Who was Aunt Jennifer?: Analysis of Aunt Jennifer´s Tigers by Adrienne Rich

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Recommended: Adrienne rich’s “aunt jennifer’s tigers, analysis

The poem “Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers” by Adrienne Rich is about a married woman who is portrayed through her creations. She knits tigers to show the type of person she truly longs to be; vigorous, free, and valiant- all the characteristics that women aren’t allowed to be. Aunt Jennifer knows that even when she passes away her art would live on and it will show who she’s always been, thus creating a theme of immortality throughout the poem.

“Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers” is made up of three stanzas with four lines each. The rhyme scheme of the poem is: AABB CCDD EEFF. For example, the third stanza:

When Aunt is dead, her terrified hands will lie (E)

Still ringed with ordeals she was mastered by. (E)

The tigers in the panel that she made (F)

Will go on prancing, proud and unafraid. (9-12) (F)

Rich uses a continuous rhyme pattern at the end of each line which can be seen in the above referenced stanza. The words “lie”, “by”, “made” and “unafraid” channel the rhythm for the duration of the stanza; this technique that Rich uses is known as end rhyme. Also, it can be seen in

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the poem that it is written in iambic pentameter such as in line ten. “The tigers in the panel that she

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made” All of these techniques mentioned make up the technical matters of the poem.

The first two lines of the poem read, “Aunt Jennifer’s tigers prance across a screen/ Bright topaz denizens of a world of green.” (1-2) By using the word “prance” in the first line, Rich makes it seem as though the tigers aren’t particularly dangerous instead...

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...n the same, carefree and fearless. Although the stanza started off rough, it ended softly by the way the tigers in the panel are described.

It is clear that aunt Jennifer was not the type of woman that spoke her mind and did as she wanted, she was constricted not only through her marriage but also by society and it’s opinions of the roles of women. Aunt Jennifer longed to be a strong, independent woman who didn’t fear men just like her tigers. Because she was never able to be the strong woman she wanted to be in her life she decided to create a way that would be eternal, hence the fearless tigers. No one would be able to destroy her brave soul then, not even her husband.

Works Cited

Rich, Adrienne. “Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers.” Literature: Reading, Reacting, Writing. Ed. Laurie G. Kirszner and Stephen R. Mandell. 7th ed. Boston: Wadsworth, 2010. 853-854.

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