Argumentative Essay about Adrienne Rich’s Aunt Jennifer’s Tiger Poem

Argumentative Essay about Adrienne Rich’s Aunt Jennifer’s Tiger Poem

Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers narrates about an ill-treated woman who resolves to venture into ornamentation and sewing as an escape route from an abusive relationship. This poem, which can be categorized as formal rhyming verse, is an early example of works that were written by Adrienne Rich. The author, who died in 2012, was a poet, instructor, apolitical activist, and advocate for women’s rights. The author attempts to highlight the role of women in communities by raising a red flag against the conduct of men, who utilize abusive language against female counterparts for social and political gain. Information concerning the poem is essential to understand its meaning and its significance in addressing gender discrimination in society.

The speaker narrates about the tigers, which Aunt Jennifer composes using colored threads on heavy cloth. In the green jungle, the tigers appear as bright yellow and as valuable as precious stones (Rich). These colors portray Aunt Jennifer’s dream of achieving a happy life through her needlework. The poet notes that the tigers do not care for men resting beneath a tree. Instead, the animals move forward to their target boldly and smoothly (Mays). The woman finds it challenging to formulate images using the ivory needle, as she feels exhausted from performing household work after becoming married ( Rich). Consequently, Jennifer’s marital status prevents her from engaging in artistic work; she is forced to sew during her free time.

Aunty Jennifer’s hands are terrified while sewing the clothes because she keeps watching whether her husband is watching her activities. The protagonist acknowledges that she will only be relieved off her fears when she finally dies because the husband dominates her. However, Jennifer is glad that her art will demonstrate her desire to move proudly and fearlessly after demise, similar to the tigers she creates in her work (Rich). The hands of the main character are also terrified because of the hefty burden she bears when conducting household chores. These works press her hands considerably and subject them to severe trials (Mays). This fact underscores the reality that the hubby dominates Jennifer, leading the latter to live in fear. For example, the poet mentions words and phrases, such as “Fingers fluttering” (Rich 5) “ordeals “and “mastered” (Rich 10), “hard to pull” ( Rich 6)” to show readers that the woman is terrified.

Furthermore, the speaker says, “The massive weight of Uncle’s wedding band /Sits heavily upon Aunt Jennifer’s hand” (Rich 7) to show that the husband owns Jennifer as one of his property. Similarly, words such as “massive” (Rich 7) and “heavily” (Rich 8) emphasize the hard life Jennifer endures to satisfy the needs and commands of her husband (Rich). The wedding ring entangles the woman in the marriage like an animal and makes her enslaved to her spouse.

Therefore, Jennifer expresses a desire to emulate the tiger, which is free from intimidation and free from a fearful life. Unlike the animal, which tigers courageous and fierce, Aunt Jennifer is quiet and cowardly (Mays). Consequently, Jennifer is unable to pursue her artistic ambitions and become an accomplished designer due to relationship issues. However, she has misused her abilities because of cowardice, which prevents Jennifer from establishing an established pattern of life. Since the woman is strained by excessive household work, she chooses to accept her current situation to please her husband by living an underwhelming and subdued life.

Poetic Elements in the Poem

The speaker applies many poetic elements in the lyric, as among the alliteration, rhyme in couplets, and end rhymes. For example, the poet uses alliteration in the line, “Aunt Jennifer’s fingers fluttering through her wool”(Rich 5) to bring about the theme of the verse. Both words in the phrase “finger fluttering,” starting with an “f,” which makes the text enjoyable too when reading it aloud. The repetitive consonant letter allows the verse to appear spirited and shows a continuation of the mood from the first set of lines.

Moreover, the author uses rhyme when saying, “Aunt Jennifer’s tigers prance across a screen, / bright topaz denizens of a world of green” (Rich 1-2). Words such as “screen” and “green” found in the two lines, which have a similar sound “ee,” which contributes to the musicality of the poem. Besides, the poem has many examples of end rhymes, which continues throughout the piece. For example, the poetic element occurs at the end of lines 1-4. The ending words at the intersection of each line, as among them, screen, green, tree, and certainty, have a similar sound effect. Thus, these end rhymes add a pleasant effect to the poem and show a continuation of the melody across the first stanza. Finally, the poem contains couplets, which are depicted when the poet says, “They do not fear the men beneath the tree / they pace in sleek chivalric certainty” (Rich 3-4). This element of poetry, which is found across the entire verse, creates a playful rhythm that reverberates the theme of the speaker.

Stanza Analysis

In the first stanza, the reader identifies the use of imagery, such as symbolism, in describing the lifestyle of the main character. For example, the poet says that the woman creates topaz-colored tigers. Additionally, the poet notes that these tigers reside in a green universe in which their swift moves demonstrate their courage (Pratt 165). The use of the word “green” in this context shows the season of spring and reincarnation. Additionally, the word “Chivalric” denotes an ancient term meaning courteous treatment, mainly of women by their male counterparts.

In stanza 2, the speaker addresses the hands of the protagonist using metaphoric words such as “fingers fluttering,” and ” Uncle’s wedding band” Rich ( 5-7) to reinforce the idea that the protagonist is discontent with married life, which is challenging, although it allows her absolute freedom (Rich). A significant contrast exists between stanzas one and two; the former has a vibrant and consistent tone, while the latter utilizes an uncertain sound that emphasizes gloomy and challenging tasks.

In stanza 3, the verse concentrates on the future possibility of the protagonist. The poet focuses on the hands and uses extreme language, like “dead,” terrified,” “ringed ordeals,” and “mastered” (Rich 9-12) to expose the negative side of Jennifer’s life (Pratt 165). The ordeal implies the awful life experienced by this woman, who is oppressed by her domineering husband. The workhorses of the submissive homemaker are depicted in her hand, even in death. Nonetheless, the prancing and free-spirited tigers offer a redeeming feature in her life and give hope to those who achieve happiness in relationships.