7. Summary

The poem 'How to Tell Wild Animals' by Carolyn Wells is a poem that introduces various wild  animals to the reader who might venture into the jungle. She first introduces the Asiatic Lion, who is large and tawny and roars at the prey as it kills them. The Bengal Tiger is a noble beast with black stripes on a yellow body. The tiger, too, attacks in a fraction of a second. The poet introduces the leopard as its hide is filled with spots and leaps at every person to attack. It does not leave even if the person cries with pain. The Bear has a different way of attacking as it puts the entire weight on the person and suffocates them to death. The hug is not a friendly one but rather a deathly one. The poet helps the readers to distinguish between a hyena and a crocodile. When a hyena attacks with a smile on its face, the crocodile does so, weeping. The chameleon blends with the surface it perches on and is difficult to trace. Thus the poem introduces each animal with its unique characteristics.