PSEB Class 10 English Poem 4 Razia, the Tigress Important Question Answers from English Main Course Book
PSEB Class 10 English Razia, the Tigress Question Answers – Looking for questions and answers for PSEB Class 10 English Main Course Book Poem 4 Razia, the Tigress? Look no further! Our comprehensive compilation of important questions will help you brush up on your subject knowledge. Practising Class 10 English question answers can significantly improve your performance in the exam. Improve your chances of scoring high marks by exploring Poem 4 Razia, the Tigress now. The questions listed below are based on the latest PSEB exam pattern. All the Questions Answers given at the back of the lesson have also been covered.
Related:
PSEB Class 10 English Poem 4 Razia, the Tigress Textbook Questions
1. Rewrite the poem ‘Razia, the Tigress’ in prose, with one sentence for each stanza.
Stanza 1: The tigress Razia now lives alone with her two unnamed cubs because their father Sheru had barely any time to play with them before he disappeared or died, which is truly unfortunate and sad.
Stanza 2: Sheru was highly skilled at understanding wind patterns, knowing how air currents traveled through valleys and over hills, and where they became calm and still at night.
Stanza 3: Sheru had intimate knowledge of the wind pathways in his territory and understood that deer would detect his presence through smell if they were positioned downwind where the breeze carried his scent toward them.
Stanza 4: To avoid being detected, Sheru would move on his belly close to the ground, taking a long curved route around his prey while hiding behind bushes and small trees.
Stanza 5: Once Sheru confirmed that his scent would not reach the deer due to favorable wind direction, he would suddenly explode into action with lightning speed.
Stanza 6: The deer never detected Sheru’s thick, musty tiger smell, and he successfully killed a stag by striking with his powerful claw that crushed both the deer’s neck and antlers.
Stanza 7: Now that Sheru is gone, people no longer fear his frightening presence or the paw prints he left marked on the forest floor.
Stanza 8: Razia’s heart is torn between grief over losing Sheru and fear about whether hyenas will attack her cubs now that their father is no longer there to protect them.
Stanza 9: Razia faces an impossible dilemma: she cannot leave her vulnerable cubs alone when she must go hunting for the food they need to survive.
Stanza 10: Razia lives in constant fear, but her greatest terror is wondering when the poachers with their guns will appear again to threaten her family as they likely did before.
2. Write a summary of the poem ‘Razia, the Tigress’.
Ans: “Razia, the Tigress” by Keki N. Daruwalla tells the story of a tigress struggling to survive after losing her mate, Sheru, to poachers. Razia now lives alone with her two unnamed cubs. The poem describes Sheru as an expert hunter who understood wind patterns and used this knowledge to approach deer from upwind, preventing them from smelling his scent. He would belly-crawl, take circular routes, and attack with explosive speed.
With Sheru gone, Razia faces multiple fears. She worries that hyenas might attack her vulnerable cubs and faces the impossible dilemma of leaving them unprotected while hunting for food. Grief and fear compete in her heart. Her greatest terror, however, is the return of poachers with guns who likely killed Sheru. The poem powerfully highlights how human activities, particularly poaching, threaten wildlife survival and destroy natural family structures, showing that animals experience complex emotions like grief, fear, and parental love.
3. What is the theme of the poem ‘Razia, the Tigress’?
Ans: The central theme of “Razia, the Tigress” is the devastating impact of human activities, particularly poaching, on wildlife and the environment. The poem highlights how human greed and violence threaten the survival of wild animals, even apex predators. Through Razia’s grief over Sheru’s disappearance and her fear for her cubs, the poet emphasizes wildlife vulnerability and the emotional bonds animals share. The poem contrasts Sheru’s magnificent natural intelligence with the brutal reality that human weapons render such expertise meaningless, creating ecological imbalance and survival challenges for remaining animals.
4. Why does Razia, the Tigress live alone?
Ans: Razia lives alone because her mate Sheru has disappeared or been killed, likely by poachers. The poem states “And now he’s gone, O what a shame!” Sheru barely had time to bond with their two unnamed cubs before his sudden death. The poem’s ending reveals poachers with guns as the threat, with “again” suggesting they’ve struck before. Razia must now fulfill both parental roles alone, making survival dangerous. Her solitude represents how human interference destroys wildlife families and pushes endangered species to tragic isolation.
5. What was Sheru’s expertise?
Ans: Sheru was an expert on wind patterns and used this knowledge for successful hunting. He understood how winds traveled through valleys and hills, and knew their regular pathways. Sheru realized deer would smell his scent if downwind, so he would belly-crawl in circular routes, staying upwind and hiding behind bushes. Once confident his scent wouldn’t carry, he would attack explosively and successfully crush his prey with powerful claws. His expertise represented natural intelligence perfected through evolution, tragically rendered useless against human guns.
6. What happened to Sheru?
Ans: Sheru was most likely killed by poachers. The poem states “And now he’s gone, O what a shame!” suggesting death rather than mere departure. The final lines reveal: “A greater dread, when will again / The poachers with their guns appear?” The word “again” indicates poachers have come before, strongly implying they killed Sheru. His sudden disappearance when the cubs were very young, combined with Razia’s extreme fear of poachers, confirms this tragedy. Sheru represents how human greed destroys wildlife despite their natural strength and intelligence.
7. What are Razia’s fears?
Ans: Razia experiences multiple overwhelming fears. First, she fears hyenas might attack her vulnerable cubs now that Sheru’s protection is gone. Second, she faces an impossible dilemma, leaving her cubs unguarded when hunting for food, risking starvation versus their safety. Third, she bears the burden of being a single mother responsible for their survival. However, her “greater dread” is the return of poachers with guns who likely killed Sheru. The poem states she “lives in fear,” showing her entire existence is now defined by constant terror and grief rather than the natural confidence of an apex predator.
8. What kind of a creature was Sheru?
(a) coward (b) shrewd hunter (c) lazy (d) timid
Answer: (b) shrewd hunter
9. Rhyming words are those words which end in similar sounds. Some rhyming words are ‘branch-avalanche’, ‘prayer-air’, ‘hound-found’. Write two pairs of rhyming words each from the last two stanzas of the poem.
Answer:
From Second-to-Last Stanza (Stanza 9): alone – bone
From Last Stanza (Stanza 10): fear – appear
Additional rhyming pairs from these stanzas: start – heart, greater – appear
Note on the poem’s rhyme scheme: The poem doesn’t follow a strict, regular rhyme scheme throughout. Some stanzas have clear rhyming couplets or alternate rhymes, while others use free verse or near-rhyme (assonance/consonance). The last two stanzas specifically use:
- Stanza 9: An AABB-like pattern with “alone/bone” forming a rhyming couplet
- Stanza 10: A looser ABA or AXA pattern with “fear/again/appear”
The irregular rhyme scheme mirrors the disrupted, anxious content – just as Razia’s life has lost its natural rhythm and pattern with Sheru’s death, so too does the poem’s structure become less regular, especially in the final stanzas dealing with her fears and uncertainty.
Punjab Board Class 10 English Poem 4 Razia, the Tigress Extra Question and Answers
Extract-Based questions
A.
“The tigress Razia lives alone.
Her two cubs haven’t yet been named.
Sheru barely played with them And now he’s gone,
O what a shame!”
Q1. Why does Razia live alone?
Ans: Razia lives alone because Sheru, her partner (the male tiger), is gone, either killed by poachers or died. She is now left to care for her two cubs by herself without any support or protection from a male tiger.
Q2. What does “her two cubs haven’t yet been named” suggest?
Ans: This suggests the cubs are very young, still in their early days of life. It also hints at their vulnerability and uncertain future, they may not survive long enough to even receive names, given the threats from poachers and predators.
Q3. What does “Sheru barely played with them” reveal?
Ans: It reveals that Sheru had very little time with his cubs before he was killed or disappeared. This emphasizes the tragedy, he couldn’t bond with his offspring, couldn’t teach them survival skills, and the cubs are now fatherless.
Q4. What is the tone of “O what a shame!”?
Ans: The tone is sorrowful, regretful, and lamenting. The exclamation expresses deep sadness over Sheru’s death and the tragic situation of the tiger family. It also suggests the unnatural, preventable nature of his death.
Q5. What does this extract reveal about the tiger family’s situation?
Ans: The extract establishes the vulnerability and tragedy of the tiger family. Without the male tiger for protection and hunting support, Razia and her young cubs face extreme danger from both natural predators and human poachers. Their survival is uncertain.
B.
“Sheru was an expert on winds,
Knew how they traversed dale and hill,
And where they put up for the night When no leaf stirred and all was still.
He knew his winds, their traffic lanes! He knew the deer would smell him out,
If they were down-wind.”
Q1. What does “expert on winds” mean?
Ans: It means Sheru had deep knowledge about wind patterns, directions, and how they moved through the landscape. This expertise was crucial for hunting because animals use wind to detect predators through scent.
Q2. How did Sheru use his knowledge of winds for hunting?
Ans: Sheru used wind knowledge to stay upwind of his prey so his scent wouldn’t reach the deer and alert them. He knew that if deer were downwind (wind blowing from tiger to deer), they would smell him and escape. So he positioned himself strategically.
Q3. What does “traffic lanes” suggest about winds?
Ans: The metaphor “traffic lanes” personifies winds as having regular, predictable paths or routes through the terrain, just like vehicles follow lanes. It shows Sheru understood these invisible pathways and used them to his advantage while hunting.
Q4. What does this extract reveal about Sheru’s hunting skills?
Ans: It reveals Sheru was a highly skilled, intelligent hunter who understood his environment deeply. He combined knowledge of wind patterns, terrain, and animal behavior to hunt successfully. His expertise shows the natural intelligence and adaptation of tigers.
Q5. Why is this knowledge important for tiger survival?
Ans: This knowledge is essential because successful hunting depends on surprise. If prey smells the predator, they flee. Understanding winds, terrain, and prey behavior determines whether a tiger eats or starves, whether cubs survive or die.
C.
“Now Sheru’s gone.
Not any more Do people fear his dreaded spoor,
Pug-marked on the forest floor.
Grief and fear start competing In Razia’s heart.
With Sheru gone, Will the hyenas hound her cubs?
Can she leave the little ones alone,
When she goes hunting flesh and bone?”
Q1. What are “spoor” and “pug-marks”?
Ans: “Spoor” means tracks or traces left by an animal, particularly footprints and scent. “Pug-marks” specifically refer to the footprints of large animals like tigers, lions, and bears. Sheru’s pug-marks on the forest floor were signs of his presence.
Q2. Why do grief and fear “compete” in Razia’s heart?
Ans: Razia feels both grief (sorrow over losing Sheru, her partner) and fear (worry about survival without him). These emotions compete because she must grieve her loss while simultaneously dealing with urgent survival threats to herself and her cubs.
Q3. What specific fears does Razia have?
Ans: Razia fears hyenas will attack and kill her vulnerable cubs while she’s away hunting. She worries about leaving them alone unprotected. She also fears she cannot both hunt for food and guard her cubs simultaneously without Sheru’s help.
Q4. How has Sheru’s death changed Razia’s situation?
Ans: Without Sheru, Razia faces an impossible dilemma. She must hunt to feed herself and eventually her cubs, but hunting means leaving cubs unprotected. Male tigers help protect territory and cubs while females hunt. Now she’s alone with double responsibilities.
Q5. What does “hunting flesh and bone” suggest?
Ans: The phrase emphasizes the harsh reality of survival, hunting is not optional but necessary for staying alive. “Flesh and bone” starkly describes prey, showing the brutal, unglamorous reality of predator life and the constant need for food.
D.
“The tigress Razia lives in fear.
A greater dread, when will again
The poachers with their guns appear?”
Q1. What is Razia’s “greater dread”?
Ans: Razia’s greater dread is the fear of poachers returning with guns. This fear is worse than worrying about hyenas or hunger because poachers killed Sheru and could kill her and her cubs too. It’s the ultimate, most dangerous threat.
Q2. Why is poaching described as a “greater dread” than natural threats?
Ans: Poaching is worse than natural dangers (like hyenas or starvation) because it’s unnatural, unpredictable, and deadly. Tigers can fight natural predators and adapt to nature, but guns give humans overwhelming, unfair advantage. Poachers threaten entire species with extinction.
Q3. What does “when will again” suggest?
Ans: “When will again” implies poachers have already come before (likely killed Sheru) and will probably return. It shows poaching is not a one-time incident but an ongoing, recurring threat. The question creates suspense and fear of inevitable return.
Q4. How does this extract emphasize human threat to wildlife?
Ans: The extract shows humans (poachers) are the ultimate predator, more dangerous than any natural threat. While nature is predictable and balanced, human greed and weapons disrupt everything, creating fear even in apex predators like tigers.
Q5. What is the poet’s message in this final extract?
Ans: The poet condemns poaching and human destruction of wildlife. Razia’s fear represents all endangered animals threatened by
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
1. What does “traversed” mean in the context of the poem?
A. Stopped
B. Traveled across
C. Avoided
D. Destroyed
Ans. B. Traveled across
2. “Razia, the Tigress” is written by ________.
A. Keki N Daruwalla
B. Kamala Das
C. Nissim Ezekiel
D. Jayanta Mahapatra
Ans. A. Keki N Daruwalla
3. Keki N Daruwalla was born in ________ in 1937.
A. Delhi
B. Lahore
C. Mumbai
D. Kolkata
Ans. B. Lahore
4. Keki N Daruwalla was educated at ________.
A. Delhi University
B. Government College, Ludhiana
C. Mumbai University
D. Calcutta University
Ans. B. Government College, Ludhiana
5. Keki N Daruwalla is the winner of ________ Awards.
A. Sahitya Akademi and Booker
B. Nobel and Commonwealth Poetry
C. Sahitya Akademi and Commonwealth Poetry
D. Pulitzer and Sahitya Akademi
Ans. C. Sahitya Akademi and Commonwealth Poetry
6. The tigress Razia lives ________.
A. with her family
B. alone
C. with other tigers
D. in a zoo
Ans. B. alone
7. Razia’s two cubs ________.
A. have been named
B. haven’t yet been named
C. were killed
D. ran away
Ans. B. haven’t yet been named
8. Sheru was Razia’s ________.
A. brother
B. cub
C. mate/partner
D. enemy
Ans. C. mate/partner
9. Sheru was an expert on ________.
A. hunting techniques
B. climbing trees
C. winds
D. swimming
Ans. C. winds
10. “Dale” means ________.
A. mountain
B. valley
C. river
D. forest
Ans. B. valley
11. Sheru knew that deer would smell him out if they were ________.
A. up-wind
B. down-wind
C. far away
D. near water
Ans. B. down-wind
12. To avoid detection, Sheru would ________.
A. run directly at the deer
B. make loud noises
C. belly-crawl and take a circular route
D. wait for nightfall
Ans. C. belly-crawl and take a circular route
13. Sheru would hide behind ________ and ________.
A. rocks and trees
B. bush and shrub
C. grass and flowers
D. mountains and hills
Ans. B. bush and shrub
14. The deer hadn’t sniffed Sheru’s ________ and ________ smell.
A. light and pleasant
B. thick and musty
C. sweet and fresh
D. strong and sharp
Ans. B. thick and musty
15. Sheru’s claw fell like a ________.
A. sharp knife
B. giant club
C. lightning bolt
D. hammer
Ans. B. giant club
16. Sheru crushed the stag’s ________.
A. legs only
B. neck and antler
C. back only
D. tail
Ans. B. neck and antler
17. “Spoor” means ________.
A. animal food
B. animal tracks/scent
C. animal sound
D. animal habitat
Ans. B. animal tracks/scent
18. With Sheru gone, Razia fears ________ might attack her cubs.
A. hyenas
B. elephants
C. monkeys
D. birds
Ans. A. hyenas
19. Razia must go hunting for ________ and ________.
A. food and water
B. flesh and bone
C. prey and game
D. meat and fish
Ans. B. flesh and bone
20. Razia’s greatest fear is ________.
A. lack of food
B. other tigers
C. when poachers with guns will appear again
D. losing her territory
Ans. C. when poachers with guns will appear again
True or False
Identify whether the following statements are true or false-
1. Sheru took direct routes when approaching his prey.
2. Wind patterns were important for Sheru’s hunting success.
3. A stag is a female deer.
4. Razia’s cubs have already been given names.
5. Sheru would “erupt” into action once his scent wouldn’t carry to the prey.
6. The poem describes tiger-scent as light and pleasant.
7. Hyenas are mentioned as a potential threat to Razia’s cubs.
8. Razia lives confidently without any worries.9. Sheru’s hunting expertise included understanding how winds moved through different terrains.
10. The poem ends with a hopeful resolution to Razia’s problems.
Ans.
1. False (He took long circular routes)
2. True
3. False (A stag is a male deer)
4. False (They haven’t yet been named)
5. True
6. False (It’s described as thick and musty)
7. True
8. False (She lives in fear)
9. True
10False (It ends with an unanswered question about when poachers will return, leaving suspense and dread)
Fill in the Blanks-
1. Sheru knew how winds ________ dale and hill.
2. The winds would “put up for the night” when no leaf ________ and all was still.
3. Sheru knew the deer would ________ him out if they were down-wind.
4. Sheru would hide behind ________ and shrub while stalking.
5. In a flash, Sheru would ________ into action.
6. The deer hadn’t sniffed that ________ and musty smell of his.
7. People no longer fear his dreaded spoor, pug-marked on the ________ floor.
8. With Sheru gone, will the ________ hound her cubs?
9. Can Razia leave the little ones ________ when she goes hunting?
10. Razia’s greater dread is when the poachers with their ________ will appear.
Ans.
1. traversed
2. stirred
3. smell
4. bush
5. erupt
6. thick
7. forest
8. hyenas
9. alone
10. guns
Extra Questions
Answer the following Questions
1. How has Razia’s life changed after Sheru’s disappearance?
Ans: Razia’s life has changed dramatically from that of a protected mate to a solitary, fearful survivor. She now lives alone, experiencing competing grief and fear while facing impossible choices between hunting for food and protecting her vulnerable cubs. Her existence has transformed from natural confidence to perpetual terror, especially of poachers.
2. What hunting strategy did Sheru employ?
Ans: Sheru used sophisticated hunting strategies based on understanding wind patterns. He would belly-crawl, crouch low, and take long circular routes to approach prey from upwind, ensuring his scent wouldn’t alert them. Once properly positioned, he would attack with explosive speed, striking with crushing force.
3. Why was Sheru’s knowledge of winds important?
Ans: Wind knowledge was crucial because wind carries a predator’s scent to prey animals, alerting them to danger. By understanding how winds moved through different terrains, Sheru could position himself upwind of his prey, preventing detection. This gave him the element of surprise necessary for successful hunting.
4. What challenges does Razia face as a single parent?
Ans: Razia faces multiple overwhelming challenges: she must hunt to feed herself and her cubs but cannot leave them unguarded against threats like hyenas. She experiences competing grief over Sheru’s loss and fear for her cubs’ survival. Most terrifying, she lives in constant dread of when poachers will return to kill her and her cubs.
5. How does the poem address environmental concerns?
Ans: The poem powerfully addresses wildlife destruction through poaching and human encroachment. It shows how killing one animal (Sheru) destabilizes entire family structures and survival mechanisms. By humanizing Razia’s grief and fear, the poem creates empathy for endangered species and indicts humanity for destroying magnificent creatures and their habitats.
6. What is the significance of the cubs being unnamed?
Ans: The unnamed cubs emphasize their extreme youth and vulnerability – they’re so young they haven’t received names. This detail highlights that Sheru died very early in their lives, before establishing relationships with them. The lack of names also suggests uncertainty about their future – will they survive to adulthood and deserve names, or will they become more victims of poaching?
7. Describe the emotions Razia experiences in the poem.
Ans: Razia experiences complex, competing emotions: profound grief over losing her mate Sheru, fear that hyenas will attack her vulnerable cubs, anxiety about leaving them alone while hunting, and overwhelming dread anticipating the return of poachers with guns. These competing feelings create internal conflict between mourning and survival vigilance.
8. Why do “grief and fear start competing” in Razia’s heart?
Ans: Grief and fear compete because Razia cannot fully process her loss while immediate survival threats demand constant vigilance. Mourning requires emotional space and time, but practical dangers (hyenas, starvation, poachers) prevent that. She’s torn between emotional needs (grieving) and survival imperatives (protecting cubs), creating exhausting internal conflict.
9. What does the poem reveal about natural intelligence in animals?
Ans: The poem demonstrates that wild animals possess sophisticated intelligence and problem-solving abilities. Sheru’s understanding of wind physics, scent dispersal, prey behavior, and strategic planning shows complex cognitive capabilities beyond mere instinct. His hunting required observation, learning, adaptation, and multi-step planning – all markers of genuine intelligence that makes his destruction more tragic.
10. How does the poem’s ending create impact?
Ans: The poem ends with an unanswered question about when poachers will return, leaving readers suspended in Razia’s anxiety without closure or resolution. This open ending emphasizes that the crisis continues – it’s not past tragedy but ongoing threat. The question format also invites reader reflection about when humanity will stop destroying wildlife, turning lament into warning.