The Use of Symbols in Adrienne Rich's Poem, Aunt Jennifer's Tigers

817 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: What was woman's role in the Renaissance period

The Use of Symbols in Adrienne Rich's Poem, Aunt Jennifer's Tigers

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 rights of 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 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. The poem illustrates a woman sewing a scene of tigers roaming through a field, whose hands are weighed down by the heavy wedding band that she wears. Rich uses the symbols of the ring and the tigers to convey her belief in Emerson's ideas of self-reliance.

An Emerson-influenced world would be one without interdependence, as his principles of self-reliance would be employed. In the 1800s, the American "government and literary movement . . . were calling for conformity" (Loving). During this time, Ralph Waldo Emerson decided to express his disagreement with the movement by publishing "Self Reliance" in 1841, which explained his ideas of the importance of personal independence. He states, "Nothing can bring you peace but yourself," illustrating his negative view of relying on others (Loving). His audience, the Americans, grew to agree with his individualistic concepts, leading focus from conformity in society.

Throughout her life, Rich's experiences led her to wish for more independence. In her marr...

... middle of paper ...

...ctly what Rich discovered through her experiences, primarily from her marriage. The freedom of each person to live as they wish to live is a common value between the two writers. Rich uses the two different symbols in order to express her negative feelings about dependence. By showing her dislike toward the control that one may have over another, she implies her agreement with Emerson's established principles of self-sufficiency.

Works Cited

Litlinks. www.smpcollege.com/litlinks/poetry/rich.htm. Bedford/St.Martin's. March 28, 2000.

Loving, Tim. "What If Aunt Jennifer Had Listened?: Responding With Consequence". www.cwrl.utexas.edu/~nick/evans/firstpapers/tlovingpaper.html. March 28, 2000.

Rich, Adrienne. "Aunt Jennifer's Tigers". Discovering Literature Stories, Poems, Plays. 2nd ed. Hans P. Guth and Gabriele L. Rico. Upper Saddle River: Blair. 1997. 590

Show More
Related

  • Does Benjamin Anstas Make About Ralph Waldo Emerson Self Reliance

    561 Words  | 2 Pages

    I agree with the statement Benjamin Anastas makes about Ralph Waldo Emerson’s “self-reliance” of how it is “the most pernicious piece of literature in the American canon” (Anastas 602-603). One reason why I agree with Anastas is that Emerson believes the people are timid and apologetic and do not have opinions of their own. Another reason why I stand alongside Anastas is that Emerson thinks people are afraid of each other and the truth(s) that others have are but quotes from a saint or sage. My final reason that I believe Anastas is correct is due to Emerson believing our society does not gain anything new that makes life worth living.

    Read More

  • Economic Inequality in Toni Cade Bambara's The Lesson

    1658 Words  | 4 Pages

    Bambara, Toni Cade. "The Lesson." Eds. Hans P. Guth and Gabriele L. Rico. Discovering Literature: Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1997. 307-12.

    Read More

  • Beast In The Jungle Narcissism Essay

    1034 Words  | 3 Pages

    Perkins, George B., and Barbara Perkins. "The Beast in the Jungle." The American Tradition in Literature (concise). 12th ed. Boston: McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2009. 1148-1177. Print.

    Read More

  • A Philoshpical Approach to Proving the Existence of God

    4011 Words  | 9 Pages

    In conclusion I am left pretty much in the same place as I have started. It is impossible to prove or disprove the existence of God philosophically. For every philosopher who publishes his or her opinions on the subject, three more are there to tear it down. In the end I think it is best that man does not figure out the answer to this lifelong question. Some things are better left unanswered.

    Read More

  • The Power of Personality in Toni Cade Bambara's The Lesson

    1415 Words  | 3 Pages

    Bambara, Toni Cade. "The Lesson." Eds. Hans P. Guth and Gabriele L. Rico. Discovering Literature: Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1997.

    Read More

  • Schizophrenia

    1137 Words  | 3 Pages

    Schizophrenia is a serious, chronic mental disorder characterized by loss of contact with reality and disturbances of thought, mood, and perception. Schizophrenia is the most common and the most potentially sever and disabling of the psychosis, a term encompassing several severe mental disorders that result in the loss of contact with reality along with major personality derangements. Schizophrenia patients experience delusions, hallucinations and often lose thought process. Schizophrenia affects an estimated one percent of the population in every country of the world. Victims share a range of symptoms that can be devastating to themselves as well as to families and friends. They may have trouble dealing with the most minor everyday stresses and insignificant changes in their surroundings. They may avoid social contact, ignore personal hygiene and behave oddly (Kass, 194). Many people outside the mental health profession believe that schizophrenia refers to a “split personality”. The word “schizophrenia” comes from the Greek schizo, meaning split and phrenia refers to the diaphragm once thought to be the location of a person’s mind and soul. When the word “schizophrenia” was established by European psychiatrists, they meant to describe a shattering, or breakdown, of basic psychological functions. Eugene Bleuler is one of the most influential psychiatrists of his time. He is best known today for his introduction of the term “schizophrenia” to describe the disorder previously known as dementia praecox and for his studies of schizophrenics. The illness can best be described as a collection of particular symptoms that usually fall into four basic categories: formal thought disorder, perception disorder, feeling/emotional disturbance, and behavior disorders (Young, 23). People with schizophrenia describe strange of unrealistic thoughts. Their speech is sometimes hard to follow because of disordered thinking. Phrases seem disconnected, and ideas move from topic to topic with no logical pattern in what is being said. In some cases, individuals with schizophrenia say that they have no idea at all or that their heads seem “empty”. Many schizophrenic patients think they possess extraordinary powers such as x-ray vision or super strength. They may believe that their thoughts are being controlled by others or that everyone knows what they are thinking. These beliefs ar...

    Read More

  • schizophrenia

    671 Words  | 2 Pages

    When signs and symptoms of Schizophrenia are ignored or not treated properly, the effects can be traumatic to both the person suffering and the people around them. Some possible effects are one, relationship problems. Relationships often suffer because schizophrenic are withdrawn and isolated, and with paranoid schizophrenia they are suspicious of family and friends. Second there is disruption to normal daily activities. Schizophrenics have trouble with daily functioning because of social difficulties and because everyday task become hard. Their delusions, hallucinations, disorganized thoughts stop them from doing regular things. Thirdly there is drug and alcohol abuse. Many times suffers of Schizophrenia develop issues with drugs and alcohols in attempt to self-meditate, or relieve symptoms. Lastly there are increased suicide ris...

    Read More

  • Schizophrenia

    672 Words  | 2 Pages

    Schizophrenia is a mental disorder which disables the brain and leaves a person feeling psychotic. A person diagnosed with this disorder may see or hear things that other people don’t. They may also think that, if they are talking with someone, the other person is controlling his or her mind or is planning to hurt them in some way. This will result in the schizophrenic person withdrawing from any social interaction, or becoming very agitated.

    Read More

  • Schizophrenia

    1889 Words  | 4 Pages

    ...asms or cramps, and tremors. One of the major side affects is tardive dyskinesia, a permanent condition when the lips, mouth, and tongue move without any control. Besides medications and therapies, family intervention programs exist which focus on the families of the schizophrenics instead of the patients themselves. This is particularly useful since family members can learn and understand how to cope with the patient and provide for them a low-stress environment and aiding them as much as possible. By looking at all the aspects of schizophrenia, it is very hard to believe schizophrenia is a type of disease. Different from AIDS or cancer that may lead to death, schizophrenia alone will not kill the patient. In contrast, schizophrenics become more gifted and inventive in their way of thinking. The inability of the “normal” people to understand the patients’ styles of presentation does not mean those patients are abnormal or have a disease. When viewing from their world, schizophrenics may think that the “normal” people are the ones who display bizarre behaviour. Schizophrenia can be called a disorder, a collection of socially learn actions, an illness but never called a disease.

    Read More

  • Schizophrenia

    1848 Words  | 4 Pages

    Schizophrenia is defined as a severe disabling mental illness. A person with this illness may be completely out of touch with what is going on around them. For example, the individual suffering from Schizophrenia may hear voices, see people who are not there (ghost in other words), and or feel bugs crawling on their skin when in actuality there are now. They may also have disorganized speech and behavior, physically rigid, emotionless, and delusions. The type of delusions where they believe that people are reading their minds, have control over their thoughts, and or plotting to hurt them. They have difficulty holding jobs and taking care of themselves.

    Read More

  • To Breast Feed or Not to Breastfeed

    3262 Words  | 7 Pages

    Breastfeeding rates are continually increasing. The nutritional benefit of breast over formula is a long established fact. “According to the latest numbers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, breastfeeding rates improved nationwide in 2000-2008, and some of the greatest improvement was among black women. However, only about 59 percent of black mothers breastfed in 2008, compared to 80 percent of Hispanic mothers and about 75 percent of white mothers. For 2008 rates of breastfeeding at a baby’s first birthday, the number was about 23 percent overall but only 12.5 percent for black mothers. That low rate still marks a near doubling of rates among black mothers compared to the year 2000” (Currie, 2013).It is the recommended method of feeding an infant for at least the first six months of life. Breastfeeding has benefits to both mothers and their babies. The baby receives immunity to protect it from disease. Financially, breastfeeding can significantly reduce the burden of having a new child. Many mothers initiate breastfeeding in the hospital; however, the number of women who breastfeed until six months is very low (Guyer, Millward, & Berger, 2012). Breastfeeding is highly favored over bottle feeding. Yet, mothers still do not choose to continually breastfeed their infants. Do mothers who breastfeed during hospitalization have limitations or no desire to continue versus mothers who breastfeed for the recommended six months or longer at home?

    Read More

  • Schizophrenia

    1568 Words  | 4 Pages

    Thomicroft, G., Brohan, E., Rose, D., Sartorius, N., & Leese, M. (2009). Global pattern of experienced and anticipated discrimination against people with schizophrenia: A cross-sectional survey. The Lancet, 373(9661), 408-415. Retrieved June 14, 2010, from

    Read More

  • Schizophrenia

    958 Words  | 2 Pages

    According to Reynolds, Illnesses like schizophrenia bring unthinkable misery to sufferers and their families. Unlike other illnesses, it marks not only afflicted individuals, but also their relatives (96).

    Read More

  • Schizophrenia

    1300 Words  | 3 Pages

    Schizophrenia not only has an effect on the person with the disorder but also their relationships with the people surrounding them. Schizophrenics often disengage and separate themselves, therefore, developing paranoia and forming hardships within their relationships. Their paranoia prompts them to make strange and apprehensive ideas concerning their friends or family. The common signs and symptoms they have are delusional thoughts, anger, habit to quarrel, and interacting with others with aggressive behavior. Schizophrenics blame everyone around him...

    Read More

  • Schizophrenia

    1406 Words  | 3 Pages

    Disorganized Speech is a disorder of thought content. A person forms a group of words and communicative sounds but is unable to speak effectively for people to understand. Some people may form new words that is not real or found in the dictionary. It’s just a word that seems important to them which can confuse others.

    Read More

More about The Use of Symbols in Adrienne Rich's Poem, Aunt Jennifer's Tigers

Open Document