Who wrote How to Tell Wild Animals?

The poem was written by the American writer Carolyn Wells.

What type of poem is How to Tell Wild Animals?

It is a humorous nonsense poem written to amuse the reader.

What is the main source of humour in the poem?

The humour comes from 'identifying' dangerous animals only by the way they attack you, which is absurd and ironic.

What is the tone of the poem?

The tone is playful, comic and tongue-in-cheek throughout.

CBSE Class 10 First Flight · Chapter 13

How to Tell Wild Animals

Carolyn Wells

A mock guide to identifying dangerous beasts — usually by being attacked

Summary

In this humorous poem, the poet pretends to offer a helpful guide for recognising various wild animals. The joke is that her 'identification tips' all rely on getting dangerously close to deadly creatures such as the lion, tiger, leopard, bear, hyena and crocodile.

Each stanza describes an animal in a light, comic way and suggests you will know it by how it attacks you — a lion by its roar as it springs, a leopard by its repeated pounce, a bear by its tight hug. The advice is absurd because anyone using it would already be in serious danger.

The poem's real purpose is to entertain through nonsense verse and wordplay rather than to instruct. Its tone is playful and tongue-in-cheek, using funny rhymes and exaggeration to make the reader laugh at the ridiculous 'method' of identification.

Key points to remember

Theme: a humorous, mock-instructional poem about 'identifying' wild animals.
Tone: light, comic, witty and deliberately absurd.
Genre: nonsense/humorous verse meant to amuse, not to inform.
Device — humour and irony: the 'tips' would get the observer killed.
Device — alliteration and playful rhyme create a sing-song comic effect.
Device — hyperbole: dangers are exaggerated for comic effect.
Each stanza follows a pattern: name an animal, then a funny way to recognise it.

Important questions (board pattern)

6 marksHow does the poet create humour in 'How to Tell Wild Animals'?
How to answer: Discuss the absurd 'identification tips', the comic rhymes and exaggeration, and the irony that following the advice means being attacked.
3 marksWhy is the poet's method of identifying animals ironic?
How to answer: Explain that you only 'recognise' each animal once it is already attacking you, so the advice is useless and funny.
3 marksIdentify two poetic devices that add to the poem's humour.
How to answer: Name alliteration and hyperbole (or irony); show briefly how each builds the comic tone.
3 marksWhat is the tone of the poem and how is it achieved?
How to answer: Identify the playful, mocking tone created through wordplay, funny rhymes and exaggeration.
2 marksHow does the poet distinguish the leopard and the bear in a comic way?
How to answer: Note the leopard's repeated pounce and the bear's crushing hug as the absurd 'signs'.

Common exam traps

Don't treat the poem as a serious guide to wildlife — its whole point is humour.
Don't miss the irony; examiners reward explaining why the 'tips' are dangerous and funny.
Spell and attribute the animals correctly (e.g. hyena, crocodile) when describing stanzas.
Avoid forcing a deep moral; the central purpose is comic entertainment through wordplay.

Frequently asked questions

Who wrote How to Tell Wild Animals?: The poem was written by the American writer Carolyn Wells.
What type of poem is How to Tell Wild Animals?: It is a humorous nonsense poem written to amuse the reader.
What is the main source of humour in the poem?: The humour comes from 'identifying' dangerous animals only by the way they attack you, which is absurd and ironic.
What is the tone of the poem?: The tone is playful, comic and tongue-in-cheek throughout.