Class 12 English Flamingo Aunt Jennifer’s tigers (Adrienne Rich)

 

NCERT Solutions For Class 12 English

Flamingo

Aunt Jennifer’s tigers (Adrienne Rich)

 

CONTENTS

Ø Theme

Ø Summary

Ø Stanza

Ø Question Answers

Ø Word Meaning

 

THEME

Adrienne Rich's poem 'Aunt Jennifer's Tigers' explores the topic of male supremacy. The poem depicts the conflicts that a woman faces in a male-dominated culture. Aunt Jennifer represents all women around the world who face persecution in male-dominated societies. The poem compared Aunt Jennifer to the daring tigers she had created on a panel. Thus, this poem demonstrates that women's lives should be courageous, like tigers.

SUMMARY

The poet conveys the inner emotions of Aunt Jennifer, a woman who is engaged in embroidering a motif featuring lively and fearless tigers gracefully navigating vibrant green surroundings. Despite living a submissive life under her husband's control, Aunt Jennifer's artistic creation reveals her inner yearning for a life of freedom and fearlessness. The tigers she stitches exude grace, elegance, and brightness.

Aunt Jennifer's hands quiver as she works on her embroidery. Despite her age, the fear of her husband remains constant. She lacks the freedom to pursue her desires and even feels apprehensive about her embroidery, dreading potential repercussions from her husband. Since her marriage, she has dutifully fulfilled her husband's demands, and the wedding ring on her finger serves as a perpetual reminder of her marital bondage. The strain of this demanding marriage has left her depleted, and the torment persists until her death.

Even in death, the ring remains on her hand, ensuring she never attains freedom. Conversely, the tigers she embroiders continue to move freely forever. Through her artistic creation, Aunt Jennifer's aspirations for freedom and fearlessness persist, transcending her own mortal constraints.

STANZA

Read the stanzas given below and answer the questions that follow each:

1. Aunt Jennifer’s tigers prance across a screen,
Bright topaz denizens of a world of green.
They do not fear the men beneath the tree:
They pace in sleek chivalric certainty.

Questions:

 

 (a) Identify the poem and poet behind these lines.

(b) What do Aunt Jennifer's tigers do? What do they look like?

(c) Where do they live? Are they fearless? Provide an example.

(d) How do they pace?

 

Answers:

 

(a) The poem is titled Aunt Jennifer's Tigers. The poet's name is Adrienne Rich.

(b) They jump across a screen or a wall. They resemble dazzling yellow topaz.

(c) They reside in green forests. They're fearless. They had no fear of the men under the tree.

(d) They proceed with a well-groomed and honorable confidence.

 

2. Aunt Jennifer’s fingers fluttering through her wool Find even the ivory needle hard to pull.
The massive weight of Uncle’s wedding band
Sits heavily upon Aunt Jennifer’s hand.

 

Questions:

 

(a) What did Aunt Jennifer's fingers flutter through?

(b)How did she pull the needle?

(c)What lay heavily? Where?

(d)What was on Aunt Jennifer's hand? How did it sit there?

 

Answers:

 

(a) Aunt Jennifer's fingers fluttered through her wool.

(a) Even the ivory needle proved difficult to pull.

(c) Uncle's wedding band was resting heavily on her hand.

(d) Uncle's wedding band was on Aunt Jennifer's hand. It sat heavily there.

 

3. When Aunt is dead, her terrified hands will lie
Still ringed with ordeals she was mastered by.
The tigers in the panel that she made
Will go on prancing, proud and unafraid.

 

Question

 

(a): Why are Aunt Jennifer's hands referred to as 'terrified'?

(a) What ring do they still wear?

 

(c) Where did she make those tigers?

(b) What will happen to her tigers when she dies?

 

Answer:

 

(a) Her hands are referred to as afraid due to their difficult and terrible experiences in marriage.

(a) They are still encrusted with the severe and testing challenges that she faced throughout her life.

(c) She created the tigers on the panel.

(d) Even after she dies, her tigers will continue to jump ahead, proud and brave.

 

QUESTION ANSWERS

Q1. How do ‘denizens’ and ‘chivalric’ add to our understanding of the tiger’s attitudes?
Ans: Tigers, like all other predatory animals, live in forests. They reside distant from human settlements. They are known as 'chivalric.' This shows their stately and dignified place in the animal kingdom. So, the adjectives 'denizens' and 'chivalric' help us grasp the tiger's sentiments.

Q2. Why do you think Aunt Jennifer’s hands are ‘fluttering through her wool’ in the second stanza? Why is she finding the needle so hard to pull?
Ans: Aunt Jennifer is weaving tigers over the panel. Her hands are moving around her wool. She finds it difficult to withdraw the needle. The weight of years of marriage rests heavily on her hand. This makes tugging the neddle particularly difficult.

Q3. What is suggested by the image ‘massive weight of uncle’s wedding band’?
Ans It conveys the weight of Aunt Jennifer's harsh and difficult marital life. The image is really evocative. The wedding band is symbolic. It symbolises the unshakable connection of marriage between husband and wife.

Q4. Of what or whom is Aunt Jennifer terrified in the third stanza?
Ans: In the third verse, the poet mentions Aunt Jennifer's 'terrified hands'. Her mind is still filled with terrible recollections from the past. Throughout her marriage, she had faced numerous trials and tribulations. These ordeals devastated and silenced her. Their effect is still obvious. As a result, the events that dominated her life continue to haunt her.

Q5. What are the ‘ordeals’ Aunt Jennifer is surrounded by? Why is it significant that the” poet uses the word ‘ringed”! What are the different meanings of ‘ringed’ in the poem?
AnsThe poem explores the experiences of marriage in the face of constraints. The term 'ringed' is noteworthy. It implies that the terrible grip of her miserable marriage is still gripping her tight. The term 'ringed' has been used in two ways. The traditional use comes first. The ring symbolises the holy connection of marriage. The other is the figurative meaning of 'ringed'. It signifies encompassed or enclosed.

Q6. Why do you think Aunt Jennifer created animals that are so different from her own character? What might the poet be suggesting, through this difference?
Ans: The tigers are 'prancing'. They move with'sleek chivalric assurance'. They 'do not fear' the men under the tree. As a result, they are emblems of power, bravery, and beauty. Aunt Jennifer, on the other hand, is vulnerable and afraid. Her hands are having difficulty pulling through her wool. The heavy weight of the wedding band rests heavily on her palm. Her scared hands are still ringing from the trials of wedded life. The contrast increases the intensity.

Q7. Interpret the symbols found in this poem.
Ans: Adrienne Rich's 'Aunt Jennifer's Tigers' is full of meaning. 'The heavy weight of wedding band' represents the trials, tribulations, and fears of married life. 'Terrified hands' and 'ringed with ordeals' also refer to the horrible experiences that Aunt Jennifer is still carrying with her both physically and mentally.

Q8. Do you sympathise with Aunt Jennifer? What is the attitude of the speaker towards Aunt Jennifer?
Ans: Yes, we sympathise with Aunt Jennifer. Throughout her marriage, she has faced a number of difficulties and trials. The speaker's attitude towards Aunt Jennifer is equally compassionate. The poet uses many provocative pictures and symbols to describe an elderly lady who has endured painful events as well as unpleasant and terrifying occasions during her marriage.

Q9. How did Aunt Jennifer bring her tigers into existence, and what characteristics do they reveal?

Ans: Aunt Jennifer's tigers are products of her own creativity. She crafts them using wool and ivory needles, skillfully bringing them to life on a panel. These tigers embody the traits of formidable predators found in lush green forests. They exhibit a robust and well-groomed appearance, radiating both chivalry and confidence.

Q10. What challenge does Aunt Jennifer encounter while crafting her tigers, and what is the reason for this difficulty?

Ans: Aunt Jennifer faces difficulty while creating her tigers in the panels using ivory needles. Maneuvering the wool with these needles proves to be challenging for her, as her fingers struggle to pull them easily. This difficulty is attributed to the weight of unhappy and unfortunate experiences from her married life, which burdens her hands.

Q11. What is the burden that heavily weighs on Aunt Jennifer's hands, and how is it linked to her husband?

Ans: Aunt Jennifer works with ivory needles and wool, yet she finds it challenging to move her fingers freely. The weight she feels is symbolic of the bitter experiences from her past married life, particularly the unpleasant memories associated with her husband. The heaviness on her hands is metaphorically represented by the weight of the wedding band, signifying the hardships she endured.

Q12. How will Aunt Jennifer's hands appear after her death?

Ans: After Aunt Jennifer's demise, her hands will still bear the mark of terror. The difficulties and troubles she faced in her past, especially in her married life, have left a lasting impact on her hands. The ordeals that crushed her married life have imprinted on her fingers and hands, reflecting a sense of fear and captivity.

Q13. What will happen to Aunt Jennifer's tigers when she passes away?

Ans: Aunt Jennifer's tigers will outlive her. Crafted in a panel with wool, these artistic creations will endure beyond their creator's lifespan. The tigers will persist in their proud and fearless existence, leaping as if frozen in time.

Q14. Analyze the poetic devices employed in the poem "Aunt Jennifer's Tigers."

Ans: Adrienne Rich's "Aunt Jennifer's Tigers" employs various poetic devices. The metaphor "bright topaz" vividly describes the shining yellow complexion of the tigers. Alliteration is effectively used in phrases like "sleek, chivalric certainty" to portray the tigers' pace. The image of the "massive weight of wedding band" serves as a symbol for Aunt Jennifer's marital hardships. Poetic devices such as "terrified hands" and "ringed with ordeal" create a powerful impact, conveying a sense of oppression, terror, and captivity.

Q15. In what ways do Aunt Jennifer's tigers differ from Aunt Jennifer herself?

Ans: Aunt Jennifer's tigers embody strength, beauty, and certainty, portrayed as confidently leaping across a screen. In contrast, Aunt Jennifer is depicted as a weak, depressed, and terrified individual. Her life has been marked by hardships and suffering during her married life. The tigers symbolize freedom and confidence, standing in stark contrast to Aunt Jennifer's struggle and oppression. Her fingers, described as "terrified," emphasize the ongoing impact of her past ordeals.

Q16. What were the difficulties that Aunt Jennifer faced in her life?

Ans: Aunt Jennifer's life was burdened with the responsibilities of her married life, marked by hardships and sufferings. She faced oppression from her husband, even in her old age. The duties and challenges of her marital life weighed heavily on her, contributing to her sense of struggle and fear.

 

WORD MEANING

Chivalric: being courteous esp. to women, an act of a gentleman.

Denizens: here, an animal that lives or is found in a particular place.

Fluttering: to move in quick, irregular motions as if being agitated.

Ordeals: extremely severe tests or experiences.

Prance: walk or move around with high springy steps.

Prancing: to move around proudly.

Sleek: elegant.

Topaz: a bright yellow coloured stone.