The poem begins with a zebra standing out under a hot sun, its stripes loud against a plain that is otherwise solid and calm. The speaker treats those stripes as both a mark of identity and a kind of provocation. They divide the eye and draw "unfriendly" attention, and the zebra's movement across the plains seems to disturb the peaceful view.
Then the poem turns violent. The zebras cross paths with prowling lions, and "dreams of destruction" rise. Teeth and fighting follow, and the poem ends with the idea that even survivors are marked by the battle. The title's "red" suggests blood, so the black-and-white animal ends up stained by the fight.
The mood is tense and uneasy, helped by hard, clipped sounds like "bold," "branded," and "battle's belligerent." The speaker seems less angry than watchful, noticing how being conspicuous can invite danger, and how conflict leaves a mark that stays.