Adrienne Rich's "Aunt Jennifer's Tigers": themes of immortality and suffering

1 4 Poem Critique This short report is a review and summary of Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers by Adrienne Rich. Some poetry and other literature is quite obvious in terms of its message and goal. With other works of poetry and literature, there is a more hidden message. The latter is certainly the case with the work of Ms. Rich. This sub-context comes in two parts. One is a story of immortality while the other is a story of suffering, albeit finite in length. The two primary themes of the poem are illuminated when one looks at the word choice and context of the poem. To take the verbiage completely literally would be a mistake. However, the message rendered is no less profound. While some people might miss one or both of the main themes of the poem, they are in quite clear view for those that simply pay attention to what is being said and how it is being said. Analysis In the first paragraph of the poem, the author’s use of diction clearly introduces animals, that being some tigers. However, it becomes clear by the end of that first paragraph that the author of the poem is not talking about real tigers. Instead, the author is speaking of a work of art. Indeed, the woman that is the subject the poem has made art that is full of wool and stitches. This is laid bare by the use of the word “screen”. More clues come later on in the work. However, the first paragraph starts off in a very literal fashion. Other than the use of the word “screen”, the tigers are spoken of as if they are very real and genuine. However, there is one less obvious clue that the poem is not talking about real tigers. The portion where it says “they do not fear the men beneath the tree” would not make sense if the tigers were real. As noted above, there are more clues in the following paragraphs that drive this point home. Until these further clues are revealed and discussed in the poem, the first paragraph might be confusing on its own. However, that first paragraph makes complete sense once the context of all three paragraphs are fused together (“Norton Introduction”). The author of the poem expands on the first paragraph in the second paragraph. In this paragraph, it becomes quite clearer what “screen” was referring to. It refers to stitching and needlework that is done by the aunt discussed in the poem. Concurrent to that, the second theme starts to be revealed. There is reference to the wedding band that is on the aunt’s finger. Of course, that ring would be from the uncle of the author. The weight and pressure of the ring is obviously not literal, as wedding bands are not heavy at all. Instead, there is the use of a metaphor. The presumption that is easy to see is that the aunt is in a marriage that is a slow hell. She is apparently trapped and feels she is unable to escape. This is an example of the author expanding her portrayal of the ideas that were started in the first paragraph. There is an expansion and furthering of what was started in that first paragraph with the tigers/stitching. As just noted, the hellish marriage of the aunt is introduced. The author drives home the point she is trying to make through the use of the word “weight” when it comes to the wedding band (“Norton Introduction”). The third paragraph is a continuance of the first two. However, there is a sharp change in direction. It is clearly revealed that the aunt has passed away. The author furthers this event and idea by noting that the signs and weathering of her body and mind most definitely happened. However, that time is over. The latter half of that third paragraph comes back to the tigers and how they will continue to “prance” and that they will remain “proud and unafraid”. Those last two sentences are very important in that one can quite easily infer that the aunt is free from her suffering. There is also the idea that her screen of knit tigers will give her a modicum of immortality and enduring remembrance in the minds of those that knew her. The author drives this home as a potential perspective in that the author is ostensibly someone that sees her aunt suffering and knows what is going on with her life and marriage. It is driven home even more when it is discussed that the tigers will continue to “play” despite the death of the aunt running its course. There is also some pretty obvious lamenting on the part of the author about how her aunt was seemingly trapped and unwilling/unable to leave. Of course, a lot of these details are left to the imagination. This is where some variance and differences will come based on who is perceiving the poem and the backstory or history that they have. Indeed, the message of the suffering aunt with the shoddy husband will surely resonate quite deeply with anyone that has been exposed to marital or other domestic abuse. Similarly, the verbiage about the tigers will ring a bell with those that are of the artistic persuasion. They will commonly understand that the art is a bit of a legacy and a way to be immortal (“Norton Introduction”). Conclusion The basic messages of the Rich poem may manifest a little differently with different people. This is to be expected to some degree. Indeed, everyone has different histories. These histories will come with their own level of success and failure. They will come with their own level of love and abuse. There will be varying perspective on things like marriage, divorce, abuse and art. Even so, the overall message from Ms. Rich is quite clear. The reaction to that message and the themes in the poem will surely vary. However, what Ms. Rich is trying to say is fairly unmistakable. This poem is a clear-cut example of how people choose to live their lives. It is about the choices they make and the passions that they revere. Beyond that, the poem is emblematic of the fact that no one lives in a vacuum. Indeed, if the poem was auto-biographical, that would clearly point to the fact that the niece in question (presumably Ms. Rich) herself suffered and worried about her aunt. This is yet another detail that cannot be ignored. Works Cited The Norton Introduction to Literature. 12th edition. Kelly J. Mays copyright 2016. Publisher W.W Norton & Company, Inc. Page 951-952