Essay Questions

What is the speaker suggesting about humans through his comparison to the lion?

The lion is described as a creature with a “lordly, untamed heart.” The comparison is made with the suggestion that there is a “human counterpart” existing somewhere who shares the same qualities, but only in the abstract. The insinuation is that even when caged inside a zoo, there is still a spirit within the lion as an inherent attribute of his species that cannot be tamed and fully imprisoned. By contrast, his human counterpart can only dream of that idealistic vision since even when he is not behind bars, he is still imprisoned in the cages of humanity constructed by society.

What does the speaker mean when he suggests that the “cruel traps” caging the animals in the zoo have their counterparts in the human world?

The speaker commences his reflective thoughts by noting that both the animals and the humans in the zoo have their respective cages. For the animals, these “cruel traps” are inescapably literal. The simple references to “we in ours” draw a parallel between the animals and their human visitors with the difference being that for most humans—not specifically those literally in prison—our cages are metaphorical. The symbolism here is expansive and comprehensive. Noting the specific emotion these cruel traps stimulate is rage, however, serves to note the existence of limitation to the boundaries of the metaphor. The speaker is not merely making a bland reference to any subjective interpretation of feeling caged in at the individual level. He is producing a commentary on the systemic subjugation through the link made with the zoo in which a variety of individual species are collectively imprisoned. Thus, the metaphorical cruel traps to which he is specifically referring are limited to those aspects of society that produce feelings of rage toward an inherent lack of equality or opportunity or fair treatment. Obviously, systemic racism is uppermost among these, but the “cruel traps” could apply equitably to any victim of any systemic discrimination.

What future philosophical movement is foreshadowed by the rhetorical question posed at the end?

Does the speaker conclude his contemplative thoughts produced by his visit to the zoo by rhetorically asking whether it is the animals in the literal cages or humans in their metaphorical ones that are worse off? The question is drawn along the lines of whether it is preferable to recognize that you are imprisoned or to be imprisoned without realizing it. The animals can see the bars which obstruct their freedom and know that they are enslaved whereas humans may be equally captive to a system without recognizing it for a long time or even possibly never recognizing it. With this rhetorical question, the poem suddenly takes an unexpected existentialist turn. This is actually a pretty impressive turn since Cullen’s poem predates the defining texts of existentialist philosophy. Nevertheless, the question posed by the speaker at the poem’s end is essentially making a foundational query of existentialist philosophy. He is asking whether it is preferable to live in a cage in which one sees the bars and recognizes they are imprisoned or in which the bars are not seen and freedom is only a false assumption.