How to Tell Wild Animals-CBQA

 

How to Tell Wild Animals

Competency-based questions & Answers

1."If he roars at you as you’re dyin’/ You’ll know it is the Asian Lion…" Comment on the irony of the quote from the poem "How to Tell Wild Animals".

The irony in this line lies in the amusing way the poet teaches us to identify the Asian Lion. Normally, when people learn about animals, they observe safely from a distance. But in the poem, the poet jokingly says that you can recognise the lion only when it is roaring at you as you are dying. This creates a humorous contrast—because if you were actually “dyin’,” you would hardly be in a position to identify any animal! The poet uses this exaggerated and impossible situation to create comic irony.

The line also mocks the idea of “practical learning,” because this kind of identification lesson is clearly not practical at all. Instead of helping the reader, the poet playfully puts them in danger. Thus, the irony lies in the fact that the poet pretends to “teach” something useful but does so in such a dangerous and unrealistic way that it becomes funny.

2.Hyperbole is a literary device used when the poet exaggerates an image to make it comical.State two instances from the poem "How to Tell Wild Animals" where the literary device is used effectively to bring out the humour .

The poem uses hyperbole—deliberate exaggeration—to make the descriptions of wild animals funny and memorable.

One clear example is the description of the Bengal Tiger. The poet says the tiger will “eat you,” which is an exaggeration meant to create a comic warning. The detailed line “He’ll only eat you if you don’t move” is humorous because the advice is completely useless when facing a tiger.

Another example of hyperbole is in the description of the Asian Lion: “If he roars at you as you're dyin’.” The idea that someone would calmly identify a lion while dying is an exaggerated joke meant to entertain the reader.

Both examples show how the poet uses overstatement not to frighten the reader, but to make the poem lively and humorous.

3."If there is nothing on the tree, / ’Tis the chameleon you see." Briefly explain the paradox of the quote.

These lines form a paradox because they claim that when you “see nothing,” you are actually “seeing” something—the **chameleon. A paradox is a statement that seems false or contradictory but reveals a hidden truth.

Here, the poet cleverly points out that chameleons blend perfectly with their surroundings. Because of their ability to camouflage, they may be present on a branch but appear completely invisible. So the poet says that the “nothing” you see is actually the chameleon itself.

The humour lies in this contradiction. You cannot normally “see” something that is not visible, yet the poet tells you that noticing the absence of anything is a sign that the chameleon is present. This playful twist highlights the creature’s unusual ability and adds to the poem’s light, comic tone.

4.Which genre is most appropriate for the poem? Substantiate your choice with reference to the poem “How to Tell Wild Animals”.

The poem fits best into the genre of humorous poetry or light verse, because its purpose is to entertain the reader through exaggeration, playful warnings, and witty descriptions of animals. The poet pretends to give a “guidebook” on identifying wild animals, but the explanations are comically exaggerated.

Lines like “If he roars at you as you’re dyin’” and “He’ll only eat you if you don’t move” clearly show the poem is not serious or scientific. Instead, it uses fun, laughter, and imagination to make the reader enjoy the descriptions.

The poem also contains elements of nonsense verse, where the situations are impossible but amusing. Therefore, the most suitable genre for this poem is humorous poetry, where learning and laughter come together.

5.“All knowledge is useful. But not all knowledge is worth the cost.” Elaborate on the quote in the context of the poem “How to Tell Wild Animals”.

 In the poem, the poet offers “knowledge” about how to identify wild animals. While this knowledge may seem useful, the cost of acquiring it—being eaten, clawed, or killed—is far too high.

For example, learning about the Asian Lion by letting it roar at you as you're “dyin’,” or identifying a tiger by letting it attack you, shows that the “knowledge” is not worth the danger involved. The poem humorously suggests that some lessons are better learned from books, not from real-life encounters.

Thus, the quote fits perfectly. Yes, it is useful to know about wild animals, but if you risk your life to learn it, the knowledge becomes too costly. The poet teaches this idea through exaggerated humour, making the reader laugh while understanding the message.

6.Would you agree that the poet has an in-depth knowledge of the wild? Support the statement in context of the poem “How to Tell Wild Animals”.

The poet pretends to have deep knowledge of wild animals, but her descriptions are humorous exaggerations rather than factual information. She names real animals—the Asian Lion, Bengal Tiger, Leopard, Bear, Hyena, and Chameleon—but her method of identifying them is comically unrealistic.

For example, she describes the leopard as a creature that “greets you with two leaps,” meaning it will attack immediately, and the bear will hug you “very tight,” which is actually deadly.

These details show that the poet understands basic characteristics of these animals, such as the tiger’s fierceness and the chameleon’s camouflage, but she uses this knowledge playfully. So while she may not give scientific information, she effectively blends fact with humour to entertain readers.

7.Imagine the poet meets Mijbil, the otter. Write a detailed account of the characteristics the poet could use for her poem, if she were to write about telling an otter.

If the poet were to write about an otter like Mijbil, she would surely include playful and exaggerated characteristics, just as she does in the poem.

She might describe the otter as a creature who “slips like a streak of water” and is so quick that “before you blink, he has already vanished.” She could say that if you hear splashing behind you, it is not the wind but the otter “laughing in the river.”

She might exaggerate Mijbil's curiosity by saying he will “inspect every pocket you have” and “steal your heart before you notice.”

In a humorous way, she could add that if you find your soap, pencil, or paintbrush missing, it means “the otter is near.”

The poet would surely turn Mijbil’s playful, intelligent nature into a funny and engaging description.

8.Write a letter to the poet detailing your favourite aspects of the poem and the ones that you did not like. Include a request about which animal you’d like her to exclusively compose a poem on. Give reason/s for your choice

 Dear Poet,

I am writing to tell you how much I enjoyed reading your poem How to Tell Wild Animals. My favourite part was the humorous way you described dangerous animals as if they were friendly guides. Lines like “If he roars at you as you’re dyin’” made me laugh because they are exaggerated yet clever. I also liked how you used rhyme and rhythm to make the poem lively.

However, I felt that some descriptions were too exaggerated, especially the idea that a bear gives a “friendly hug.” It was funny, but a little scary too!

I would love it if you could write a poem exclusively about the elephant. It is a gentle giant, full of intelligence and emotion, and I think your humour would make its description even more delightful.

Thank you for writing such a joyful poem.

Yours sincerely,