How to Tell Wild Animals Summary & Explanation

“How to Tell Wild Animals” by Carolyn Wells

Let’s break down the poem “How to Tell Wild Animals” by Carolyn Wells, stanza by stanza, to understand its humorous take on identifying wild animals.

Stanza 1

Lines:

If ever you should go by chance
To jungles in the east;
And if there should to you advance
A large and tawny beast,
If he roars at you as you’re dyin’
You’ll know it is the Asian Lion…

Explanation:

The poem starts by setting the scene in the jungles of the East. It humorously suggests that if a large, tawny (yellowish-brown) beast approaches you and roars loudly as you are dying, then you can be sure it is an Asian Lion. The humor lies in the fact that by the time you identify the lion, it might be too late.

Stanza 2

Lines:

Or if some time when roaming round,
A noble wild beast greets you,
With black stripes on a yellow ground,
Just notice if he eats you.
This simple rule may help you learn
The Bengal Tiger to discern.

Explanation:

This stanza describes another scenario where you might encounter a wild animal. If you see a noble beast with black stripes on a yellow background (a Bengal Tiger), the poem humorously suggests that you can identify it by whether it eats you. Again, the humor is in the dangerous and impractical method of identification.

Stanza 3

Lines:

If strolling forth, a beast you view,
Whose hide with spots is peppered,
As soon as he has lept on you,
You’ll know it is the Leopard.
’Twill do no good to roar with pain,
He’ll only lep and lep again.

Explanation:

In this stanza, the poem talks about identifying a Leopard. If you see a beast with a spotted hide and it leaps on you, then you can be sure it is a Leopard. The humor here is that roaring in pain won’t help because the Leopard will keep leaping on you.

Stanza 4

Lines:

If when you’re walking round your yard
You meet a creature there,
Who hugs you very, very hard,
Be sure it is a Bear.
If you have any doubts, I guess
He’ll give you just one more caress.

Explanation:

This stanza humorously describes how to identify a Bear. If a creature hugs you very tightly while you’re walking around your yard, it’s likely a Bear. If you’re still unsure, the Bear will give you another tight hug (or “caress”), which is a playful way of describing a potentially dangerous situation.

Stanza 5

Lines:

Though to distinguish beasts of prey
A novice might nonplus,
The Crocodile you always may
Tell from the Hyena thus:
Hyenas come with merry smiles;
But if they weep they’re Crocodiles.

Explanation:

This stanza provides a humorous way to distinguish between a Crocodile and a Hyena. Hyenas are known for their “merry smiles” (they appear to be laughing), while Crocodiles are said to “weep” (shed tears). The humor lies in the playful and exaggerated characteristics attributed to these animals.

Stanza 6

Lines:

The true Chameleon is small,
A lizard sort of thing;
He hasn’t any ears at all,
And not a single wing.
If there is nothing on the tree,
’Tis the chameleon you see.

Explanation:

The final stanza describes the Chameleon. It is small, like a lizard, has no ears or wings, and can blend into its surroundings so well that if you see nothing on the tree, it might actually be a Chameleon. The humor here is in the clever way of describing the Chameleon’s camouflage ability.

Overall, the poem uses exaggerated and humorous scenarios to describe how one might identify various wild animals, often highlighting the danger involved in such encounters.

Understanding Difficult Words with meaning

Stanza 1

Tawny:

Meaning: A yellowish-brown color.

Stanza 2

Noble:

Meaning: Having fine personal qualities or high moral principles.

Discern:

Meaning: To recognize or identify something.

Stanza 3

Strolling:

Meaning: Walking in a leisurely way.

Peppered:

Meaning: Covered or sprinkled with small spots or marks.

Lept:

Meaning: Jumped or sprang.

Stanza 4

Creature:

Meaning: An animal, especially a non-human one.

Caress:

Meaning: A gentle or loving touch.

Stanza 5

Distinguish:

Meaning: To recognize or treat someone or something as different.

Novice:

Meaning: A person new to or inexperienced in a field or situation.

Nonplus:

Meaning: To confuse or perplex someone.

Stanza 6

Chameleon:

Meaning: A type of lizard known for its ability to change color to blend into its surroundings.

Lizard:

Meaning: A type of reptile with a long body and tail, movable eyelids, and usually four legs.

Camouflage:

Meaning: The ability of an animal to blend into its surroundings to avoid detection.

Solution to the poem

Question 1

Does ‘dyin’ really rhyme with ‘lion’? Can you say it in such a way that it does?

Answer:

No, ‘dyin’ does not perfectly rhyme with ‘lion’ in standard pronunciation. However, the poet uses a colloquial or informal contraction of “dying” to “dyin’” to create a near-rhyme with “lion.” By pronouncing “dyin’” with a slight emphasis on the ending, it can be made to sound closer to “lion,” thus achieving a playful rhyme.

Question 2

How does the poet suggest that you identify the lion and the tiger? When can you do so, according to him?

Answer:

The poet suggests identifying the lion by its roar as it attacks you, implying that you will know it is an Asian Lion if it roars at you while you are dying. For the tiger, the poet humorously suggests that you can identify a Bengal Tiger by its black stripes on a yellow background and by noticing if it eats you. According to the poet, you can identify these animals when they are attacking you, which is a humorous and impractical method.

Question 3

Do you think the words ‘lept‘ and ‘lep’ in the third stanza are spelt correctly? Why does the poet spell them like this?

Answer:

No, the words ‘lept’ and ‘lep’ are not spelled correctly; the correct spelling is “leapt.” The poet spells them this way to maintain the poem’s rhythm and rhyme scheme. This playful alteration adds to the humorous tone of the poem.

Question 4

Do you know what a ‘bearhug’ is? It’s a friendly and strong hug — such as bears are thought to give, as they attack you! Again, hyenas are thought to laugh, and crocodiles to weep (‘crocodile tears’) as they swallow their victims. Are there similar expressions and popular ideas about wild animals in your own language(s)?

Answer:

Yes, a ‘bearhug’ is a strong and friendly hug, similar to how bears might hug when they attack. In many languages, there are expressions related to animals. For example, in Hindi, there is the phrase “मगरमच्छ के आँसू” (magarmachh ke aansoo), which translates to “crocodile tears,” indicating insincere sorrow. Similarly, “शेर की तरह बहादुर” (sher ki tarah bahadur) means “brave like a lion,” reflecting the lion’s bravery.

Question 5

Look at the line “A novice might nonplus”. How would you write this ‘correctly’? Why is the poet’s ‘incorrect’ line better in the poem?

Answer:

The line could be written correctly as “A novice might be nonplussed.” However, the poet’s ‘incorrect’ line is better in the poem because it maintains the rhythm and rhyme scheme. The playful use of language adds to the humorous and whimsical tone of the poem.

Question 6

Can you find other examples of poets taking liberties with language, either in English or in your own language(s)? Can you find examples of humorous poems in your own language(s)?

Answer:

Yes, poets often take liberties with language for artistic effect. For example, e.e. cummings is known for his unconventional use of punctuation and capitalization. In Hindi literature, poets like Surdas and Kabir have used colloquial language and playful expressions. A humorous Hindi poem is “बिल्लू का बस्ता” (Billu ka Basta) by Anamika, which uses playful language to describe a schoolboy’s experiences.

Question 7

Much of the humour in the poem arises from the way language is used, although the ideas are funny as well. If there are particular lines in the poem that you especially like, share these with the class, speaking briefly about what it is about the ideas or the language that you like or find funny.

Answer:

One particularly funny line is: “If he roars at you as you’re dyin’ / You’ll know it is the Asian Lion.” The humor comes from the absurdity of identifying a lion by its roar while it’s attacking you. The playful use of “dyin’” instead of “dying” adds to the whimsical tone. Another amusing line is: “Just notice if he eats you,” which humorously suggests that being eaten is a practical way to identify a Bengal Tiger. The exaggerated scenarios and playful language make these lines particularly funny.

Additional Humorous Line:

“Hyenas come with merry smiles; / But if they weep they’re Crocodiles.” This line humorously plays on the idea of hyenas laughing and crocodiles shedding fake tears, using these exaggerated traits to distinguish between them.

By analyzing these lines, we can appreciate how the poet uses language creatively to add humor to the poem.