avatarDenise Larkin, BA (Hons)

Summary

"The Tiger" is a descriptive poem that vividly illustrates the fierce and wild nature of tigers, contrasting their life in the wild with their captivity in zoos.

Abstract

The poem titled "The Tiger" by Denise Larkin delves into the essence of a tiger's life, depicting the creature's growth from a cub to a formidable predator. It captures the tiger's striking physical characteristics, its menacing behavior, and the danger it poses to humans. The poem also reflects on the stark contrast between the tiger's natural, untamed existence and its sedentary life when confined to a zoo, where it is stripped of its predatory instincts and forced into a state of dormancy. The author effectively uses language to convey the tiger's strength, agility, and the raw power that is lost when these animals are caged.

Opinions

  • The author admires the tiger's wild and untamed nature, emphasizing its strength and predatory prowess.
  • There is a clear contrast drawn between the tiger's natural state of freedom and its domesticated life in captivity, which is seen as a loss of its inherent wildness.
  • The poem suggests that the tiger's confinement in a zoo is akin to a 'living prison', implying a criticism of the practice of keeping wild animals in captivity for human entertainment.
  • The author seems to lament the tiger's transition from a 'hungry beast' to a 'lazy' and 'sedated' creature, indicating a belief that animals should not be deprived of their natural behaviors.

The Tiger

A poem about a tiger

Photo by A G on Unsplash

The tiger grows From a cub A catlike animal Striking, bright Tawny-colored.

The tiger growls Hisses and spits Its wide mouth Has sharp wrangling teeth.

Its body is large Menacingly wild Savagely hostile A rarity of such fierceness Violently sleek It will bite and eat, Anything meek.

A danger to humans As it lives in its lair A wilderness Of silence A field of dare.

The tiger fights To get his food A hungry beast Running Swiftly and speedily.

A velocity of rashness It hunts its prey Boldly In pursuit Capturing, killing, seeking.

Today We see the tiger In a zoo Living prisoned Away and safe Where it will no longer Hunt, capture, or run.

Instead The tiger Is lazy Sedated Never growling Ever again.

©️ Denise Larkin 2020. All Rights Reserved.

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Poetry
Poem
Outdoors
Animals
Wildlife
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