Class 12 English Flamingos

Aunt Jennifer's Tigers

Adrienne Rich (1929)

Aunt Jennifer’s tigers prance across a screen,
Bright topaz denizens of a world of green.
They do not fear the men beneath the tree;
They pace in sleek chivalric certainty.

This poem is about a lady whose life changes into a life of burden of domesticity, unhappiness and pains after marriage. This can be the life of many women who are forced to compromise after marriage. Many women have to forego their hobbies, ambitions and desire in order to live a happily married life.

Aunt Jennifer is the main protagonist of this poem. She uses embroidery to make beautiful designs on cloth panels. The panel in this poem depicts tigers in forest. The bright orange tigers look beautiful in the green forest. These tigers are fearless and don’t fear men, rather the tigers are prancing around with gay abandon.

Aunt Jennifer’s fingers fluttering through her wool
Find even the ivory needle hard to pull.
The massive weight of Uncle’s wedding band
Sits heavily upon Aunt Jennifer’s hand.

In contrast to the fearless tigers, Aunt Jennifer is burdened with many fears. Her fears are manifested by her fluttering fingers when she tries hard to pull the ivory needle while working on a design. This fear is because of the massive weight of the wedding ring or band which Uncle (her husband) adorned her with during marriage. Here, the massive weight of the wedding band signifies all the burdens and responsibilities which come with marriage in any person’s life.

When Aunt is dead, her terrified hands will lie
Still ringed with ordeals she was mastered by.
The tigers in the panel that she made
Will go on prancing, proud and unafraid.

The poet says that Aunt will never be as free as tigers in her life. She will ultimately be free after her death. But even after her death, the wedding ring would remain adorning her hand, reminding of the compromises she made by marrying the Uncle. But the tigers she made will forever enjoy freedom, even after her death. They will go on prancing in the forest, without fear and with pride.

Think It Out

Question 1: How do ‘denizens’ and ‘chivalric’ add to our understanding of the tiger’s attitudes?

Answer: The word ‘denizen’ shows that tigers belong to the forest which is their natural abode. Chivalric means tigers are not only brave and fearless but they also enjoy having fun.

Question 2: 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?

Answer: In contrast to the fearless tigers, Aunt Jennifer is burdened with many fears. Her fears are manifested by her fluttering fingers when she tries hard to pull the ivory needle while working on a design. This fear is because of the massive weight of the wedding ring or band which Uncle (her husband) adorned her with during marriage.

Question 3: What is suggested by the image ‘massive weight of Uncle’s wedding band’?

Answer: Massive weight of the wedding band signifies all the burdens and responsibilities which come with marriage in any person’s life.

Question 4: Of what or of whom is Aunt Jennifer terrified with in the third stanza?

Answer: She is terrified of failing to fulfill the demands of a married life. She may be terrified of some unjustifiable demands from her husband. She may be terrified of the code of conduct which her husband may have asked her to follow.

Question 5: What are the ‘ordeals’ Aunt Jennifer is surrounded by, why is it significant that the poet uses the word ‘ringed’? What are the meanings of the word ‘ringed’ in the poem?

Answer: This poem is about a lady whose life changes into a life of burden of domesticity, unhappiness and pains after marriage. This can be the life of many women who are forced to compromise after marriage. Many women have to forego their hobbies, ambitions and desire in order to live a happily married life. The ordeals are all about various compromises which Aunt Jennifer may have made. Ringed means fencing or creating a boundary of various codes of conduct for a woman’s married life.

Question 6: 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?

Answer: Aunt Jennifer does not appear to be happy with her married life. She feels imprisoned and is craving for freedom. Creating tigers which are enjoying freedom in their natural habitat is a way to vent her frustration and show her inner desire to the world. That is why Aunt has created animals which are completely different from her own character. She is full of fear while the tigers are far away from fear.

Question 7: Interpret the symbols found in this poem.

Answer: The poet has used many symbols in this poem. They are as follows:

Question 8: Do you sympathise with Aunt Jennifer. What is the attitude of the speaker towards Aunt Jennifer?

Answer: Yes, my sympathies are with Aunt Jennifer. The poet understands the problems faced by Aunt Jennifer. She also understands Aunt’s hidden desires. The poet is also wishing that the Aunt gets the freedom she cherishes.