Aunt Jennifer's Tigers Class 12 Questions and Answers
Below are detailed questions and answers based on Adrienne Rich's poem "Aunt Jennifer's Tigers." These questions cover themes, symbolism, poetic devices, and critical analysis.
1. Who is the poet of "Aunt Jennifer's Tigers"?
- Answer: Adrienne Rich
2. What do Aunt Jennifer’s tigers symbolize?
- Answer: The tigers symbolize freedom, courage, and fearlessness, in contrast to Aunt Jennifer's oppressed life.
3. What is Aunt Jennifer doing in the poem?
- Answer: Aunt Jennifer is embroidering tigers on a screen or tapestry.
4. How are the tigers described in the poem?
- Answer: The tigers are described as "bright topaz denizens of a world of green." They are fearless, confident, and free.
5. What does the phrase "massive weight of Uncle's wedding band" signify?
- Answer: It signifies the burden of marriage and patriarchal oppression that Aunt Jennifer has endured throughout her life.
6. What does the use of "topaz" signify in describing the tigers?
- Answer: The use of "topaz" highlights the tigers' beauty, brilliance, and their radiant, golden-yellow color.
7. What is the tone of the poem?
- Answer: The tone of the poem is melancholic and critical, reflecting Aunt Jennifer's struggle and lack of freedom.
8. What happens to Aunt Jennifer after her death according to the poem?
- Answer: Even after her death, Aunt Jennifer's hands will remain burdened by the "ordeals she was mastered by." However, her tigers will continue to prance, symbolizing eternal freedom.
9. What literary devices are used in the poem?
- Answer:
- Imagery: "Bright topaz denizens of a world of green."
- Symbolism: Tigers symbolize freedom; the wedding band symbolizes oppression.
- Alliteration: "Fingers fluttering."
- Imagery: "Bright topaz denizens of a world of green."
- Symbolism: Tigers symbolize freedom; the wedding band symbolizes oppression.
- Alliteration: "Fingers fluttering."
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10. How is Aunt Jennifer’s life contrasted with the tigers?
- Answer: Aunt Jennifer's life is marked by fear, submission, and oppression, while the tigers embody confidence, fearlessness, and independence.
11. What does the poet criticize in the poem?
- Answer: The poet criticizes the patriarchal society that suppresses women and denies them freedom and individuality.
12. What is the central theme of the poem?
- Answer: The central theme is the oppression of women in patriarchal societies and their yearning for freedom and self-expression.
13. Why do Aunt Jennifer’s "fingers flutter"?
- Answer: Aunt Jennifer's fingers flutter due to old age, fear, and the weight of her life’s burdens.
14. What does the wedding ring symbolize in the poem?
- Answer: The wedding ring symbolizes the oppressive institution of marriage and the control exerted over Aunt Jennifer.
15. Why will Aunt Jennifer’s tigers "prance" forever?
- Answer: The tigers will "prance" forever as a symbol of eternal freedom and the indomitable spirit of creativity, unaffected by Aunt Jennifer's struggles.
16. How does the poet portray gender inequality in the poem?
- Answer: The poet portrays gender inequality through Aunt Jennifer’s restricted life, contrasted with the freedom and courage of her embroidered tigers.
17. What is the form of the poem?
- Answer: The poem is written in three quatrains with a regular rhyme scheme (aabb).
18. What is the significance of embroidery in the poem?
- Answer: Embroidery is Aunt Jennifer’s form of self-expression and an escape from her oppressive life.
19. How does the poet emphasize the plight of Aunt Jennifer?
- Answer: The poet emphasizes Aunt Jennifer’s plight through imagery, symbolism, and the contrast between her constrained life and the bold tigers she creates.
20. What message does the poet convey through the poem?
- Answer: The poet conveys that women often endure oppression silently, but their creative expressions and dreams of freedom can outlive them.
