Aunt Jennifer's Tigers

Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers

The poem “Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers” by Adrienne Rich was a good poem about a woman who was locked in a relationship because of abuse and controlling. The woman, Aunt Jennifer, makes tapestries that she sews by hand. Her tapestries are mostly of tigers, pacing back and forth in the scene. The pacing of the tigers show that they are agitated, and most likely waiting to pounce. The tigers are decribed as something that does “not fear the men beneath the tree…” Which as we know is something that she wishes she could not be afraid of. Aunt Jennifer is married to uncle and we know that she is unhappy in the relationship because “…the massive weight of Uncle’s wedding band/ sits heavily upon Aunt Jennifer’s hand.” Which shows that the weight of their relationship is always right there and that she is always reminded of it. We also know that she is unhappy in her relationship because it says “when Aunt is dead, her terrified hand will lie/ still ringed with ordeals she was mastered by” meaning that obviously she was scared because it says “terrified hands” and that she will never get out of this relationship unless she dies. The nephew or niece is brought some comfort from the fact that her tigers “will go on prancing, proud and unafraid” meaning that when she dies, her soul will live on and she will finally be free. Personally I liked the poem and I liked the fact that the form really reflected how Aunt Jennifer was controlled and mastered by her husband.