D:\EG_English-12_(Core)\Open_Files\03_Sec-C2_(Poety)\03_Sec-C2_(Poety)
\ 02-Aug-2022  Bhandari   Proof-6  Reader’s Sign _______________________ Date __________
5 —Adrienne Rich
About the Poet
Adrienne Cecile Rich (1929-2012) was an American
poet, essayist and radical feminist. She was called
“one of the most widely read and influential poets of
the second half of the 20th century”, and was credited
with bringing into the fore, the oppression of women.
Theme
The theme of the poem “Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers” by
Adrienne Rich is how the power of the patriarchy
controls women’s forms but not their minds. The
poem makes this point by presenting the wild,
interesting, powerful tigers embroidered by Aunt
Jennifer and contrasting them with Aunt Jennifer,
the oppressed wife.
Background
Freedom has always been an important value in the
United States that most people are not willing to
give up. Ralph Waldo Emerson, a writer who lived
in the 1800s, reminded Americans of their right to
liberty at a time when many people started to conform
to established norms. He voiced his opinions about
the loss of freedom and invited society to realize
that they were relinquishing their rights. Years
later, his views still had an impact on the citizens.
Adrienne Rich, a poet of the mid-1900s, also found
her autonomy a necessity in life. She wrote a poem in
1951 called “Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers,” which exhibited
her opinions about living a life of reliance on others.
Justification of the Title
The title is appropriate as the poem is about a
woman, Aunt Jennifer, who is trapped in an unhappy
marriage. She embroiders a picture of prancing
tigers. This represents her desire as she pines for the
qualities that she has endowed to the tigers.
Message
“Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers” is a statement of conflict in
women, specifically between the impulse to freedom
and imagination. Aunt Jennifer wants a life that
she embroiders on the panel. She wants a colourful
vibrant life which every woman should have the
power to create.
340
Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers
Summary
In the poem, the poet Adrienne Rich addresses the
constraints of married life experienced by women,
especially her Aunt Jennifer who is shown to be a
victim of a male dominated world. Aunt Jennifer’s
embroidered tigers prance (dance about) across the
screen on the panel. The tigers are bright yellow.
They are the residents (denizens) or inhabitants of
a green world (green forest). Their spirit is free and
they are not afraid of the men shown beneath the
tree. They walk about fearlesly with confidence and
with free movements, unperturbed or undisturbed
by anything around them.
Aunt Jennifer is making an effort to embroider.
Her fluttering fingers signify that there is a lack of
confidence and that she faces difficulty in pulling out
the ivory needles. This depicts her frightened and
timid nature because she has suffered at the hands
of her husband. The wedding band that she wears
on her finger appears to be heavy metaphorically
speaking, depicting the ordeals and sufferings that
she has been subjected to. Such is the trauma of
Jennifer’s life that it may continue to haunt her
even after her death. Her hands will still depict the
ring (bowed down) which symbolizes the ordeals
that suppressed her during her lifetime. On the
other hand, her creative expression will continue to
live in the form of the tigers that she has created
in her panel. The tigers depict a free-spirited being
who will continue to prance proud and unafraid.
Poetic Devices
1. Symbols
• Wedding band symbolises oppression in an
unhappy marriage.
• tigers symbolise untamed free spirit.
• embroidery symbolises creative expression
2. Metaphor
• bright topaz denizens—use of ‘topaz’ to describe
the yellow colour of tigers.
3. Alliteration
• finger fluttering
• prancing proud
 D:\EG_English-12_(Core)\Open_Files\03_Sec-C2_(Poety)\03_Sec-C2_(Poety)
\ 02-Aug-2022  Bhandari   Proof-6 Reader’s Sign _______________________ Date __________


4. Hyperbole Aunt Jennifer’s hands be ringed with ordeals
• the massive weight of Unlce’s wedding band. after her death?


5. Transferred Epithet Aunt Jennifer represents the oppressed women of
• terrified finger the patriarchal society. It conotes that


6. Irony 1. Aunt is troubled by her marriage to the

• a weak and sumbissive woman weaving a burdensome husband.


picture of tigers that are strong and fearless 2. With the death of one oppressed woman,
• the tiger will continue to pace freely, while Aunt

oppression will not vanish from the face of this


will remain terrified even after death. Earth.
7. Personification
Significance of the last two lines of the poem
• ‘chivalric’ used for knights in medieval times.

1. The mortal Aunt Jennifer created the immortal


But here, it is used for tigers.

tigers.
POEM IN A NUTSHELL 2. Even if the woman with the desire, dies, it

does not end the desire of freedom in the other
The poem depicts:
women. In this patriarchal society–the poet
1. Aunt Jennifer’s desires and her dream.
imparts a ray of hope to liberate women from


2. The real picture of Aunt Jennifer’s life. the bondage of the oppressed men.


Symbols in the poem
1. Aunt Jennifer represents women all over the Type I. Refe ence o on ex

r
t
C
t
t


world wedged under the tyrannical hand of a Read the extracts given below and attempt the
patriarchal society.
questions that follow.
2. Aunt Jennifer’s tigers symbolize her dreams and
1. Aunt Jennifer’s tigers prance across a screen,


desires of being powerful, fearless, decisive and



liberated. Bright topaz denizens of a world of green.

3. The wedding band signifies the patriarchal They do not fear the men beneath the tree:



society where command is defined as masculine. They pace in sleek chivalric certainty.
4. Uncle denotes the oppressor.


[Delhi 2017]



5. Aunt Jennifer’s hands represent the reality of Questions


her life.
(i) Name the poem and the poet of these lines.
Words help us to understand the tiger’s attitude


(ii) What are Aunt Jennifer’s tigers doing? How do
1. pace and prance suggest strength and energy,


they look like?


and movement in blithe.
(iii) Where do they live? Who are they not afraid of?
2. bright topaz colour gives the tigers the attention


(iv) Why are the tigers called Aunt Jennifer’s


to their prominent presence.


Tigers?
3. denizens mean occupants. Tigers are grand and
(v) What does the word ‘chivalric’ mean in the


fearless in their natural surroundings.


context of the poem?
4. chivalric certainty represents the power and
(a) creative (b) curel and ferrocious


virtue with confidence and conviction.




(c) honourable and brave
Contrast in the poem:


(d) elegant and proud
Aunt Jennifer is an oppressed woman dominated


by male superiority, victimized, fearful, indecisive, (vi) The word ‘prance’ in the poem means _____


weak, timid, feeble, shivering in fear, stifled and (a) jump ahead (b) glare




weighed upon by the marriage, whereas the tigers (c) dance (d) glide




she weaves are chivalric, confident, fearless, Answers
assertive, strong and energetic. (i) The poem is ‘Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers’ and the


The future of Aunt Jennifer: poet is Adrienne Rich.
Being subservient Aunt Jennifer doesn’t win. (ii) The tigers are seen prancing on the screen.


First she loses her identity, (only termed as ‘Aunt’ They are yellow like topaz (a precious stone).
in the last stanza) and then loses herself to death, (iii) They live in green forests. They are fearless and


and even in death she must obey the rules of the are not afraid of the men beneath the tree.
patriarchal society. (iv) Aunt Jennifer has created these tigers. She


unt J nni r’s ig rs 341
A
e
fe
T
e
 
 D:\EG_English-12_(Core)\Open_Files\03_Sec-C2_(Poety)\03_Sec-C2_(Poety)
\ 02-Aug-2022  Bhandari   Proof-6 Reader’s Sign _______________________ Date __________


made a tapestry for the screen on which she had (v) What are the qualities of the tigers mentioned

embroidered tigers prancing across the screen. in the extract?
(v) (c) honourable and brave (vi) ‘Ordeals’ refers to




(vi) (a) jump ahead (a) odd hours (b) hardships


2. Aunt Jennifer’s fingers fluttering through her

(c) embroidery (d) elegance


wool

Answers
Find even the ivory needle hard to pull. (i) Aunt Jennifer has led a very suppressed life

The massive weight of Uncle’s wedding band

and probably has faced a lot of hardships and

Sits heavily upon Aunt Jennifer’s hand. difficulties. Her hands are terrified due to the

Questions fear generated in her life by the dominating
(i) What were Aunt Jennifer’s fingers fluttering males.


through? (ii) They still seem to carry the burden of hardships

(ii) How was she pulling the needle? and difficult times which troubled her when she
was alive.


(iii) What was the problem with that object on her
(iii) Even after Aunt’s death, the tigers will continue


finger?

to jump about, feeling proud and unafraid.
(iv) The figure of speech in ‘fingers fluttering’ is
(iv) (d) alliteration


(a) simile (b) metaphor

(v) The tigers are prancing. They are proud and




(c) pun (d) alliteration


unafraid.




(v) What does Aunt Jennifer have on her ‘hand’?
(vi) (b) hardships


(a) wedding band (b) bangle


4. Aunt Jennifer’s tigers prance across a screen,




(c) ivory needle (d) panel







(vi) ‘Wedding band sits heavily’ is a subtle reference Bright topaz denizens of a world of green.



to They do not fear the men beneath the tree:

(a) trapped in an unhappy marriage They pace in sleek chivalric certainty.



(b) a thick heavy ring

[Delhi 2017]


(c) ring obstructing embroidery

Questions



(d) Aunt Jennifer’s weak fingers


Answers (i) Why are the tigers called Aunt Jennifer’s


(i) Her fingers were fluttering through her wool. tigers?


(ii) She was pulling the needle with a lot of (ii) How are they described here?




difficulty. (iii) How are they different from Aunt Jennifer?
(iii) Aunt Jennifer had her husband’s wedding band


(iv) What does the word’ chivalric’ mean?


on her finger. The problem was that his band


lay heavily on her hand because it was a symbol (a) brave (b) elegant




of the difficulties and hardships that she had (c) timid (d) cruel




borne in her married life. (v) Who are the tigers not afraid of?


(iv) (d) alliteration (v) (a) wedding band (vi) The figure of speech in ‘topaz’ is




(vi) (a) trapped in an unhappy marriage


(a) simile (b) metaphor






3. When Aunt is dead, her terrified hands will lie (c) pun (d) irony






Still ringed with ordeals she was mastered by. Answers

The tigers in the panel that she made (i) Since aunt Jennifer is embroidering the motif


of the tigers on a panel, they are referred to as

Will go on prancing, proud and unafraid.
hers.

Questions
(ii) They are described as having topaz coloured
(i) Why are Aunt Jennifer’s hands called ‘terrified’?


skin. They are sleek, brave, faearless and


(ii) What are they still ringed with? confident.


(iii) What will happen to the tigers after her death? (iii) While Aunt Jennifer is timid, weak, burdened




(iv) ‘Pranching proud’ is a/an and overpowered by her marital ordeals, the


(a) simile (b) metaphor tigers are sleek, brave, faearless and confident.




(c) irony (d) alliteration (iv) (a) brave






342 English Cor -X
e
II
 D:\EG_English-12_(Core)\Open_Files\03_Sec-C2_(Poety)\03_Sec-C2_(Poety)
\ 02-Aug-2022  Bhandari   Proof-6 Reader’s Sign _______________________ Date __________


(v) The tigers are not afraid of the hunters sitting 4. The poet describes the colour of the tigers as

beneath the trees. (a) brown (b) light brown

(vi) (b) metaphor (c) dark brown (d) topaz coloured

5. Aunt Jennifer’s fingers fluttering through her 5. ‘Denizens’ of a world of green means

(a) residents of forests


wool


Find even the ivory needle hard to pull. (b) residents of green buildings

(c) live in green cages

The massive weight of Uncle’s wedding band

(d) live in green grasslands

Sits heavily upon Aunt Jennifer’s hand.

[All India 2017] 6. The tigers are not afraid of


Questions (a) the hunters (b) the elephants

(c) the lions
(i) What is Aunt Jennifer doing with her wool?

(d) the men beneath the tree


(ii) Why does she find it difficult to pull her ivory

7. ‘They pace’ is referred to


needle?

(a) the human beings
(iii) What does ‘wedding band’ stand for?

(b) Jennifer’s family members




(iv) Describe the irony in the third line. (c) the tigers (d) the lions






(v) The expression ‘massive weight’ stands for– 8. ‘Sleek chivalric certainty’ of the tigers means




(a) bond of marriage (a) totally free movement of the tigers






(b) freedom from marriage (b) unsure tiger in the cage




(c) fear of marriage (c) tiger moving in his cage






(d) honourable marriage (d) tiger trying to be chivalrous




(vi) Aunt Jennifer’s fingers are fluttering due to 9. The rhyme scheme in stanza one is




(a) happiness (b) fear (a) aabb (b) abab









(c) kindness (d) contidence (c) abca (d) abba








Answers 10. ‘Fingers fluttering through her wool’. The


(i) Aunt Jennifer is embroidering tigers with wool poetic device used here is
(a) simile (b) metaphor


on a panel.





(ii) She is unhappy in her married life. She is (c) alliteration (d) personification






fearful and has lost confidence in herself. 11. What is Aunt Jennifer doing with wool?


(iii) The wedding band stands for the oppressive (a) she is embroidering a wall panel





control of her husband over her which has (b) she is knitting a scarf


taken away her freedom and independence. (c) she is making a ball of wool



(iv) The wedding band is a symbol of conjugal (d) she is knitting a cap




happiness but ironically, for Aunt Jennifer, it 12. What do her ‘fluttering fingers’ find hard?


has become a burden. (a) to pull the ivory needle



(v) (a) bond of marriage (b) to roll the ball of wall




(vi) (b) fear (c) to thread the needle





(d) to draw the sketch of tigers
Type II. Tex -Based Ques


ons
13. The massive weight of Uncle’s wedding band
t
ti


is a subtle reference to
I. Multiple Choice Questions
(a) male oppression





1. The poem ‘Aunt Jennifer’ is written by (b) suppression at the hands of her husband




(a) Elizabeth Arden (b) Adrienne Rich (c) the heavy gold ring






(c) Kamla Das (d) Sarojini Naidu (d) the huge gold wedding band makes her






2. Aunt Jennifer’s tigers are actually uncomfortable


(a) Bengal tigers (b) Assam tigers 14. What was lying heavily?






(c) embroidered tigers (d) white tigers (a) her wedding band







3. What do the tigers do on the screen? They (b) the tigers on the screen




(a) sing (b) sleep (c) uncle of the poet








(c) catch the prey (d) prance (d) Aunt Jennifer’s cat






unt J nni r’s ig rs 343
A
e
fe
T
e
 
 D:\EG_English-12_(Core)\Open_Files\03_Sec-C2_(Poety)\03_Sec-C2_(Poety)
\ 02-Aug-2022  Bhandari   Proof-6 Reader’s Sign _______________________ Date __________


15. The word ‘prance’ in the poem means (b) the males in the society




(a) to jump ahead (b) to dance (c) the tigers in the forest








(c) to eat (d) to prowl (d) the tigers on the panel






16. ‘Denizens’ in the poem means 26. ‘Will go on prancing’ means the




(a) resting place (b) forest (a) spirit of freedom of the tigers will continue







(c) residents (d) slum areas to exist




17. The word ‘chivalric’ in the context means (b) tigers will dance

(a) timid (b) arrogant (c) tigers will kill

(c) honourable and brave (d) tigers will show tricks

(d) malicious 27. ‘Massive’ means

18. ‘Sits heavily upon Aunt Jennifer’s hand.’ This (a) high (b) huge

line means that (c) minimum (d) small

(a) Aunt Jennifer is a sufferer in a male 28. The poem ‘Aunt Jennifer’s tigers’ uses

dominated society ‘wedding bands’, ‘tigers’, ‘terrified hands’ etc
(b) is a heavy object as


(c) hard to carry (a) symbols (b) poetic devices

(d) cannot lift it at all (c) alliteration (d) metaphor

19. Aunt Jennifer’s family consists of 29. The attitude of the poet towards Aunt Jennifer


is that of


(a) she and her husband
(a) hatred (b) love



(b) she and her tigers





(c) sympathy (d) casual


(c) she and her kids




30. The beautiful and lifelike tigers on the panel,



(d) she and her servants


show Aunt Jennifer’s


20. ‘Terrified hands’ of Aunt Jennifer means
(a) hatred for life (b) hatred for men


(a) hard and bitter experience of married life




(c) creativity (d) suffering


(b) scared hands




Answer


(c) un-manicured hands
1. (b) Adrienne Rich


(d) soft and nice hands




2. (c) embroidered tigers


21. ‘Still ringed’ means



3. (d) prance 4. (d) topaz coloured


(a) oppression will continue





5. (a) residents of forests



(b) too many rings on her fingers




6. (d) the men beneath the tree


(c) ring of the bell



7. (c) the tigers



(d) quiet and peaceful




8. (a) totally free movement of the tigers


22. ‘Ordeals’ refers to



9. (a) aabb 10. (c) alliteration


(a) happy times (b) hardships





11. (a) she is embroidering a wall panel




(c) joy and splendour (d) party time




12. (a) to pull the ivory needle




23. ‘She was mastered by’ is a reference made to



13. (b) suppression at the hands of her husband


(a) the hardships and difficulties that Aunt



14. (a) her wedding band 15. (a) to jump ahead


Jennifer faced during her lifetime.





16. (c) residents
(b) Aunt Jennifer considered a slave.




17. (c) honourable and brave


(c) the rude master she had.



18. (a) Aunt Jennifer is a sufferer in a male


(d) her teacher who taught her nothing.



dominated society


24. ‘The tigers in the panel that she made’ means 19. (a) she and her husband






(a) the tigers she sent to the zoo 20. (a) hard and bitter experience of married life






(b) the tigers embroidered by Jennifer 21. (a) oppression will continue






(c) the tigers that do tricks 22. (b) hardships






(d) the tigers that killed her husband 23. (a) the hardships and difficulties that Aunt





25. ‘Proud’ and ‘unafraid’. These two adjectives Jennifer faced during her lifetime


have been used for 24. (b) the tigers embroidered by Jennifer



(a) the uncle 25. (d) the tigers on the panel






344 English Cor -X
e
II
 D:\EG_English-12_(Core)\Open_Files\03_Sec-C2_(Poety)\03_Sec-C2_(Poety)
\ 02-Aug-2022  Bhandari   Proof-6 Reader’s Sign _______________________ Date __________


26. (a) spirit of freedom of the tigers will continue bright topaz colour. They are described as the



to exist residents of a green world (forest). They are
27. (b) huge 28. (a) symbols fearless, confident, sure of their movements





29. (c) sympathy 30. (c) creativity and do not feel frightened of the men shown
beneath the tree. They move freely and are





II. Short Answer Type Questions symbolic of ‘free spirit’.



1. What are the characteristics of the tiger that 7. What is suggested by the image ‘massive

lend a contrast to the Aunt? weight of Uncle’s wedding band’?
Ans. The tigers are fearless, chivalric and they are Ans. The image suggests that not only is Aunt

bowed down by the emotional and physical


confident. They enjoy their freedom. On the
other hand, Aunt Jennifer is oppressed and a pressures of her married life but she is also
victim of a male dominated society. The tigers suppressed by the weight of the wedding band
are fearless and are not afraid of men. meaning that male dominated society has put
her under a lot of stress and has curbed her
2. What is the theme of the poem?
freedom and happiness.


Ans. The poet subtly brings out the contrast
8. What are the ‘ordeals’ Aunt Jennifer is


between the wonderful freedom of the work

surrounded by? Why is it significant that the
of art created by Aunt Jennifer and the poet uses the word ‘ringed’? What are the
constraints of her married life. The Aunt has meanings of the word ‘ringed’ in the poem?
been subjected to suppression at the hands
Ans. The ‘ordeals’ that surround Aunt Jennifer are
of her dominating husband and it is only in

the hardships and the oppression in a male
the embroidery that she seems free and gives
dominated society. The poet uses the word
expression to her creativity.
‘ringed’ to signify that after her death also,
3. What does Aunt Jennifer’s creation of the Aunt Jennifer’s hands will still be affected


tigers symbolize? by the dominance of a male, perhaps her
Ans. The tigers symbolize Aunt Jennifer’s desires. husband. While the tigers will be free, she


She expresses herself through the creation of would never be free; her only hope for freedom
her tigers whom she embroiders with a needle is through her artistic creation or the tigers
on a panel. The tigers are free and symbolize on the screen. Through them she can depict
Jennifer’s own longing to be free and powerful. the courage and confidence that she lacked in
4. Why do you think Aunt Jennifer’s hands are her own life.


‘fluttering through her wool’ in the second 9. Why do you think Aunt Jennifer created


stanza? Why is she finding the needle so hard animals that are so different from her own
to pull? character? What might the poet be suggesting
Ans. Aunt Jennifer’s hands are fluttering because through this difference?


they are a reflection of her dominated and Ans. Aunt Jennifer created animals who were free


suppressed spirit. She is physically and spirited, fearless, proud and happily prancing
emotionally drained and finds it hard to pull about. On the other hand, Aunt Jennifer’s life
the needle. Her hands are heavy with the is symbolic of the fear, the suppression and the
weight of the wedding ring which symbolizes victimization of a woman in a male dominated
the hardships and difficulties of her life. society. The poet suggests that art may be an
instrument to metaphorically release women
5. What do the tigers embroidered by Aunt
like the Aunt, who is trapped in an oppressive


Jennifer on the panel signify?
marriage.
Ans. The tigers on the panel signify their free
10. What does the poet suggest by saying that the


movement, lack of fear and their self-assurance


tigers that she has embroidered will forever
as compared to Aunt Jennifer who is a victim go on prancing proudly?
of a male dominated society. The tigers are
Ans. When Aunt Jennifer is no more, her tigers will
depicted in sharp contrast to Aunt’s own


continue to live on the panel. A work of art will
predicament.
continue to be an expression of Aunt Jennifer’s
6. Describe the tigers on the panel. creativity and the tigers will forever be seen,


Ans. The tigers embroidered on the panel are of prancing about, fearless and free spirited.


unt J nni r’s ig rs 345
A
e
fe
T
e
 
 D:\EG_English-12_(Core)\Open_Files\03_Sec-C2_(Poety)\03_Sec-C2_(Poety)
\ 02-Aug-2022  Bhandari   Proof-6

11. What are the examples in the poem that
suggest that Aunt Jennifer found her life a
great challenge?
Ans. The poem suggests that Aunt’s life was full of
hardships and difficulties. She was a victim of
male oppression and seemed to have suffered a
lot at uncle’s hands. Uncle is a symbol of a male
dominated society. The reference to ‘fluttering
fingers’, ‘needle hard to pull’ massive weight
of ‘ordeals’ suggest her challenges.
12. Do you sympathize with Aunt Jennifer? What
is the attitude of the speaker towards Aunt
Jennifer?
Ans. Yes, I do sympathize with Aunt Jennifer.
The attitude of the speaker towards Aunt
Jennifer appears to be pessimistic because it
is suggested that Aunt Jennifer, even after
her death will continue to be weighed down
heavily by the burdens of her life. There will
be no respite for her even after her death. Only
her tigers will continue to live happily in the
form of her artistic creation.
346 English Cor -X
e
II
Reader’s Sign _______________________ Date __________
III. Long Answer Question

Q. Steeped in feminism, Rich presents a vivid
criticism of a male dominated societal set up.
Comment.
Ans. The first few lines of the poem bring out
the patriarchal attitude and discrimination
against the women. Aunt Jennifer has been
reduced to a meek, terrified woman who
weaves a world of her own. Aunt Jennifer is
unhappy because of the patriarchal system
that confines all the women. The poem really
wants us to condemn the system, not an
individual. Aunt Jennifer, the protagonist,
is symbolic of women all over the world who
are trapped in an unhappy marriage. She is
so weak that her fluttering fingers can’t pull
the ivony needle. The aunt create tigers who
are a symbol of strength and fearlessness.
The poet presents a contrast between the
timid woman and her fearless creation.