How to Tell Wild Animals By Carolyn Wells

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 form 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.

1.
Words that have the same or similar end sounds are known as rhyming words. Rhyming words usually have a particular pattern in the different stanzas of a poem which we call a rhyme scheme. We denote the rhyme scheme with the help of the letters of the English alphabet-ababcc
Read aloud the first six lines of stanza one, look at the end words and call out the words that rhyme.
If ever you should go by chance a
To jungles in the east; b
And if there should to you advance a
A large tawny beast b
If he roars at you as you 're dyin' c
You 'll know it is the Asian Lion... c
So, the first stanza has a rhyme scheme of a b a b c c - that is because chance rhymes with advance (aa) the word east rhymes with beast (bb) and the word dyin' rhymes with Lion (cc)
Now read the poem again and write the rhyme scheme for the rest of the poem.
2.
And if there should to you advance
A large and tawny beast
Look at the line given above. When an incomplete sentence moves from one line to the next line without any punctuation mark, the poet uses a literary device called enjambment. This is done to create suspense for the reader as to how the run-on-line is going to end. Read the poem and write another example of enjambment.
3.
Does 'dyin' rhyme with 'lion'? Say it in such a way that it does. What is the actual word? Think and rhyme more words with the correct form of 'dyin'.
4.
Referring to a famous thing, place or a spices of animals is another literary device known as allusion. For example: Asian Lion. Give three more examples of allusion in the poem.
5.
Choose and write the correct answer.
1. The Asian lion lives in the (woods/jungle) of the (east/west).
2. The Bengal Tiger is recognised by (yellow/black) stripes on a (yellow/black) ground.
3. The leopard has spots on its (hide/face).
4. Hyenas come with (merry smiles/tawny/stripes).
5. A chameleon (has/hasn't) any ears or wings.
6.
Where is the Asian lion found? How does it look?

13 more answer(s) available.