Poem: How to Tell Wild Animals
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...
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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Explanation and Central Idea of the Poem
The poem 'HOW TO TELL WILD ANIMALS' is a humorous poem, written by the American poet Carolyn Wells. In the poem, the poet describes various wild animals and their characteristics, features and behaviour in a humorous way, which makes the poem amusing. The poet tells us some dangerous ways to identify the wild animals.
In the first stanza, the poet says if you go to a forest in the east by chance, you are likely to see a large animal with yellowish-brown colour moving towards you. If he roars at you and if his roar is so terrifying that you feel like you are dying, then you can be sure that he is an Asian Lion.
In the second stanza, the poet says that while roaming in the forest, if you are greeted by a noble wild animal which has black stripes on his majestic yellow body and if he starts eating you, then you can be certain that he is a Bengal Tiger.
In the third stanza, the poet says that while walking in the forest, if you see an animal with spots on his skin, which give it a salt-and-pepper appearance, and if he jumps at you, you can be sure that he is a leopard. The poet further says that it will be of no use to cry or shout with pain as the leopard will not leave you. He will keep attacking you and jumping on you.
In the fourth stanza, the poet says that while walking in your yard, if you meet an animal and if he hugs you very tightly, you can be sure that he is a bear.
A hug is a sign of love and affection, but when a bear hugs a person (tightly), he kills him with his tight and deadly hug.
The poet further says that you will certainly realise it and your doubt will be removed when the bear hugs you once again till death.
In the fifth stanza, the poet says that a novice (beginner) might get confused and might not be able to distinguish between the different wild animals. In this stanza, the poet differentiates a hyena from a crocodile. The poet says that a hyena's voice resembles human's laughing sound. While eating their prey, hyenas sound as if they are laughing. On the other hand, crocodiles have tears in their eyes when they eat their prey.
In the last stanza, the poet describes a chameleon. The poet says that a chameleon is a small creature and looks like a lizard. It doesn't have ears or wings. Chameleon has an ability to camouflage. It changes its colour as per the surroundings to protect itself from hunters. The poet says that if you are unable to see anything on a tree, there might be a chameleon.
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