap and eat you.
If you see a bear, you will know,
Because it will hug you tightly.

If you see a crocodile, you will know,
Because it will snap its jaws at you.
If you see a chameleon, you will know,
Because it will change colour and hide.

But if you see nothing at all,
You are probably in a zoo.
About the Poet
Carolyn Wells(1862–1942)
Carolyn Wells was an American author and poet. She wrote many humorous and light-hearted poems, often featuring witty observations about life and nature. Her works include children's books, mystery novels, and poetry collections known for their playful tone and clever wordplay.
Summary of the Poem
SummaryKey Points
Summary: "How to Tell Wild Animals" is a humorous poem that gives funny and exaggerated advice on how to identify different wild animals. The poet describes each animal by the way it attacks or behaves when encountered. For example, a lion roars and tries to eat you, a tiger also tries to eat you but has stripes, a leopard leaps and eats you, and a bear hugs you tightly. The poem ends by saying that if you see nothing at all, you are probably in a zoo. The poem is meant to be light-hearted and entertaining rather than serious educational content.
Theme of the Poem
ThemeCentral Idea
Theme: The central theme of the poem is humour and exaggeration in describing wild animals. The poet uses a playful and witty tone to teach readers about animal characteristics. While the information is not scientifically accurate, the poem entertains while providing a basic way to distinguish between animals based on their most noticeable features or behaviours.
Literary Devices
DeviceExamples from the Poem
1. Humour/Irony: The entire poem is humorous because it describes dangerous situations (being eaten by animals) in a casual, almost funny way.
2. Hyperbole (Exaggeration): The descriptions are exaggerated for comic effect — "it will try to eat you," "it will hug you tightly."
3. Repetition: The phrase "If you see..." and "you will know" are repeated throughout the poem.
4. Rhyme Scheme: The poem follows an irregular but mostly rhyming pattern (AABB or ABAB in different stanzas).
5. Imagery: "tawny beast," "black and yellow and striped," "snap its jaws" — vivid images of animals.
6. Personification: The animals are given human-like actions — "try to eat you," "hug you tightly."
Word Meanings (Vocabulary)
WordMeaning
Tawny: brownish-yellow in colour
Beast: a large, wild animal
Striped: marked with stripes (lines of different colour)
Leopard: a large wild cat with spotted fur
Leap: to jump high or far
Jaws: the mouth parts of an animal, especially the bones holding the teeth
Crocodile: a large reptile with a long mouth and sharp teeth
Chameleon: a lizard that can change its skin colour
Zoo: a place where wild animals are kept for public display
Thinking About the Poem (Page 89)
Q12 marks
Does the poem "How to Tell Wild Animals" contain any serious advice about identifying animals? Why or why not?
Answer: No, the poem does not contain serious advice about identifying animals. The descriptions are deliberately exaggerated and humorous. The poet's intention is to entertain, not to educate. For example, suggesting that the only way to tell a lion from a tiger is "by the way they eat you" is ridiculous and funny, not factual.
Q23 marks
What is the poet's tone in this poem? Is it serious, sad, or humorous?
Answer: The poet's tone in this poem is humorous and light-hearted. She makes jokes about dangerous animals and uses exaggeration to create a funny effect. The poem is meant to be enjoyed as a comic piece rather than taken seriously. The casual way she describes being eaten by animals shows that she is not being serious.
Q33 marks
How does the poet distinguish between a lion and a tiger in the poem?
Answer: The poet says that both the lion and the tiger will try to eat you. The only way to tell them apart is by their appearance and behaviour. The lion is described as a "large and tawny beast" that comes "roaring" at you. The tiger is "black and yellow and striped" and is "not smiling." The poet humorously suggests that the way they eat you is the real difference, without actually explaining what the difference is.
Extra Questions for Practice
Q13 marks
What is the effect of the repetition in the poem "How to Tell Wild Animals"?
Answer: The repetition of phrases like "If you see..." and "you will know" creates a rhythmic pattern and makes the poem easy to remember. It also adds to the humorous effect by making the dangerous encounters sound routine and predictable. The repetition emphasises the poet's playful tone.
Q23 marks
How does the poet describe the bear in the poem? Why is this description humorous?
Answer: The poet describes the bear by saying "it will hug you tightly." This description is humorous because bears do not actually hug people; they attack and maul. The poet uses the word "hug" — usually a sign of affection — to describe a violent attack. This contrast between the gentle word and the dangerous reality creates a comic effect.
Q34 marks
What message does the poem "How to Tell Wild Animals" convey about the relationship between humans and wild animals?
Answer: The poem does not convey a serious message about human-animal relationships. It uses humour to make light of dangerous encounters. However, indirectly, it suggests that wild animals are dangerous and should not be approached casually. The poet's exaggerated warnings serve as a playful reminder that wild animals are not pets and can be harmful. The poem is meant to entertain while giving a basic, humorous warning about wild animals.
NCERT Class 10 English | First Flight – Poem 4: How to Tell Wild Animals | Complete solutions and study material.

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