Leslie Norris

Leslie Norris (1921–2006) was a prize-winning Welsh poet and short story writer. Born on May 21, 1921, in Merthyr Tydfil, South Wales, Norris made significant contributions to Welsh literature during the post-war period By age 12, he knew he wanted to be a poet and was inspired by acclaimed poets like Dylan Thomas and Vernon Watkins. He published his first poem at the age of seventeen. At nineteen, Norris joined the Royal Air Force during World War II. Unfortunately, he suffered blood poisoning from steel ropes and was discharged. Norris taught at various institutions in Britain and the United States. He earned a master’s degree in philosophy from the University of Southampton and became a lecturer. His teaching experiences in America left a lasting impact on him. Norris is known for his poetry and short stories. His works have won numerous prizes, and he is considered one of the most important Welsh writers of his time.

Summary

The poem written by Leslie Norris explains the agony and helplessness of a caged tiger that lives in a zoo. The poet explains what his life could be if he had been a free animal. The poet has tried to explain about the condition of animals that are caged by human beings for their own fun.

The comparison between wild animals’ freedom and their lives in captivity is the theme of Leslie Norris’ poem “A Tiger at the Zoo.” The poem examines the feelings of loss and imprisonment that a tiger in a zoo experiences, as well as the contrast between the animal’s wild, untamed soul and the constrained life it is forced to live in captivity.* * The poem begins with a description of a tiger that is very beautiful and is walking in his little cage. He has beautiful stripes on his skin and has velvet like soft paws. But the tiger is not happy and is quite angry about being confined in the cage. The poet says that if the tiger was not confined to the zoo cage, he would have been hiding himself behind the long grass near some water body, in order to catch its prey that is the deer. Also, he would have terrorised the residents of the villages around the forest area. But the reality is totally opposite to this. He was confined in a cage which was made up of strong building material and he was helpless there. He could not show his power to the visitors, therefore, never tried to terrorize them. The tiger is described as being powerless and agonized by the poet. He says that during night also he is alone, hearing the voice of the patrolling vehicles of police and looking at the stars. The cage life has totally changed the tiger’s personality. The poet is trying to say that the animal which is famous for its fearlessness and freedom is confined and sad due to the human beings who want to derive pleasure by looking at him in the zoo cage.

Poem

He stalks in his vivid stripes The few steps of his cage, On pads of velvet quiet, In his quiet rage.

• stalks - follow
• vivid - bright coloured
• pad - paws of tiger
• rage - anger
• velvet - soft thick surface He should be lurking in shadow, Sliding through long grass Near the water hole Where plump deer pass.
• lurking - hiding
• plump - fat He should be snarling around houses At the jungle’s edge, Baring his white fangs, his claws, Terrorising the village!
• snarl - sound of tiger
• fangs - sharp tooth
• claws - nails on legs But he’s locked in a concrete cell, His strength behind bars, Stalking the length of his cage, Ignoring visitors.
• concrete - made of bricks,cement, sand He hears the last voice at night, The patrolling cars, And stares with his brilliant eyes At the brilliant stars.

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