1. The poet and the poem
Read the poem itself in your textbook, First Flight (NCERT), aloud, twice. This lesson is SOYL's explanation; it does not reproduce the poem.
Carolyn Wells (1862–1942) was an American writer of humorous and nonsense verse, parodies and riddles. She edited collections of comic poetry and also wrote many mystery novels. How to Tell Wild Animals pretends to be a practical guide to recognising dangerous animals.
| About the poet | |
|---|---|
| Poet | Carolyn Wells (1862–1942), American writer |
| Known for | humorous and nonsense verse, parodies and riddles |
| Also | edited collections of comic poetry; wrote many mystery novels |
2. What happens (SOYL summary)
Stanza 1 — the Asiatic lion: the huge yellowish-brown animal that roars over you in an eastern forest as you lie dying.
Stanza 2 — the tiger: the handsome striped animal that welcomes you; observe whether it makes a meal of you.
Stanza 3 — the leopard: the spotted animal that springs on you; crying out is useless, since it keeps springing.
Stanza 4 — the bear: met close to home, known by its crushing hug, which it repeats if you doubt; the poet calls it a caress.
Stanza 5 — the hyena and the crocodile: a rule for beginners: the grinning one is the hyena, the weeping one the crocodile.
Stanza 6 — the chameleon: a small lizard without ears or wings; if a branch looks empty, you have found a chameleon.
| Stanza | Animal | Real feature used | The poem's "test" (SOYL summary) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Asiatic lion | tawny coat; roar; eastern forests | it roars over you as you lie dying |
| 2 | tiger | dark stripes across yellow fur | observe whether it makes a meal of you |
| 3 | leopard | spotted coat; leaps on prey | it springs on you, and keeps springing |
| 4 | bear | powerful embrace | a crushing hug; in doubt, another one |
| 5 | hyena / crocodile | laugh-like call / crocodile tears | the grinning one is the hyena; the weeping one, the crocodile |
| 6 | chameleon | camouflage; no external ears | the branch looks empty |
3. Themes and message
- Humour: the main purpose is to entertain.
- Parody: the poem mocks guidebooks that promise expert knowledge but are useless in a real emergency.
- A quiet reminder: wild animals are powerful, and close encounters can be fatal.
- Delight in language: rhyme, playful spellings and idioms taken literally.
4. Devices, humour and form
Situational irony: the tests identify each animal (apart from the harmless chameleon) only when it attacks.
Verbal irony: the bear's deadly hug is called a caress.
Poetic licence (deliberate misspelling): in the lion stanza a word for dying is clipped to rhyme with the animal's name; in the leopard stanza the verb for jumping is respelt to echo the first syllable of the animal's name. Old-fashioned contractions and inverted word order also fit the rhyme.
Idiom taken literally: crocodile tears (false sorrow) becomes the crocodile's identifying mark; the hyena's laugh-like call explains its grin.
Form: six stanzas of six lines; rhyme scheme ababcc; the closing couplet delivers the punchline.
| Device | Where in the poem (described) | A SOYL example of the device |
|---|---|---|
| Situational irony | each animal is identified only when it attacks | The fire-safety talk was cancelled because the hall caught fire. |
| Verbal irony | the bear's deadly hug is called a caress | Calling a twelve-hour exam "a little chat". |
| Poetic licence | a word clipped to rhyme with lion; a verb respelt to echo leopard | The moon is bright, the night is dark, / I hear a dog that's goin' bark. |
| Idiom taken literally | the crocodile known by its tears | He let the cat out of the bag, and it ran straight to the neighbours. |
| Mock-serious tone | grand words (discern, nonplus) on a silly subject | It is my solemn duty to inform you that your sandwich is missing. |
| Rhyme | ababcc; the couplet delivers the joke | light / day / night / play / tree / me |
Key terms
- Poetic licence
A poet's freedom to bend spelling, grammar or word order for rhyme, rhythm or effect.
- Situational irony
When what happens is the opposite of what was expected (a guide that helps only when it is too late).
- Mock-serious
Treating a silly subject in a solemn, learned manner for comic effect.
5. Tone
Light-hearted and mock-serious. The speaker addresses the reader like a polite expert, using grand words (discern, nonplus) and old-fashioned contractions, while the advice is absurd. The gap between manner and message creates comic irony.
6. Word meanings
Single words from the poem with their meanings.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| tawny | yellowish-brown |
| discern | make out; recognise |
| peppered | sprinkled all over (here, by spots) |
| caress | a gentle, loving touch |
| novice | a beginner |
| nonplus | puzzle; confuse |
7. Answering exam questions
Extract-based (5 marks): the board prints the poem's lines; SOYL practice uses commentary passages instead. Expect questions on each animal's test, the misspellings, irony, the idiom and the rhyme scheme.
Short answers (3 marks, 40–50 words): point + animal and test in your own words + why it is funny.
Practise with the poem itself in First Flight; never reproduce its lines in an answer.
Exam tips
Board weight: reference-to-context extract (5) and short answers (3 marks, 40–50 words) on First Flight poems (CBSE 2026-27, Section C).
How marks are awarded: a correct point, support from the poem in your own words, and accurate expression within the word limit.
Common mistakes
- Writing out the poem instead of explaining it.
- Calling the unusual spellings mistakes instead of poetic licence.
- Mixing up the hyena (grins) and the crocodile (weeps).
- Saying the chameleon attacks.
- Describing the tests without explaining why they are funny.
Remember: read the poem in your textbook, First Flight.