What kind of atmosphere is created through these lines ?
Select the correct option :
- humorous 2. mysterious 3. aggressive
- confusing 5. fearful
Options :
(A) 1 and 4
(B) Only 5
(C) 1, 2 and 3
(D) 4 and 5
What kind of atmosphere is created through these lines ?
Select the correct option :
- humorous 2. mysterious 3. aggressive
- confusing 5. fearful
Options :
(A) 1 and 4
(B) Only 5
(C) 1, 2 and 3
(D) 4 and 5
Options
(A) 1 and 4 — humorous and confusing. The lines create a light, mock-serious, comic tone ('a novice might nonplus', hyenas that 'smile' while crocodiles 'weep') while also reflecting the genuine confusion of telling dangerous wild animals apart.
Marking Scheme
- 11 mark: awarded only for selecting option (A); no partial credit in MCQs.
Hint
Separate the poem's subject (dangerous animals) from its tone (a mock-serious, joking treatment of that subject) — the question asks about tone/atmosphere, not content.
Quick Oral Answer
The lines create a humorous and confusing atmosphere — the poet's mock-serious, joking tone about telling dangerous animals apart is funny, while it also reflects the real confusion a novice would feel.
Analysis & Explanation
The stanza's tone is playful and mock-instructional, blending humour with the novice's genuine confusion — not fear or mystery.
Concept
- 'How to Tell Wild Animals' is a satirical, humorous poem mocking dry zoology guides with absurdly unhelpful 'tips' (hyenas smile, crocodiles weep).
Key Points
- Humour (1): playful, mock-instructional tone and witty personification of animal expressions.
- Confusion (4): a 'novice might nonplus' — the poem's comic premise is that such 'advice' leaves a real learner more confused, not less.
- Mystery, aggression, and fear are absent; the tone stays light despite the dangerous subject matter.
Common Mistakes
- Choosing 'Only 5' (fearful) by confusing the subject matter (dangerous animals) with the tone — the question asks about tone, which here is playful satire, not fear.
Common Mistakes
- 1Selecting 'Only 5' (fearful) by confusing the poem's dangerous subject matter (wild predators) with its actual light, comic tone.
- 2Choosing '1, 2 and 3' by over-interpreting the poem as having mysterious or aggressive undertones that are not actually present in this light verse.
- 3Not recognising that a poem can create two atmospheres simultaneously (here, humour AND confusion) rather than assuming only one option/word applies.
Interesting Facts
Carolyn Wells was primarily known as a writer of humorous verse and mystery novels, and 'How to Tell Wild Animals' remains her most anthologised comic poem, first published in the early 1900s.
The poem parodies the format of serious Victorian-era natural history guidebooks, which is part of why its 'instructions' feel absurdly confusing rather than genuinely informative.
The recurring comic device across all the poem's stanzas is a deliberately useless or too-late 'test' for identifying an animal, humorously suggesting the novice would already be in danger before telling them apart.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the atmosphere 'humorous' and not 'fearful' given the poem is about dangerous animals?
The poem's tone is deliberately light and comic (a satire of guidebooks), so even though the subject is dangerous predators, the treatment of that subject is playful rather than frightening.
Can a poem have more than one atmosphere at once?
Yes — as here, a poem can be simultaneously humorous (from its tone) and confusing (from its subject/situation), which is exactly why the correct option combines two descriptors.