But he's locked in a concrete cell,
His strength behind bars,
Stalking the length of his cage,
Ignoring visitors.
Read the following extract and answer the questions.
Generated by claude-sonnet-4-6 · 2026-06-15 07:14 · grounding stimulus+chapter
Model Answer
(i) The tiger ignores the visitors because he is deeply unhappy and frustrated in captivity; the visitors are meaningless to him in his confined, unnatural existence.
(ii) The tiger possesses immense natural strength and wild instincts, meant for roaming forests freely. However, his "strength behind bars" and "stalking the length of his cage" show these instincts are trapped within a concrete cell. His natural power is rendered useless — he can only pace restlessly instead of hunting. This contrast between wild power and imprisoned helplessness is the juxtaposition the poet creates.
(iii) (A) sympathetic and thoughtful
(iv) The length of his cage highlights the limited space in which the tiger is confined.
Source: A Tiger in the Zoo, stanza 3
---
Explanation
- (i) The key idea is the tiger's indifference born of misery — don't just say "he is bored." Connect it to captivity.
- (ii) For 2 marks, you must name both sides of the contrast (natural instinct vs. caged reality) and use evidence from the lines. "Strength behind bars" and "stalking" are your textual proof.
- (iii) The tone is sorrowful and empathetic — the poet pities the caged tiger. Option A is correct.
- (iv) "Length of his cage" implies a very short, restricted distance — always pick limited space.