He stalks in his vivid stripes

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Poème original

He stalks in his vivid stripes The few steps of his cage, On pads of velvet quiet, In his quiet rage. He should be lurking in shadow, Sliding through long grass Near the water hole Where plump deer pass. He should be snarling around houses At the jungle’s edge, Baring his white fangs, his claws, Terrorising the village! But he’s locked in a concrete cell, His strength behind bars, Stalking the length of his cage, Ignoring visitors. He hears the last voice at night, The patrolling cars, And stares with his brilliant eyes At the brilliant stars.

Traduction

He walks quietly in his bright stripes The few steps of his cage, On soft, silent paws, In his quiet anger. He should be hiding in the shadows, Moving through tall grass Near the waterhole Where fat deer walk by. He should be growling near houses At the edge of the jungle, Showing his white teeth, his claws, Scaring the village! But he’s trapped in a concrete cell, His strength behind bars, Walking the length of his cage, Ignoring the visitors. He hears the last voice at night, The patrolling cars, And stares with his bright eyes At the bright stars.

Explication

The poem 'A Tiger in the Zoo' by Leslie Norris contrasts the life of a tiger in captivity with its natural life in the wild. The tiger, described with 'vivid stripes,' is confined to the 'few steps of his cage,' moving with 'quiet rage.' This imagery highlights the tiger's frustration and loss of freedom. In the wild, the tiger would 'lurk in shadow' and 'slide through long grass,' hunting near waterholes where deer pass. The poem suggests that the tiger should be a fearsome presence at the jungle's edge, 'snarling around houses' and 'terrorising the village.' However, the reality is that the tiger is 'locked in a concrete cell,' its strength 'behind bars,' reduced to pacing its cage and ignoring visitors. The poem evokes sympathy for the tiger's plight, as it listens to 'patrolling cars' and gazes at the 'brilliant stars,' a reminder of the freedom it has lost. Through vivid imagery and contrast, Norris emphasizes the unnaturalness of captivity and the tiger's inherent wildness.

Dictionnaire des mots

Mot	Sens simple	Traduction	Pron.
stalks	moves silently	to move quietly and carefully

He stalks in his vivid stripes — Poème | Poetry Explainer