Explain the irony in the last two lines of the stanza.
Explain the irony in the last two lines of the stanza.
The irony lies in presenting two menacing traits as innocent identification marks. A hyena's 'merry smile' is really the baring of a predator's teeth, not friendliness; a crocodile's 'tears' allude to the idiom 'crocodile tears' — insincere grief felt while devouring prey — yet both are offered as trustworthy, cheerful signs.
Marking Scheme
- 11 mark: identifies that a hyena's smile is not genuinely merry (it is linked to a threatening, predatory nature) and that this is presented ironically as friendly.
- 21 mark: identifies that crocodile tears (from the idiom for false, insincere sorrow) are ironically presented as a genuine, trustworthy identification sign.
Hint
Recall the idiom 'crocodile tears' (false sorrow) and note that a hyena's 'smile' is really a menacing grin - both are twisted into innocent identification clues.
Quick Oral Answer
It's ironic because a hyena's grin is really menacing, not merry, and crocodile tears - proverbially false and insincere - are described as if they were genuine proof of identity.
Analysis & Explanation
The final two lines invert the true associations of a hyena's grin and a crocodile's tears for ironic, comic effect.
Concept
- A hyena's 'merry smile' is really a predator's threatening bared-teeth grin, not friendliness
- 'Crocodile tears' is a well-known idiom for false, insincere sorrow (folklore: crocodiles 'weep' while eating prey)
Key Points
- The poet presents both menacing/deceptive traits as innocent, reliable identification marks — the opposite of their real meaning
Common Mistakes
- Explaining only the surface meaning (smiling=hyena, weeping=crocodile) without naming the irony or the 'crocodile tears' idiom
Common Mistakes
- 1Explaining only the literal meaning of the lines (hyenas smile, crocodiles weep) without addressing why this is ironic.
- 2Not connecting the answer to the well-known idiom 'crocodile tears', which is essential to explaining the irony.
- 3Confusing irony with simple humour without identifying the specific contrast/reversal of expected meaning.
Interesting Facts
The false belief that crocodiles 'weep' while eating their prey dates back to ancient and medieval writings, including Sir John Mandeville's 14th-century travel accounts, long before it became the idiom 'crocodile tears'.
Hyenas' distinctive vocalisation, often called a 'laugh', is actually a signal of submission or excitement, not amusement - making the poem's 'merry smiles' doubly ironic.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does the idiom 'crocodile tears' mean?
'Crocodile tears' means a false, insincere display of grief or sympathy, based on the ancient false belief that crocodiles weep while devouring their prey.
Why is a hyena's smile considered ironic in the poem?
Because a hyena's toothy grin, associated with its eerie laughing call, is actually linked to its predatory, scavenging nature rather than genuine happiness, yet the poet calls it a 'merry smile'.