How to Tell Wild AnimalsCarolyn Wells · Poem
A comic poem that pretends to be a helpful guide to identifying wild animals — but every tip requires you to be attacked first. Wells uses dark humour, irony, and mock-formal language to turn a nature guide into a masterclass in useless advice.
Poet
Carolyn Wells
Stanzas
6 stanzas
Style
Comic / Satirical
Central device
Irony & Understatement
Stanza-by-Stanza Explanation
Stanza 1 — Asian Lion
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...
The poem opens like a helpful travel guide — the poet addresses someone who might wander into an Eastern jungle. But the humour kicks in immediately: she says if a large, yellowish-brown ('tawny') beast charges at you and roars as you are dying, you will know it is an Asian Lion. The joke is dark: the only way to be sure is to be half-dead. The poet pretends to offer useful advice while actually saying the experience will kill you before you get a chance to act on it.
Poetic devices in this stanza
- Irony — Knowing the name of an animal that is already eating you is completely useless. The poem's entire premise is ironic — the 'information' given arrives too late to help.
- Rhyme scheme (ABAB) — chance / East / advance / beast — alternate lines rhyme, giving the poem a sing-song, mock-formal tone, like a children's guide book.
- Tawny — A precise colour word — tawny means yellowish-brown, the colour of a lion's coat. Wells uses it to sound like she is being scientifically accurate, which adds to the comic effect.
Stanza 2 — Bengal Tiger
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.
The second stanza introduces the Bengal Tiger. The poet calls it a 'noble wild beast' — which is itself a joke, since the tiger is about to eat you. The identifying feature is the tiger's black stripes on a yellow coat. But Wells's 'simple rule' to tell if it is a tiger? Just notice if it eats you. The word 'discern' (to identify or distinguish) is used in a very formal, bookish way — as if identifying a tiger is a scholarly exercise, not a life-or-death emergency.
Poetic devices in this stanza
- Mock formality — 'This simple rule may help you learn / The Bengal Tiger to discern' sounds like a science textbook. Using formal language for a fatal situation creates comedy through contrast.
- Understatement — 'Just notice if he eats you' — treating being eaten as a minor observation is a classic comic understatement.
- Epithet — 'Noble wild beast' — calling a predator 'noble' is a mock-compliment that heightens the irony.
Stanza 3 — Bear
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.
This stanza is about the Leopard — identified by its spotted coat ('hide with spots is peppered'). Again, the identification happens after the leopard has already jumped on you. The comic line is the last: 'He'll only lep and lep again' — 'lep' is a playful, contracted form of 'leap', and the poet rhymes it with itself to show that screaming in pain will not help. The leopard will simply leap again regardless. The cheerful sound of 'lep' makes the attack seem almost trivial.
Poetic devices in this stanza
- Rhyme for comic effect — 'lep and lep again' — repeating 'lep' as a rhyme with itself creates a bouncy, ridiculous sound that undercuts the seriousness of a leopard attack.
- Imagery — 'hide with spots is peppered' — peppered suggests the spots are scattered quickly and randomly, like grains of pepper, giving a vivid visual of the leopard's coat.
Stanza 4 — Crocodile
The Crocodile you always may
Tell if you see him shed real tears
Hysterical ones will go away
But real ones are sincere.
The crocodile stanza plays on the famous phrase 'crocodile tears' — meaning fake or insincere weeping. Crocodiles actually do produce a secretion from their eyes while eating, which looks like crying. The poet says you can identify a crocodile if it sheds 'real tears' — not hysterical ones. The joke here is about sincerity: the crocodile weeps while devouring you, and Wells invites you to assess whether the tears are genuine. The absurdity of evaluating a predator's emotional sincerity mid-attack is the source of humour.
Poetic devices in this stanza
- Allusion — 'Crocodile tears' is a well-known idiom for false sorrow. Wells uses this allusion and then twists it — suggesting the crocodile's tears might actually be real, which makes it even funnier.
- Absurdist humour — Asking whether a crocodile's tears are 'sincere' while it eats you is completely absurd. Wells uses absurdism — treating the impossible as normal — as her main comic tool.
Stanza 5 — Hyena
If there is nothing on the tree,
That bird or beast has chased,
It is the chameleon you see,
Or else — it is misplaced.
The Hyena stanza (which precedes this in the poem) tells us to identify a hyena by its laugh — it laughs while it kills you. The final stanza deals with the Chameleon, the smallest and least dangerous animal in the poem. The joke shifts: after all the deadly animals, the chameleon is identified by its absence — 'if there is nothing on the tree'. Since the chameleon changes colour to match its background, it is essentially invisible. The poem ends on this quiet, anticlimactic note: the most harmless creature is the hardest to find.
Poetic devices in this stanza
- Anticlimax — After lions, tigers, leopards, and crocodiles, the poem ends with a chameleon — which you identify by seeing nothing. The drop from danger to invisibility is deliberately anticlimactic and funny.
- Paradox — You identify the chameleon by not seeing it. Identifying something by its absence is a paradox.
All Poetic Devices at a Glance
Irony
You identify the lion 'as you're dyin''
The whole poem is built on situational irony — the 'identification tips' only become useful at the moment they are entirely useless: when you are being attacked.
Humour / Comic verse
'Just notice if he eats you'
Wells uses dark comedy — treating life-threatening encounters as minor inconveniences. The gap between the casual tone and the fatal situation is the engine of the poem's humour.
Understatement
'He'll only lep and lep again'
Describing a leopard repeatedly leaping on you as a minor, predictable event ('only lep') is a classic understatement — saying far less than the situation warrants.
Mock formality / Parody
'This simple rule may help you learn / The Bengal Tiger to discern'
The poem parodies a field guide or nature manual. The stiff, bookish language ('discern', 'to you advance') clashes comically with the wild, dangerous situations being described.
Rhyme scheme (ABABCC)
chance / East / advance / beast / dyin' / Lion
Each stanza follows a regular rhyme scheme, giving the poem a cheerful, bouncy rhythm — which contrasts with the dark content and makes the humour sharper.
Allusion
'Crocodile tears'
The idiom 'crocodile tears' (false sorrow) is alluded to and then played with — the poem asks whether the crocodile's tears are genuine, which is an absurd question to ask mid-attack.
Anticlimax
The chameleon — identified by seeing nothing
After all the dangerous animals, the poem ends with the harmless chameleon, identified by its absence. The sudden drop in danger level is a deliberate comic anticlimax.
Themes
Humour and satire
The poem is a satire on the genre of the nature guide or field manual. By pretending to give advice that is completely useless (you can only identify these animals after they have attacked you), Wells mocks the idea that book knowledge can prepare you for the wild. The humour is dark but never cruel.
The gap between knowledge and reality
The poem's central joke is that knowing the name of an animal does you no good once it has attacked you. This is a gentle comment on academic knowledge that has no practical value. Wells suggests that real experience is more powerful — and more dangerous — than any book.
Nature as unpredictable and dangerous
Beneath the humour, the poem does remind us that wild animals are genuinely dangerous. The Asian Lion, Bengal Tiger, Leopard, Crocodile, and Hyena are all presented as creatures that will attack without warning. The comic tone does not completely hide the fact that nature operates on its own terms.
Extract-Based Questions
Q7 in the board exam · 5 marks per extract · 4 sub-questions (i to iv)
Extract 1 · How to Tell Wild Animals — Stanza 1: The Asian Lion
5 marksIf 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...
The overall tone of this stanza is best described as:(1 mark)
How does the poet use irony in this stanza to create humour?(2 marks)
The irony is in the timing: the poet says you will know it is an Asian Lion when it roars at you 'as you're dyin''. By the time you have identified the animal, you are already dying — making the knowledge completely useless. The poem presents this fatal encounter in a calm, cheerful tone (like a travel tip), which creates comedy through the gap between the casual advice and the deadly reality.
The word 'tawny' in the stanza refers to the lion's ___ colour. (yellowish-brown / dark grey)(1 mark)
Answer: yellowish-brown
The phrase 'as you're dyin'' suggests that the identification of the lion:(1 mark)
Extract 2 · How to Tell Wild Animals — Stanza 2: The Bengal Tiger
5 marksOr 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.
The poet calls the tiger 'a noble wild beast'. What is the tone of this phrase?(1 mark)
What 'simple rule' does the poet give to identify the Bengal Tiger? Why is this humorous?(2 marks)
The 'simple rule' is to notice whether the animal eats you — if it does, it is a Bengal Tiger. This is humorous because the advice arrives too late to be useful. By the time you have 'noticed' being eaten, identifying the tiger correctly is of no practical value. The mock-serious, bookish tone — 'This simple rule may help you learn' — makes the absurdity even sharper.
The word 'discern' means to ___ the Bengal Tiger. (identify / destroy)(1 mark)
Answer: identify
'Black stripes on a yellow ground' describes:(1 mark)
Extract 3 · How to Tell Wild Animals — Stanza 3: The Leopard
5 marksIf 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.
The line 'He'll only lep and lep again' is effective because:(1 mark)
'Twill do no good to roar with pain' — what does this line add to the poem's dark humour?(2 marks)
The line addresses the victim directly and advises them not to bother screaming — the leopard will not care. This is absurd advice: of course roaring in pain does no good, but it is the most natural human response to an attack. By telling us calmly that protest is futile, Wells extends the poem's central joke — the gap between the helpfulness of the advice and the hopelessness of the situation. The advice is technically accurate but entirely useless.
The leopard's hide is described as being ___ with spots. (peppered / covered)(1 mark)
Answer: peppered
The word 'peppered' to describe the leopard's spots is an example of:(1 mark)
Extract 4 · How to Tell Wild Animals — Stanza 4: The Bear
5 marksIf 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.
The word 'caress' (a gentle, loving touch) is used to describe a bear hug. What effect does this create?(1 mark)
How does Wells use the setting of 'walking round your yard' to make the bear stanza funnier than the earlier stanzas?(2 marks)
The earlier stanzas took place in jungles in the East — exotic, distant, unlikely settings. But this stanza begins 'if when you're walking round your yard' — your ordinary domestic garden. By placing the bear encounter in the most ordinary possible setting, Wells suggests that danger could appear anywhere, not just in the wild. The contrast between 'your yard' and 'a bear' is more absurd than a jungle encounter, making the stanza funnier.
The poem says if you have any doubts about the bear, he'll give you just one more ___. (caress / squeeze)(1 mark)
Answer: caress
The phrase 'very, very hard' is an example of:(1 mark)
Extract 5 · How to Tell Wild Animals — Stanzas 5–6: Hyena, Crocodile and Chameleon
5 marksThough 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.
The line 'If there is nothing on the tree, / 'Tis the chameleon you see' is funny because:(1 mark)
The poem moves from lions and tigers to a chameleon — identified by its absence. What is the comic effect of this ending?(2 marks)
The ending is a deliberate anticlimax. After deadly predators — the lion, tiger, leopard, bear, and crocodile — the poem concludes with the chameleon, the least dangerous creature on the list. It is identified not by attacking you but by not being visible at all. The drop from mortal danger to harmless invisibility is both funny and structurally satisfying — the poem ends with its most peaceful, absurd observation.
Hyenas come with merry ___; but if they weep, they're Crocodiles. (smiles / laughs)(1 mark)
Answer: smiles
The word 'novice' in 'a novice might nonplus' means:(1 mark)
Short Answer Questions
3 marks each · answer in 40–50 words
Q1. What is the central joke of the poem 'How to Tell Wild Animals'?
The central joke is that every 'tip' for identifying a wild animal involves being attacked by it. You know it is a lion when it roars as you are dying, a tiger when it eats you, a bear when it hugs you. The advice is useless because it arrives at the exact moment it cannot be acted upon. Wells presents these fatal encounters in a calm, helpful tone — as if being eaten is a minor inconvenience — which is the source of the poem's dark humour.
Q2. How does the poet use language to create a mock-serious effect in the poem?
Wells uses formal, bookish language — words like 'discern', 'tawny', and phrases like 'this simple rule may help you learn' — to mimic the tone of a nature manual or field guide. This formal language clashes with the absurd content (being eaten, hugged to death, or weeping crocodiles). The contrast between the academic tone and the comic situation creates the mock-serious effect that runs throughout the poem.
Q3. What does the final stanza about the chameleon suggest about the poem's structure?
The chameleon is identified by seeing nothing at all — since it changes colour to blend in with its surroundings. After a series of dangerous predators, this anticlimactic ending is deliberate. The chameleon is the only animal that cannot harm you, and it is also the only one that is invisible. Wells ends on this quiet joke: the harmless animal is the hardest to find, while the deadly ones make themselves very clear — by attacking you.
Long Answer Question
6 marks · answer in 100–120 words
Q1. How does Carolyn Wells use humour to write about wild animals? What poetic techniques does she use to create a comic effect?
Award 2 marks for explaining the central comic premise (identification through attack), 2 marks for specific poetic techniques with examples (irony, understatement, mock formality, rhyme), 2 marks for a broader point about what the humour achieves. Expect 100–120 words.
The comic premise — useless advice
The poem's central joke is that every identification tip requires you to be attacked first. You can only confirm it is a lion when it roars 'as you're dyin'', a tiger when it 'eats you', a bear when it hugs you. By the time the identification is made, the information is useless. Wells pretends to be a helpful guide while actually describing fatal encounters — and this gap between the promise of advice and the reality of danger is the engine of the poem's humour.
Key poetic techniques — irony, understatement, mock formality
Irony runs throughout: calling a man-eating tiger 'noble', asking whether a crocodile's tears are 'sincere'. Understatement appears in lines like 'he'll only lep and lep again' — treating repeated leopard attacks as trivial. Mock formality gives the poem its comic voice: stiff, bookish phrases like 'this simple rule may help you learn / the Bengal Tiger to discern' sound like a wildlife textbook, which clashes absurdly with the chaos of being eaten. The regular ABAB rhyme scheme keeps the tone cheerful and light, even as the content is dark.
What the humour achieves
By making the reader laugh at danger, Wells draws attention to a real idea: book knowledge is no substitute for actual experience, and nature does not follow human categories. The poem gently mocks the belief that learning the names and features of animals from a guide will prepare you for the wild. The humour is the delivery system for this quiet observation.
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