How to Tell Wild Animals
How to Tell Wild Animals by Carolyn Wells is a humorous, nonsense poem that pretends to teach how to identify dangerous wild animals — in absurd and funny ways. The page explains its humour, theme and devices with exam-style questions.
Learning objectives
- Understand the humour of the poem.
- Recognise the comic 'method' it suggests.
- Identify the poetic devices used.
- Answer comprehension and exam questions.
Key concepts
Meaning of the poem
The poem playfully claims to teach a traveller how to recognise different wild animals — such as the Asian lion, the Bengal tiger, the leopard, the bear, the hyena and the crocodile. The joke is that each 'tip' for identifying the animal involves being attacked, eaten or harmed by it, which would be far too late to be useful. The humour lies in this absurd, dangerous 'advice'.
Theme and tone
The poem is a piece of light, nonsense verse whose only aim is to amuse. Its tone is comic and ironic throughout: instead of giving safe, sensible information, it offers ridiculous methods of identification. The theme, if any, is simply the enjoyment of humour and wordplay.
Poetic devices
Carolyn Wells relies on humour and irony, since the 'method' offered is comically useless. She uses a regular rhyme and rhythm that add to the playful effect, along with wordplay and exaggeration. The mock-serious, instructional style contrasts with the absurd content to create comedy.
About the poet
Carolyn Wells was an American writer known for humorous and nonsense verse. In this poem she entertains the reader by turning the serious idea of identifying dangerous animals into a series of laugh-out-loud, impossible instructions.
Key definitions
- Nonsense verse
- Light, humorous poetry meant to amuse rather than instruct seriously.
- Irony
- Saying or implying the opposite of what is sensible, for effect.
- Exaggeration
- Overstating something to create humour or emphasis.
- Discern
- To recognise or tell apart, as the poem pretends to teach.
Solved examples
Q1. What does the poem pretend to teach?
Solution: How to identify various dangerous wild animals.
Q2. Why are the 'tips' funny?
Solution: Because they involve being attacked or eaten, which would be too late to help.
Q3. What kind of poem is it?
Solution: A humorous, nonsense poem written only to amuse.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Taking the 'advice' as serious information.
- Missing that the humour comes from the absurd, dangerous tips.
- Thinking the poem has a deep moral (it is mainly for fun).
- Overlooking the irony in the instructional tone.
How to Tell Wild Animals — MCQ Quiz
10 questions with instant feedback. Use number keys 1–4 to answer.
How to Tell Wild Animals was written by:
Practice questions
Short answer
What is the poem about?
A humorous, absurd 'guide' to identifying dangerous wild animals.
Why are the methods funny?
Because they require being attacked or eaten, far too late to be useful.
What type of poem is it?
A nonsense (humorous) poem meant to entertain.
Long answer
How does Carolyn Wells create humour in 'How to Tell Wild Animals'?
Carolyn Wells creates humour by taking a serious-sounding idea — how to identify dangerous wild animals — and treating it in a completely absurd way. The poem pretends to give a traveller helpful tips for recognising creatures such as the Asian lion, the Bengal tiger, the leopard and the bear. But the joke is that every method of identification involves the animal attacking, biting, hugging or eating the person, by which time the knowledge would be quite useless. This mock-serious, instructional tone clashes comically with the ridiculous content. Wells adds to the fun with a bouncy rhyme and rhythm, playful wordplay and exaggeration. The result is a light-hearted nonsense poem whose only purpose is to make the reader laugh.
Why is 'How to Tell Wild Animals' called a nonsense poem, and what is its appeal?
The poem is called a nonsense poem because it is written purely for amusement and offers no sensible information, even though it pretends to instruct. Its 'methods' for telling wild animals apart are deliberately illogical and dangerous, depending on the animal harming the observer, so they could never be applied in real life. The appeal of the poem lies precisely in this absurdity: readers enjoy the gap between the calm, teacherly tone and the alarming, silly advice. The catchy rhythm and rhyme, the comic exaggeration, and the playful treatment of frightening animals all combine to delight rather than inform. It shows that poetry can be valued simply for the pleasure and laughter it gives.
HOTS (Higher Order Thinking)
Why does the mock-serious tone make the poem funnier?
Because the calm, instructional manner clashes with the ridiculous, deadly 'advice', and this contrast between style and content produces the humour.
Can a poem be worthwhile if it teaches no lesson? Give your view.
Yes — poems like this show that literature can be valuable for the joy, humour and pleasure it gives, not only for moral lessons.
Quick revision
Revision notes
- Poet: Carolyn Wells; a humorous nonsense poem.
- Pretends to teach how to identify dangerous animals.
- Comedy: each 'tip' means being attacked/eaten — useless advice.
- Devices: humour, irony, exaggeration, rhyme; purpose is to amuse.
Key takeaways
- The poem is pure humour and nonsense.
- Its 'advice' is absurd and dangerous.
- Mock-serious tone creates the comedy.
Frequently asked questions
Who wrote How to Tell Wild Animals?
The American writer Carolyn Wells.
Is the poem meant to be taken seriously?
No — it is a humorous nonsense poem written only to amuse.
Why are the tips funny?
They require being attacked or eaten by the animal, far too late to help.