Poem 5 – Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers from Class 12 Flamingo, in both English and Hindi.

🐯 Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers – Adrienne Rich

Poetry – Flamingo (Class 12 English)

✔️ SUMMARY (English)

“Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers” describes a woman, Aunt Jennifer, who expresses her suppressed desires through her art. She embroiders tigers that are fearless, bright, proud, and confident. In contrast, Aunt Jennifer herself is weak, oppressed, and burdened by the hardships of marriage, symbolized by the heavy wedding ring that weighs down her fingers.
Even after her death, her life will be remembered by the difficulties she faced, but the tigers she created will continue to leap proudly, representing freedom and power—qualities she never had.

✔️ SUMMARY (Hindi)

“ऑन्ट जेनिफर’स टाइगर्स” कविता में कवयित्री एड्रिन रिच बताती हैं कि ऑन्ट जेनिफर अपने मन की इच्छाएँ और सपने कढ़ाई में बनाए गए बाघों के रूप में व्यक्त करती हैं। ये बाघ निडर, तेजस्वी और आत्मविश्वासी हैं। इसके विपरीत, ऑन्ट जेनिफर स्वयं कमजोर, भयभीत और शादी के बंधन (wedding ring) के बोझ तले दबी हुई हैं।
उनकी मृत्यु के बाद भी, लोग उनके कठिन जीवन को याद करेंगे, लेकिन उनकी कढ़ाई में बने बाघ स्वतंत्र और गर्व से उछलते रहेंगे—जो उन शक्तियों का प्रतीक हैं जो उनके पास कभी नहीं थीं।

✔️ ANALYSIS (English)

The poem contrasts freedom (tigers) with oppression (Aunt Jennifer).
Tigers → symbol of courage, vibrancy, and independence.
Aunt Jennifer → symbol of patriarchal oppression and female suffering.
The wedding ring represents the pressure and responsibilities forced on women in marriage.
Her art becomes an escape from a harsh life.
After death, her suffering will still be remembered, but her creations will live on as symbols of what she desired: freedom and power.
The poem uses symbolism, contrast, imagery, and feminist ideology.

✔️ विश्लेषण (Hindi)

कविता में स्वतंत्रता (बाघ) और दमन (ऑन्ट जेनिफर) के बीच स्पष्ट विरोध दिखाया गया है।
बाघ → साहस, शक्ति और आज़ादी के प्रतीक।
ऑन्ट जेनिफर → पितृसत्तात्मक समाज में पीड़ित स्त्री का प्रतीक।
विवाह की अंगूठी → दांपत्य जीवन का बोझ, सामाजिक दबाव और स्त्री पर थोपे गए कर्तव्य।
कला (कढ़ाई) → वह माध्यम है जिससे जेनिफर अपने मन की छिपी इच्छाएँ व्यक्त करती हैं।
मृत्यु के बाद भी उनका जीवन संघर्षपूर्ण दिखाई देगा, लेकिन उनके बनाए बाघ हमेशा स्वतंत्र रहेंगे।
कविता में प्रतीकवाद, विरोधाभास, चित्रात्मकता और नारीवादी दृष्टिकोण प्रमुख हैं।

🌟 IMPORTANT KEY POINTS

English

Poet: Adrienne Rich
Theme: Feminism, oppression vs freedom
Tigers represent: courage, power, independence
Aunt Jennifer represents: oppressed woman in patriarchal society
Wedding ring: burden of marriage
Contrast: Aunt Jennifer’s fear vs Tigers’ confidence
Tone: Sympathetic, critical of patriarchy

Hindi

कवयित्री: एड्रिन रिच
मुख्य विषय: नारीवाद, दमन बनाम स्वतंत्रता
बाघ प्रतीक: शक्ति, निडरता, स्वतंत्रता
ऑन्ट जेनिफर: दबी-कुचली, भयभीत स्त्री
विवाह की अंगूठी: शादी का बोझ
विरोधाभास: जेनिफर की कमजोरी और बाघों की ताकत
कविता का स्वर: सहानुभूतिपूर्ण, समाज की आलोचना

🎯 CENTRAL IDEA (English)

The poem highlights how women in a patriarchal society suffer under marital pressures. Aunt Jennifer is weak and dominated, but the tigers she creates symbolize the freedom and courage she longs for. Her art lives on, expressing her inner desire for independence.

🎯 केंद्रीय विचार (Hindi)

कविता का मुख्य उद्देश्य यह दिखाना है कि पितृसत्तात्मक समाज में स्त्रियाँ विवाह के बोझ और दबाव में अपना अस्तित्व खो देती हैं। ऑन्ट जेनिफर भले ही कमजोर और डर से भरी हों, लेकिन उनकी कढ़ाई के बाघ उनका सपना दिखाते हैं—शक्ति, साहस और स्वतंत्रता की आकांक्षा।

📘 20 MCQs | Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers

1. Who is the poet of “Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers”?

A. Sylvia Plath
B. Adrienne Rich
C. Emily Dickinson
D. Kamala Das
Answer: B. Adrienne Rich

2. What does Aunt Jennifer create in her needlework?

A. Birds
B. Flowers
C. Tigers
D. Horses
Answer: C. Tigers

3. How are Aunt Jennifer’s tigers described?

A. Timid and shy
B. Angry and violent
C. Proud and fearless
D. Slow and weak
Answer: C. Proud and fearless

4. What do the tigers symbolize?

A. Wealth
B. Oppression
C. Freedom and courage
D. Marriage
Answer: C. Freedom and courage

5. What does the wedding ring symbolize in the poem?

A. Beauty
B. Commitment
C. Burden and oppression
D. Happiness
Answer: C. Burden and oppression

6. Why do Aunt Jennifer’s fingers flutter?

A. She is excited
B. She is old and weak
C. She is tired
D. She fears her husband
Answer: B. She is old and weak

7. What quality of the tigers contrasts with Aunt Jennifer’s personality?

A. Laziness
B. Confidence and freedom
C. Sadness
D. Silence
Answer: B. Confidence and freedom

8. What is the main theme of the poem?

A. Patriotism
B. Modernism
C. Feminism and oppression
D. Romantic love
Answer: C. Feminism and oppression

9. What is Aunt Jennifer doing in the poem?

A. Painting
B. Singing
C. Embroidering tigers
D. Sewing clothes
Answer: C. Embroidering tigers

10. “The massive weight of Uncle’s wedding band” refers to—

A. Heavy gold ring
B. Burden of marriage
C. Wealth of Uncle
D. Size of ring
Answer: B. Burden of marriage

11. How will Aunt Jennifer be remembered after her death?

A. As strong
B. As joyful
C. By her difficulties and fears
D. As courageous
Answer: C. By her difficulties and fears

12. What do the tigers do in the forest?

A. Sleep
B. Run and hunt
C. Prance and stride
D. Hide behind trees
Answer: C. Prance and stride

13. Which poetic device is used to describe the prancing tigers?

A. Irony
B. Alliteration
C. Metaphor
D. Imagery
Answer: D. Imagery

14. What does Aunt Jennifer struggle with while embroidering?

A. Lack of thread
B. Pain in fingers
C. Weight of the wedding ring
D. Bright sunlight
Answer: C. Weight of the wedding ring

15. What is the tone of the poem towards Aunt Jennifer?

A. Mocking
B. Sympathetic
C. Angry
D. Indifferent
Answer: B. Sympathetic

16. The tigers “do not fear the men beneath the tree.” This shows—

A. The tigers are domesticated
B. The tigers are terrified
C. The tigers are fearless
D. Men are hiding
Answer: C. The tigers are fearless

17. What contrast is highlighted in the poem?

A. Nature vs technology
B. Strength of men vs women
C. Aunt’s weakness vs tigers’ strength
D. Beauty vs ugliness
Answer: C. Aunt’s weakness vs tigers’ strength