21.11.

23 Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers

THEME OF THE POEM: The poem addresses the gender struggle
that women across the world are subjected to in a male dominated
society. Aunt Jennifer represents women all across the globe who
are caught in a patriarchal society.
WORDS -MEANINGS
Prance : moving quickly in an energetic way
Topaz : a bright yellow coloured stone.
Denizens : inhabitants
Sleek : elegant.
Chivalric : powerful, regal, honourable
Certainty-confidence
Ordeals: extremely severe tests or experiences.
Prancing : to move around proudly.
Fluttering : shivering/trembling

Poetic Devices
ALLITERATION
Finger‘s fluttering
Prancing proud
Chivalric certainty
METAPHOR –
Still ringed with ordeals she was mastered by
Bright topaz
TRANSFERRED EPITHET terrified hands
HYPERBOLE ―The massive weight of Uncle‘s wedding band
PUN ―Ringed
1) ring in Aunt Jennifer‘s hand
2) difficulties which will always surround her
IMAGERY bright topaz
World of green
IRONY
The poem centers around the situational irony of Aunt
Jennifer embroidering an image of "proud and unafraid"
tigers while she is weak and terrified.
SYMBOLS USED IN THE POEM
Tigers- symbolize untamed free spirit. Here they stand in contrast
to their creator‘s personality
Wedding band: Symbol of oppression in an unhappy marriage.
Ringed means encircled or trapped, losing individuality and
freedom.
Embroidery: Symbol of creative expression. The artwork expresses
the Aunt‘s suppressed desires and becomes her escape from the
oppressive reality of her life.

Questions & Ans

Q1. How do ‘denizens’ and ‘chivalric’ add to our understanding of
the tiger’s attitudes?
Ans: Like all beasts of prey, the tigers are the denizens of the forest.
They live far away from human settlements. They are called
‘chivalric.’ This indicates the majestic and honourable position that
they occupy in the world of animals. So, the use of the words
‘denizens’ and ‘chivalric’ adds to our understanding of the tiger’s
attitudes.
Q2. Why do you think Aunt Jennifer’s hands are ‘fluttering through
her wool’ in the second stanza? Why is she finding the needle so
hard to pull?
Ans: Her hands are fluttering probably because she is scared of her
husband.The weight of years of her married life is lying heavy on
her hand.
Q3. What is suggested by the image ‘massive weight of uncle’s
wedding band’?
Ans‘Massive weight of Uncle‘s wedding band‘ suggests oppression,
burden and bondage that she feels in her marriage to uncle. She
feels trapped in a restrictive marriage and does not see any scope
for freedom.
Q4. Of what or whom is Aunt Jennifer terrified in the third stanza?
Ans: In the third stanza, the poet refers to Aunt Jennifer’s ‘terrified
hands’. The old unhappy memories are still fresh in her mind. She
had passed through many unpleasant experiences during her
married life. Their effect is still visible. So, she is still ringed with
those ordeals that dominated her life.
Q5. What are the ‘ordeals’ Aunt Jennifer is surrounded by? Why is
it significant that the poet uses the word ‘ringed”! What are the
different meanings of ‘ringed’ in the poem?
Ans: The poem addresses the experiences of marriage in the midst
of constrictions. The word ‘ringed’ is significant. It suggests that the
vicious grip or her unhappy married life is still holding her tightly.
The word ‘ringed’ has been used in two ways. First ring is a symbol
of the sacred bond of marriage. The other is the figurative use of
‘ringed’. It means encircled or surrounded.
Q6. Why do you think Aunt Jennifer created animals that are so
different from her own character? What might the poet be
suggesting, through this difference?
Ans: The tigers are are symbols of strength, fierceness and beauty.
Aunt Jennifer, on the other hand, is weak and terrified. Her hands
are finding it difficult to pull through her wool. The massive weight
of the wedding band sits heavily on her hand. Her terrified hands
are still ringed by the ordeals of married life. The contrast
heightens the intensity. She looks for a vent out through her art.
Q7. How will Aunt Jennifer’s hands look when she is dead?
Ans: When Aunt Jennifer dies, her hands will still look terrified.
Perhaps she has experienced a lot of hardships and troubles in the
past. Their effect has left its imprint on her hands. The ordeals that
crushed her married life surround her even after her death.
Q8. What will happen to Aunt Jennifer’s tigers when she is dead?
Ans: Aunt Jennifer’s tigers will survive her. She has created the
tigers in a panel. They are made of wool. These objects of art will
survive their creator. The tigers will go on jumping, proud and
unafraid just like the men in society.
Q9. Describe the poetic devices used in the poem Aunt Jennifer’s
Tigers’.
Ans: Adrienne Rich’s Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers’ a beautiful short poem
rich in symbolism and imagery. The metaphor ‘bright topaz’ depicts
the shining yellow complexion of her tigers. The effective use of
alliteration in ‘sleek, chivalric certainty’ describes the pace of the
tigers effectively. ‘The massive weight of wedding band’ symbolises
ordeals and hardships of Aunt Jennifer’s married fife. The images
‘terrified hands’ and ‘ringed with ordeal’ create the effect of
oppression and terror as well as captivity.
Q10. How are Aunt Jennifer’s tigers different from her?
Ans: Aunt Jennifer’s tigers are a picture of strength, beauty and
certainty. They seem to be jumping across a screen. They “pace in
sleek chivalric certainty”. They are confident and impressive. Aunt
Jennifer is a weak, depressed and terrified person. Life has been a
cup of woes for her. She is still in the grip of those ordeals and
terrors that she faced and suffered from during her married life.
Her fingers are so ‘terrified’ that they find it hard to pull even the
ivory needle. Thus, the contrast is amply highlighted.
Q 11.Interpret the symbolism found in this poem.
Answer: In the poem, the author uses a variety of symbols to
communicate his thoughts and concerns. Tigers, men, a screen,
and, most significantly, a ring are among them. On a screen, Aunt
Jennifer has made tigers. Aunt Jennifer's hidden yearning for a life
of independence and power is symbolized by these tigers. The
screen on which she embroidered the tigers may represent the
globe in general. The males beneath the tree could be individuals
she knows, such as her husband. Her tigers are bold, proud, and
free to move about the screen or in the real world. The large
wedding ring she wore on her finger symbolizes the trials and
tribulations of her married life, which encircled her in a vicious
circle that, according to the poet, will continue in death as well as
in life.