Aunt Jennifer's Tigers by Adrienne Rich

Question 1

Describe the tigers in AJT

Answer 1

○They are confident, elegant, they stand out, unafraid, defiant, proud, courageous.
○ “sleek chivalric certainty”
○They “do not fear the men beneath the tree”
○ They “will go on prancing, proud and unafraid”

Question 2

What does the “fluttering” of Aunt Jennifer’s hands suggest?

Answer 2

She is weak, frail and vunerable

Question 3

What are the themes of ‘Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers’ by Adrienne Rich?

Answer 3

Oppression

Women and femininity

Question 4

Give an example of alliteration in ‘Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers’ by Adrienne Rich. What does it show?

Answer 4

The tigers “will go on prancing, proud and unafraid”

○Harsh, sharp, strong ‘p’ and broad vowels (assonance) hint at resilience and defiant arrogance

Question 5

What does the structure of ‘Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers’ by Adrienne Rich tell us about the themes of the poem itself?

Answer 5

The poem is very structured, with regular stanzas and rhyming couplets → control

Question 6

Give an example of colourful imagery in ‘Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers’ by Adrienne Rich

Answer 6

“topaz denizens in a world of green”

Question 7

What does the ivory needle represent in ‘Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers’ by Adrienne Rich?

Answer 7

Cruelty to animals, controlling weaker individuals, link to the circus, men controlling animals. Also, pallidness of Aunt Jennifer’s needle compared to the bold tigers

Question 8

What do the tigers represent in ‘Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers’ by Adrienne Rich?

Answer 8

Defiance, power, beauty, what Aunt Jennifer aspires to be, freedom

Question 9

What does the ring symbolise in ‘Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers’ by Adrienne Rich?

Answer 9

Marriage, oppression, captivity

Question 10

What does the embroidery symbolise in ‘Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers’ by Adrienne Rich?

Answer 10

Precision, time and patience, i.e Aunt Jennifer