Remembering The Jungle: The Words Of The Tiger In The Zoo
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Jon Wolfgang von Goethe once said "Hatred is something peculiar. You will always find it strongest and most violent where there is the lowest degree of culture." In the poem "Remembering the Jungle: The Words of the Tiger in the Zoo" by The Lu, the author conveys a similar message . By using literary techniques such as juxtaposition, alliteration, and imagery, Lu puts the reader in a position that allows them to feel the emotional distress of the tiger. The main literary technique used in the poem is juxtaposition. There are clearly 2 sets of images brought to light by the tiger: his time in the jungle and his current state of captivity. Upon first glance, it is apparent to the reader that he feels strong abhorrence towards his cage. With quotes like "how we despise the insolent crowd outside" (Lu line 3) and "here by misfortune, shamefully caged" (Lu line 6) the reader gets a strong empathetic sense of hatred. This is extremely negative compared to the tiger's view of the jungle, with phrases like "A time of freedom and assertiveness..."
(Lu line 11) and " And we knew we were lord of all living things/in a garden nameless and eternal"(Lu lines 14-15). By using such drastic comparisons,…show more content… With lines like "put next to a penned pair of panthers"(Lu line 9) there is a sense that the hatred of the tiger is so great it causes him to speak in a semi-poetic sense about it. I think this sends a message to the reader about the degree of his dislike for his captive state. Another example of alliteration comes when he describes the panthers, saying they are " carefree in their captivity"(Lu line 9). This points to the obviously apparent difference in intelligence between other lifeforms in the zoo. This can also contribute to the lack of culture that embodies the surroundings of the tiger, and in doing so justify the feelings of the