Lesson Plan

Aunt Jennifers Tigers

By
Adrienne Rich
Name: Rajesh C I
Class : XII

Learning Objective
The students will be able to:
 comprehend and appreciate the feminist aspects portrayed in the poem
 empathise with harassed women
 use the lexical items contextually
 critically examine the theme of the poem
 identify the different poetic devices used

TEACHING STRATEGIES
 Motivate the students to have new perspectives, to refocus their points of view on life and society
 Activate the prior knowledge of the students regarding the literary devices used – such as
personification, simile, metaphor and so on.
 Establish the theme of the poem through a discussion on feminism and society
 Encourage to explore language by recalling the parts of speech or verb forms of different lexical
items
 Encourage creative writing which portrays the students’ reflections on the theme of the poem

Explanation:
Aunt Jennifer creates a needlepoint that shows tigers leaping across the canvas. Bright and vibrant,
like topaz gems, the tigers live within the green world of the canvas. They are not afraid of the men
standing underneath the tree, who are also depicted in the image. The tigers walk with certainty,
shining and courageous.
Aunt Jennifer's fingers swiftly and delicately work the yarn, yet she finds it physically difficult to
pull even a small needle made of ivory through the canvas. Her husband's wedding band feels huge,
and weighs down heavily on her hand.
When Aunt Jennifer dies one day, her frightened hands will finally be still. Yet they will still be
marked by the difficulties that ruled over her while she was alive. Meanwhile, the tigers she created
will continue to leap across her needlepoint without shame or fear.
 Poetic Devices
 Assonance: Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /o/ in
“Bright topaz denizens of a world of green” and the sound of /e/ in “When Aunt is dead, her terrified
hands will lie.”
 Alliteration: Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line in quick succession,
such as the sound of /f/ in “finger fluttering” and /p/ in “prancing, proud.”
 Consonance: Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line, such as the sound of
/d/ in “When Aunt is dead, her terrified hands will lie” and the sound of /s/ in “They pace in sleek
chivalric certainty.”
 Imagery: Imagery is used to make readers perceive things involving their five senses. Adrienne Rich
used imagery in this poem, such as “They pace in sleek chivalric certainty”, “Find even the ivory
needle hard to pull” and “Still ringed with ordeals she was mastered by.”
 Irony: It means to the contradictory meanings of the words used in different contexts. For example,
the verse “When Aunt is dead” shows the irony of this creativity and oppression.
 Metaphor: It is a figure of speech in which an implied comparison is made between objects that are
different in nature. The poet has used the extended metaphor of lions for the sons of the aunt.
 Symbolism: Symbolism is using symbols to signify ideas and qualities, giving them symbolic
meanings that are different from the literal meanings. The poem shows symbols such as the green,
topaz, finger, and wool to show the world of women undergoing oppression.

Words to Remember

Prance         ‐  jump or move in a spirited manner

Screen         ‐ here, the wall or the surface of the tapestry
Topaz          ‐ a bright yellow precious stone
Denizens    ‐ inhabitants
Chivalric     ‐ brave and honourable
Certainty   ‐ confidence
Fluttering  ‐ moving with a light irregular of trembling motion
Massive     ‐ heavy
Wedding band     ‐ wedding pact, signifying martial duties Ringed          ‐ confident of tied up
Ordeals     ‐ unpleasant or painful experiences Mastered     ‐ controlled
Panel      ‐ flat board