Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers by Adrienne Rich | Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers | Adrienne Rich | | Explanation | Summary | Key Points | Word Meaning | Questions Answers | Free PDF Download – Easy Literary Lessons

Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers Poem Summary

The poem “Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers” explores the themes of confinement, freedom, and artistic expression through the contrasting images of Aunt Jennifer and the tigers she embroiders.

Aunt Jennifer is presented as a woman trapped in a suffocating marriage. The “massive weight” of her wedding band symbolizes the burden of her marital obligations, while her trembling fingers highlight her fear and lack of agency.

The tigers, on the other hand, represent the freedom and power that Aunt Jennifer longs for but cannot attain in her own life. They are described as “bright topaz denizens” who “pace in sleek chivalric certainty,” free from the constraints that bind Aunt Jennifer.

Through her embroidery, Aunt Jennifer finds a way to escape her reality and express her yearning for freedom. The vibrant tigers, symbols of strength and independence, become a testament to her inner spirit and the life she could have led.

The poem ends with a bittersweet note. Even though Aunt Jennifer will eventually succumb to the “ordeals” that have mastered her, the tigers in her tapestry will continue to “prance, proud and unafraid,” representing the lasting power of art and the human spirit’s enduring desire for freedom.


Key Points

“Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers” is a poem by American poet Adrienne Rich, first published in her book “A Change of World” in 1951. The poem is told from the perspective of an anonymous speaker and describes a woman, Aunt Jennifer, who crafts vibrant tapestry panels depicting tigers as a mental escape from her unhappy marriage.

Adrienne Cecile Rich (May 16, 1929 – March 27, 2012) was an American poet, essayist, and feminist. She was born in Baltimore, Maryland, and attended Radcliffe College, graduating in 1951. In 1953, Rich married Alfred Conrad, and they separated in 1970.

Rich was called “one of the most widely read and influential poets of the second half of the 20th century” and was credited with bringing “the oppression of women and lesbians to the forefront of poetic discourse”.

Her first collection of poetry, ‘A Change of World,’ was published in 1951. In the 1960s, she won two Guggenheim Fellowships. Rich shared, alongside Allen Ginsberg, the 1974 National Book Award for Poetry.

Structure and Rhyme Scheme

“Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers” by Adrienne Rich is a three-stanza poem that is separated into stanzas of four lines, known as quatrains.

These quatrains follow a simple rhyme scheme of AABB, with the couplets changing end sounds from stanza to stanza.

While there is evidence of metrical patterns in “Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers,” it is not entirely consistent. There are sections of the poem in which Rich uses nearly perfect iambic pentameter and moments where she moves away from it and uses trochees instead.


Word Meaning

LineTough WordMeaning in EnglishMeaning in Hindi
1Pranceto move with lively jumpsउछल-कूद करना
2Topazpukhrajपुखराज
2DenizensInhabitants / Citizensनिवासी
3BeneathDownनीचे
4SleekBright / Glazedचमकदार
4Chivalricmightyशूरवीर
4Certaintydecidedlyनिश्चित रूप से
5Flutteringmoving quickly and lightlyफड़फड़ाना
6Ivorywhite, smoothहाथीदांत
7Wedding bandA ring worn on the finger as a symbol of marriageशादी की अंगूठी
9TerrifiedHorrified / Scaredभयाकुल
10RingedEncircledघेरा हुआ
10OrdealsDifficult experiencesमुश्किल अनुभव
10MasteredOvercome or controlledजीत लिया या नियंत्रित किया
11PanelA flat surface within a frameपट्टिका
12UnafraidNot feeling fearनिडर

Related Posts

80+ MCQs | Our Casuarina Tree MCQs | Our Casuarina Tree | Our Casuarina Tree by Toru Dutt MCQs | Toru Dutt | Free PDF Download – Easy Literary Lessons

21. In which language was Our Casuarina Tree originally written? a) Hindi b) Bengali c) English d) French Answer: c) English Explanation: Toru Dutt was one of the earliest Indo-Anglian…

Read more

70 MCQs | Indian Weavers MCQs | Indian Weavers | Indian Weavers by Sarojini Naidu MCQs | Sarojini Naidu | Free PDF Download – Easy Literary Lessons

21. Sarojini Naidu is famously known by which nickname? a) The Voice of Freedom b) The Nightingale of India c) The Poetess of Peace d) The Iron Lady of India…

Read more

100+ MCQs | A Prayer for My Daughter MCQs | A Prayer for My Daughter | A Prayer for My Daughter by William Butler Yeats MCQs | William Butler Yeats | Free PDF Download – Easy Literary Lessons

21. What does Yeats hope his daughter’s bridegroom will bring her to? a) A life of adventure b) A house of custom and ceremony c) A world of intellectual debate…

Read more

60 MCQs | The Sky is your platter MCQs | The Sky is your platter | The Sky is your platter by Guru Nanak Dev Ji MCQs | Guru Nanak Dev Ji | Free PDF Download – Easy Literary Lessons

21. What does Guru Nanak’s Aarti highlight about the nature of God? a) God is limited to temples b) God is beyond human comprehension c) God has a physical form…

Read more

The Sky is your platter by Guru Nanak Dev Ji | The Sky is your platter | Guru Nanak Dev Ji Aarti | Guru Nanak Dev Ji | Explanation | Summary | Key Points | Word Meaning | Questions Answers | Critical Appreciation | Free PDF Download – Easy Literary Lessons

The Sky is your platter Summary It is an English adaptation of Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s Aarti, a sacred composition from the Sikh scripture, Sri Guru Granth Sahib (SGGS). Guru…

Read more

80 MCQs | Ode to Autumn MCQs | Ode to Autumn | Ode to Autumn by John Keats MCQs | John Keats | Free PDF Download – Easy Literary Lessons

21. What is autumn metaphorically compared to in the second stanza? A) A poet B) A worker in the fields C) A sleeping child D) A wandering traveler Answer: B)…

Read more

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *