★★★Aunt Jennifer's Tigers★★★
Adrienne Rich
★★Summary:
The poem mainly deals with the disrespect of a woman. The poet describes the common oppression of woman through Aunt Jennifer.The poet says that Aunt Jennifer is unhappy with his daily life.In the opening stanza the poet tells us about the tigers.Who don’t fear anybody.Here Aunt Jennifer is a helpless woman into the male-dominated society, where she has no freedom to her own intentions.She can't take a single step to her own decision. As she doesn’t find her natural freedom she depicts an imaginary freedom through the tigers.She embroiders the figures of tigers as a curtain.She imagines that her tigers are bold and bright coloured.They are free and fearless. The boldness and freedom of the self-made tigers reflects Aunt Jennifer's desire for freedom.
In the last stanza the poet says that now Aunt Jennifer is matured so her finger is imposed with the wedding ring.It symbolises that now she has lost her freedom. Even when she will die she can't avoid these domination. Here,the poet depicts the power of male-dominated society to the women.
★★Rhyme Scheme:
Rhyme scheme is the ordered pattern of rhymes at the ends of the lines of a poem or verse
★The rhyme scheme of the poem is aabb ccdd eeff.
"screen"=a
"green"=a
"tree"=b
"certainty"=b
"wool"=c
"pull"=c
"band"=d
"hand"=d
"lie"=e
"by"=e
"made"=f
"unafraid"=f
Here last word of the 1st line is "screen" and last word of the 2nd line is "green",.Both words have same sound. So we can mark it "a".
Again, the last words of the 3rd, and 4th line's are "tree", and "certainty".Both have same sound. So we can mark it "b".Further again the last words of the 5th and 6th line's are "wool", and "pull".They also have same sound. So we can mark it "c".Then,the last words of the 7th and 8th line's are "band" and "hand".Both of the words have same sound. So we can mark it "d".And then the last words of the 9th and 10th line's are "lie" and "by". They also have a same sound.So we can mark it "e".
And finally,the last words of the 11th and 12th line's are "made",and "unafraid". So we will mark it "f".
So at last we can find out that the rhyme scheme of the poem is abba aabb ccdd eeff.
★★Tone:
Tone is a musical or vocal sound with reference to its pitch, quality, and strength.
The tone of the poem appears to be positive and cheerful when the poet describes the tigers.Because now Aunt Jennifer can desires her full freedom.
But the tone turns into soft and creepy at times in describing the life of Aunt Jennifer.Because she is the oppressed victim of the male dominated society.When she becomes mature her husband binded her by the weeding ring.Even when she was dead her terrific weeding ring doesn’t leave her.
★★Structure:
The poem consists of three stanza and each stanza has four lines.
In the first stanza the poet describes about the tiger which is made by Aunt Jennifer in her imagination.
In the second stanza the poet describes about the weeding scene of Aunt Jennifer.Here, she is fully dominated by her husband.
In the last stanza the poet describes about the domination of male society.
★★Theme:
Theme is the central idea in a piece of writing. The whole body explains the theme.
The poet uses a resourceful image to reorganise the themes in a new way through the image of Aunt Jennifer.The central theme of this poem is the desire of a woman for freedom from the male-dominated society. In the male dominated society, women are given some subordinate role.They don't have any choice of their own. This poem portrays a woman who attempts to gain the imaginary freedom.Aunt Jennifer is a woman in a male dominated society.She desires for the freedom of choice but she helpless to the male-dominated society. As she lost her freedom, she takes shelter of an imaginary freedom. She embroiders the figures of tigers. These tigers are bold and bright in colour.They don't fear anybody. They are free and fearless.The boldness and freedom of the self-made tigers reflects Aunt Jennifer's desire for freedom.Now, Aunt Jennifer becomes matured so her finger is burdened with the heavy wedding ring. The poet says that one day aunt Jennifer will die with heavy ring around his finger which symbolizes the domination of the patriarchal society.The poem reveals the hard reality of life that a woman intensely desires for freedom, but actual freedom is not so easily in this male-dominated society..
★★Authors Position:
When an author writes to persuade,he/she will have his/her own position on the subject.The author's position is an author's opinion about the subject.It may be subjective or objective.
Subjective means where the writer can use his/her own feelings,emotion, and own choice.
Objective means where writer cann't use his/her own feelings,emotions and own choice.
The poet describes his ideas through Aunt Jennifer.Here the poet is a third person narrator.The poet doesn’t use his personal experience emotions.All the miseries are depicted by Aunt Jennifer. So its an objective poem.
★★Figures of Speech:
Figures of Speech means use of ornamental elements into a piece of writing.
★Alliteration
Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sound.
*"Aunt Jennifer's fingers fluttering through her wool."
Here, "f" is repeated. So its an example of alliteration.
★Imagery
Imagery means collection of some images.
*"Aunt Jennifer's tigers prance across a screen".
When the reader reads this line he/her imaginary creates a embroider like Aunt Jennifer.
★Personification
It is a figure of speech in which the writer puts imaginary life into a life being or thing.
*"Aunt Jennifer's fingers fluttering through her wool".
Here the poet personifies Jennifer's finger.So its a personification.
***To err is human.
-----Written by Krishna Mandal