How to Tell Wild Animals: A Humorous Guide to Identifying Wildlife

How to Tell Wild Animals by Carolyn Wells is a comic poem that offers absurd and dangerous "advice" on identifying wild animals. The humour lies in the irony; each method of identification involves being attacked, eaten, or killed by the animal in question. Rather than providing practical guidance, the poem entertains readers through wit, wordplay, and exaggeration.

This guide covers:

• Summary and stanza-wise explanation
• Key themes and tone
• Literary devices used in the poem
• Important questions for CBSE exams

Table of Contents

• About the Poet
• Summary of the Poem
• Stanza-wise Explanation
• Themes of How To Tell Wild Animals
• Tone and Humour
• Literary Devices
• Key Takeaways
• Practice Questions

About the Poet

Carolyn Wells (1862–1942) was an American writer and poet known for her humorous verse and detective fiction. She published over 170 books during her career. Her poetry is characterised by:

• Clever wordplay and puns
• Light-hearted, witty tone
• Use of irony and absurdity to entertain readers

Summary of the Poem

The poem describes seven wild animals and offers comically impractical ways to identify each one.

The Asian Lion is recognised by its terrifying roar, heard as you die of fright. The Bengal Tiger has black stripes on yellow fur and can be identified when it eats you. The Leopard is covered in spots and will leap on you repeatedly. The Bear gives tight, fatal hugs. The Hyena appears to smile, while the Crocodile sheds tears as it devours its prey. Finally, the Chameleon is a small, earless, wingless lizard that camouflages so well it becomes invisible on a tree.

The poem's central joke is that by the time you've identified any of these animals using the poet's methods, it's already too late.

Stanza-wise Explanation

Stanza 1:

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 poet sets the scene in the jungles of the East (Asia). If you encounter a large, brownish-yellow beast whose roar is so terrifying that you die of fear, you've met the Asian Lion. The humour lies in the absurdity: identification comes at the price of your life.

Stanza 2:

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:

While wandering in the jungle, you might meet a "noble" beast with black stripes on yellow fur. The poet's "simple rule" for identification: notice whether it eats you. The word "noble" is ironic; the tiger's royalty offers no comfort when you're its meal.

Stanza 3:

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:

A leopard has spotted skin and attacks by leaping. Once it jumps on you, you'll know what it is. Crying out in pain won't help; the leopard will simply keep leaping. The deliberate misspelling "lep" (instead of "leap") adds to the playful, comic tone.

Stanza 4:

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:

Unlike the jungle animals, the bear might appear in your own yard. Its method of identification is a tight, crushing hug. If you're uncertain, the bear will embrace you again, fatally. The word "caress" (a gentle touch) is darkly ironic when describing a deadly squeeze.

Stanza 5: 

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;

Explanation:

An inexperienced person might struggle to tell predators apart. The poet offers a distinction: hyenas appear to smile, while crocodiles shed tears while eating their prey. This references the phrase "crocodile tears", false or insincere weeping. Both expressions are misleading; neither animal actually feels joy or sorrow.

Stanza 6:

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 chameleon is a small, lizard-like creature without ears or wings. Its defining trait is camouflage; it blends so perfectly with its surroundings that it becomes invisible. The final joke: if you see nothing on a tree, you're actually seeing a chameleon.

Themes of How To Tell Wild Animals

• Humour and Entertainment: The poem's primary purpose is to amuse. Every stanza delivers a punchline, and the absurdity builds as the "advice" becomes increasingly dangerous.
• Irony: The central irony is that the identification methods are useless; by the time you've confirmed which animal you're facing, you're already dead or severely injured.
• Playful Approach to Learning: The poem demonstrates that education doesn't have to be dry or serious. Through wit and imagination, even factual content (animal characteristics) can become entertaining.
• Human Helplessness: Beneath the humour lies an acknowledgement that humans are vulnerable in the wild. The animals hold all the power in these encounters.

Tone and Humour

The tone throughout is:

• Light-hearted: never serious or preachy
• Playful: treats danger as comedy
• Ironic: the "helpful" advice is anything but helpful

The humour arises from:

• Exaggeration: deadly encounters described casually
• Absurdity: impractical methods presented as logical
• Understatement: violent attacks described as "hugs" and "caresses"
• Wordplay: deliberate misspellings like "lep" and phrases like "merry smiles"

Literary Devices

Rhyme Scheme

The poem follows a consistent ABABCC rhyme scheme in each stanza, creating a musical, song-like quality that enhances the playful tone.

Alliteration

Repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of nearby words:

• "roaming round"
• "lep and lep"
• "hugs you very, very hard"
• "novice might nonplus"

Enjambment

Sentences continue across line breaks without pause:

• "And if there should to you advance / A large and tawny beast"
• "Though to distinguish beasts of prey / A novice might nonplus"

Irony

The entire poem is built on irony. The "advice" is presented as helpful but is actually absurd and dangerous.

Inversion

Unusual word order for emphasis or rhyme:

• "If there should to you advance" (instead of "If there should advance to you")
• "The Bengal Tiger to discern" (instead of "To discern the Bengal Tiger")

Assonance

Repetition of vowel sounds within nearby words:

• "you should go" / "should to you" / "roars"
• "strolling forth" / "whose spot"

Paradox

A seemingly contradictory statement:

• "A noble wild beast greets you" – the "greeting" is an attack

Key Takeaways

• The poem uses dark humour to describe dangerous animals
• Irony is the central device; the advice is deliberately useless
• The ABABCC rhyme scheme creates a light, playful rhythm
• Each animal is characterised by a distinctive (often fatal) behaviour
• The poem shows that learning can be entertaining without being inaccurate

Practice Questions

A. Very Short Answer-type Questions

1. What happens when a lion roars at you, according to the poem?

Answer: The roar is so terrifying that you might die of fear, which is how you'll know it's an Asian lion.

2. Which animals are mentioned in the poem How to Tell Wild Animals?

Answer: Asiatic lions, Bengal tigers, leopards, bears, crocodiles, chameleons, and hyenas are mentioned in the poem How To Tell Wild Animals.

3. How does a chameleon look?

Answer: A chameleon looks like a lizard. It does not have ears and wings.

B. Short Answer-type Questions

1. How can you distinguish between a tiger and a leopard? [CBSE 2011]

Answer: A tiger has black stripes on its yellow body, whereas a leopard has spots peppered on its body. Moreover, a tiger kills only when it is hungry, while a leopard can kill its prey for pleasure. A leopard leaps on its prey and keeps jumping on it continuously.

2. Why does the poet use the terms ‘noble’ and ‘wild’ for the tiger? [CBSE 2020]

Answer: In the poem, ‘noble’ and ‘wild’ are used to describe the tiger because the tiger is grand and impressive. It hunts only when it is hungry.

3. How does the poet differentiate between a hyena and a crocodile?

Answer: The poet says that the hyena seems to laugh when it is not actually laughing. Its appearance is deceiving. On the other hand, the crocodile tears up when it eats its prey. It appears as if he is shedding tears at the death of his prey, which is also misleading.

C. Long Answer-type Questions

1. Describe the animals and their traits as mentioned in the poem How to Tell Wild Animals.

Answer: The poet has described seven wild animals in the poem. The Bengal tiger is identified by its black stripes on its yellow body. It is termed a ‘noble’ beast in the poem, and it moves quietly.

The leopard, on the other hand, leaps on its prey and keeps jumping till it kills it. Its skin is peppered with black spots. The Asiatic lion roars so loudly that one can die out of fear if one listens to it. The bear hugs the human it sees so tightly that the person can die as a result. The poet warns readers not to approach the bear. Then she also states that the hyena seems to smile, but that, too, is deceptive, and so are the tears of the crocodiles. In the last stanza, the poet describes a chameleon, which is a kind of lizard without ears or wings. It camouflages so well with the surroundings that it is invisible to the reader.

2. “Humour is the best medicine for every ailment in life.” Comment. [CBSE 2013]

Answer: Yes, humour is the best medicine for every ailment. It helps build strong bonds and makes a situation easier and lighter; it binds people and is infectious. Humour aids in releasing stress and thus attaining better mental health; it strengthens our immunity, boosts our energy, and eases our tension to some extent. It also reduces pain and suffering and helps human beings cope better. It is extremely valuable and an integral part of life.

In the poem, the poet has used various elements of humour to make the poetry entertaining. The poet vividly and grandly describes the wild animals. The poet also humorously discusses their ferocious traits. The poem is entertaining and lets readers enjoy it thoroughly.

D. Extract-based Questions

1. 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...

A. Where should the reader go by chance?

1. to the fields
2. to the mountains
3. to the valley
4. to the jungle

Answer: 4. to the jungle

B. What is the rhyming scheme of the stanza?

1. ababcc
2. abcbaa
3. abcbac
4. abbccaa

Answer: 1. Ababcc

1. The word ‘east’ in the stanza means _________________________.

1. countryside in the east
2. seas and oceans in the east
3. countries in the eastern part of the world
4. roads in the east

Answer: 3. countries in the eastern part of the world

C. How does the animal in the stanza above look?

1. small yellow and grey
2. large beast with black spots
3. large and brown and grey
4. large and brownish-yellow in colour

Answer: 4. large and brownish-yellow in colour

D. How will the reader know that the beast is an Asiatic lion?

1. It will leap on the reader.
2. It will roar, and it is very scary.
3. It will attack and kill.
4. None of the above is correct.

Answer: 2. It will roar, and it is very scary.

2. 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.

A. One comes to know that it is a leopard when ____________________.

1. it moves quietly
2. it leaps or jumps on him
3. it roars loudly
4. it hugs tightly

Answer: 2. it leaps or jumps on him to the jungle

B. The word ‘forth’ in the stanza above means _____________________.

1. in between
2. above
3. forward
4. backward

Answer: 3. forward

C. Which word means ‘spotted’ in the stanza above?

1. strolling
2. lep
3. beast
4. peppered

Answer: 4. peppered

D. What will the beast mentioned in the stanza above do?

1. leap on its prey
2. hug its prey
3. roar loudly
4. will move quietly

Answer: 1. leap on its prey

E. The poet of the poem is ___________________________________.

1. Robert Frost
2. Leslie Norris
3. Carolyn Wells
4. John Berryman

Answer: 3. Carolyn Wells