Solution of Chapter 12. Ajamil and the Tigers (NCERT - English Woven Words Book)

The poem has a literal level and a figurative level. Why has the poet chosen ‘tigers’ and ‘sheep’ to convey his message?

What facet of political life does the behaviour of Ajamil illustrate?

Why have the words, ‘pretended’ and ‘seemed’ been used in the lines:

...pretended to believe every single word of what the tiger king said.

And seemed to be taken in by all the lies.

How does the sense of these lines connect with the line ‘Ajamil wasn’t a fool’?

Why did Ajamil refuse to meet the sheepdog’s eyes?

‘He is free to play a flute all day as well fed tigers and fat sheep drink from the same pond with a full stomach for a common bond.’ What do the phrases ‘play the flute all day’ and ‘a common bond’ refer to?

The poem is a satire against the present political class. How effectively does it convey the anger and anguish of the common man trapped in the system?

Find out the difference between these literary forms

(a) fable (b) allegory (c) satire