NCERT Solutions For Class 12 English Poetry – Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers

NCERT Solutions For Class 12 English Poetry – Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers, we have covered all the chapter questions. This solution will prove beneficial for students who are preparing for the board and other competitive examinations along with the board exam.All the concepts of programming have been made quite accurate and authentic in this whole solution which will help you to make notes and also increase your interest in financial. Class 12 English Solution Notes is based on the CBSE Class 12 syllabus, which will also prove useful in the board exams and competitive exams.

The English class 12 ncert Text Book solution is designed keeping in mind the need of Hindi learners, with the adjustment of current important subjects, which gives you full notes, which you can get good marks in the upcoming examinations by studying.

NCERT Solutions For Class 12 English Poetry – A Thing Of Beauty

All the English solutions Class 12 have been prepared by our top subject experts who are completely authentic. All PDF solutions provided by www.studyit.in and we have solved all types of questions 1 mark, short questions and long questions and provide the solutions given below.

Extract Based Questions

I. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.

“Aunt Jennifer’s tigers prance across a screen,
Bright topaz denizens of a world of green.
They do not fear the men beneath the tree;
They pace in sleek chivalric certainty.”

Question 1:
How are Aunt Jennifer’s tigers described?
Answer:
Aunt Jennifer’s tigers have been described as golden yellow in colour. They are bold and fearless as they prance across a screen with confidence.

Question 2:
Why are they described as denizens of a world of green?
Answer:
They have been described as denizens of a world of green because they live in dense green forests.

Question 3:
Why are they not afraid of men?
Answer:
Aunt Jennifer’s tigers are a symbol of strength. They are not afraid of men because they are strong, bold and fearless.

Question 4:
Give the meaning of‘prance’.
Answer:
‘Prance’ means to move or jump over with large movements, in a joyous way.

II. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.

“Aunt Jennifer’s fingers fluttering through her wool
Find even the ivory needle hard to pull.
The massive weight of Uncle’s wedding band
Sits heavily upon Aunt Jennifer’s hands.”

Question 1:
Why are her fingers fluttering?
Answer:
Her fingers flutter because she is terrorized and traumatized by the constraints of her married life.

Question 2:
Why is the wedding band described as ‘massive? Why was it sitting heavily on her hand?
Answer:
Aunt Jennifer feels burdened by the weight of her marital responsibilities. She feels subjugated and is not able to express herself. The ‘massive’ wedding band exerts heavy pressure on her hands. It symbolizes her bondage. It ‘sits heartily’ on her hand, suggesting that she feels overburdened with her husband’s overpowering presence.

Question 3:
Why do you think Aunt Jennifer created images different from her character?
Answer:
Tigers are a symbol of strength. They are fearless and confident. Aunt Jennifer yearns for freedom , from a male dominated society. She wants to be free and fearless like the tigers in the forests, and therefore she creates images of the bright topaz tigers.

III. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.

“When Aunt is dead, her terrified hands will lie.
Still ringed with ordeals she was mastered by.
The tigers in the panel that she made
Will go on prancing, proud and unafraid.”

Question 1:
Who is the aunt mentioned here?
Answer:
The aunt mentioned here is Aunt Jennifer, the protagonist of Adrienne Rich’s poem ‘Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers’. She is a woman going through unpleasant experiences in her married life.

Question 2:
Why is she ‘ringed with ordeals?
Answer:
She is ‘ringed’ with ordeals because marriage has brought with it a host of family responsibilities by which she is ‘ringed’ or surrounded. She feels so burdened by her marital constraints that they seem like an ordeal to her.

Question 3:
What is the difference between her and the tigers?
Answer:
Aunt Jennifer is quite weak and submissive, whereas the tigers are strong, bold and powerful. She is bound by the constraints of her married life, while the tigers are free to move about in the green woods.

Question 4:
Why has Aunt Jennifer created the tigers so different from her own character?
Answer:
The tigers created by Aunt Jennifer are an expression of her desire to free herself from the constaints of her married life. She wants to be bold and fearless like her tigers.

Or

Question 1:
Why are Aunt Jennifer’s hands terrified?
Answer:
Aunt Jennifer’s hands reflect her terror due to the ordeals and hardships she has had to face in her marital life.

Question 2:
Why did she make the tigers?
Answer:
She has created tigers which are symbols of confidence and fearlessness because she wants to be like them. She wants to break away from the rules that have tethered her all her life.

Question 3:
What will happen to her tigers after her death?
Answer:
The tigers are eternal. They will keep on prancing even after her death. She probably wants to convey that the tigers i.e., men will still be fearless and the condition of women will not change.

Question 4:
How are the tigers different from her?
Answer:
Aunt Jennifer’s tigers provide a striking contrast to her. The old lady is weak and can’t move her terrified fingers without trembling. On the other hand, her tigers symbolise strength, speed and power.

Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1:
What is suggested by the phrase, ‘massive weight of Uncle’s weddinjg band?
What is suggested by the image, ‘massive weight of Uncle’s wedding band?
Answer:
The wedding band describes her marriage. It is ‘massive’ on her .hand because the weight of her marital responsibilities has burdened her so much that she feels subjugated and cannot express herself freely.

Question 2:
For Aunt Jennifer, what do the tigers symbolise?
Or
Why does Aunt Jennifer create animals that are so different from her own character?
Or
Why do you think Aunt Jennifer created animals that are so different from her own character?
What might the poet be suggesting, through this difference?
Answer:
Aunt Jennifer is creating tigers, which are a symbol of strength, fearlessness and confidence. These are the qualities that Aunt Jennifer lacks in herself. These tigers represent Aunt Jennifer’s suppressed desires to become bold and fearless, and free from oppression. The poet wants to suggest that women need to have these qualities to fight against their oppressors.

Question 3:
What will happen when Aunt Jennifer is dead?
Or
What will happen to Aunt Jennifer’s tigers when she is dead?
Answer:
The tigers created by Aunt Jennifer will keep on prancing even after her death, as she has created them on the tapestry. This means that art endures beyond human life. It also shows that her longing for freedom from male domination will endure forever, even after she dies.

Question 4:
How is Aunt Jennifer different from her tigers?
Or
How are Aunt Jennifer’s tigers different from her?
Answer:
Aunt Jennifer’s tigers are created by her on the tapestry. However, they present a sharp contrast to their creator. While Aunt is weak, meek and submissive and is scared of expressing her feelings openly, the tigers are strong, fearless and confident. They are bold creatures and are scared of none, not even of men.

Question 5:
What are the difficulties that Aunt Jennifer faced in her life?
Answer:
Aunt Jennifer was a victim of oppression at the hands of the patriarchal society. She was subjugated by her husband and the wedding band lay heavy on her hand. She was so terrified that her hands fluttered even when she carried something so light as knitting needles and wool.

Question 6:
How does Aunt Jennifer express her bitterness and anger against male dominance?
Answer:
Aunt Jennifer is too terrified to openly resist the oppression that she is a victim of. She expresses her bitterness and anger against male dominance silently through her art. She creates tigers on her tapestry; animals that are symbolic of bravery, fearlessness and strength. The tigers she creates are wild and free from any kind of bondage.

Question 7:
What is the weight that lies heavy on Aunt Jennifer’s hand? All India 2013; Foreign 2010
Answer:
The weight that lies heavy on Aunt Jennifer’s hand is the weight of Uncle’s wedding band, which
signifies her married life. Probably the weight of her married life has burdened her so much that she feels subjugated.

Question 8:
How do ‘denizens’ and ‘chivalric’ add to our understanding of the tigers’ attitudes?
Answer:
‘Denizens’ means occupants of a particular place and ‘Chivalric’ points to honour, bravery and fearlessness. The tigers occupy their territory after much struggle and are very possessive about it. They live on their own terms and fear none, as they regard themselves as superior in their domain.

Question 9:
Why do you think Aunt Jennifer’s hands are fluttering through her wool’in the second stanza? Why is she finding the needle so hard to pull?
Answer:
Her fingers are fluttering and she is finding the needle hard to pull because she is weak and feels afraid. She is traumatised by the ordeals of her marital life and a male dominated society.

Question 10:
Why did Aunt Jennifer choose to embroider tigers on the panel?
Answer:
Tigers represent strength and fearlessness. Aunt Jennifer is very oppressed. The burden of her marital life has traumatised her. She has an inner desire to be free from oppression and expresses this in her art.

Question 11:
Of what or of whom is Aunt Jennifer terrified with in the third stanza?
Answer:
Aunt Jennifer is terrified of her husband, who dominates her in her married life. She is the victim of exploitations at the hands of the male dominated society, particularly her own husband.

Question 12:
What are the ‘ordeals’ Aunt Jennifer is surrounded by? Why is it significant that the poet used the word’ringed? What are the meanings of the word ‘ringed’ in the poem?
Answer:
‘Ordeals’ refers to the oppression or painful experiences Aunt Jennifer has to face in a male dominated society. The poet uses the word ‘ringed’ in the context of the demands of society, which she is surrounded by. Throughout her life and maybe even after, she will be controlled by the society’s rules. ‘Ringed’ is also used here to mean ‘chained’ or ‘bonded’.

Question 13:
Interpret the symbols found in this poem.
Answer:
There are many symbols used in the poem. Tigers are a symbol of strength and fearlessness. They are
also symbolic of Aunt Jennifer’s inner desires to be free from oppression. ‘Ring’ is another symbol which represents bondage. ‘Wedding band’ is a symbol of oppression. ‘Aunt Jennifer’ herself is a symbol of women who are victimised.

Question 14:
Do you sympathise with Aunt Jennifer? What is the attitude of the speaker towards Aunt Jennifer?
Answer:
Yes, we do sympathise with Aunt Jennifer. Aunt Jennifer here represents those women who are victimised by the male dominated society. She feels oppressed and rules of society do not allow her to express herself freely. The poet herself is very critical of the treatment given to Aunt Jennifer. However, she wants women to fight for their rights, rather than being silent victims of oppression.

Question 15:
Describe the tigers created by Aunt Jennifer.
Answer:
Aunt Jennifer’s tigers are topaz-coloured. They are fearless and confident residents of dense green
forests. The tigers represent strength, bravery and fearlessness. Aunt Jennifer yearns to be bold and confident like them.

Question 16:
What does the title of the poem suggest to you? Are you reminded of other poems on tigers?
Answer:
The title of the poem suggests that it is about Aunt Jennifer’s knitted tigers which become an alternate world created by her to free herself from the burden of married life. She is expressing her fear and struggle in married life and her desire to be free through her knitting.
‘The Tiger’ by William Blake and ‘Tiger’ by Alec D Hope are some other famous poems.

Long Answer Type Questions

Question 1:
Explain the stark difference in the death of Aunt Jennifer and the tigers prancing.
Answer:
The tigers remain constant through the poem and only seem to become stronger as the poem ‘ progresses. However, it is Aunt Jennifer who in her death gradually fades away. She in her death gets defeated due to her unfulfilled desires. She perhaps accepts the bondage of domination as her fingers still remain ringed and she dies surrounded by the difficulties in her life. The tigers are the cherished world of freedom for her, prancing in pride, a world she is never able to enjoy. It gives us a practical look at the reality that Aunt Jennifer never wins and she accepts her defeat stoically as she conforms to the society she has lived in. She bears the weight of the ring, whether dead or alive, because she has already given up her freedom by getting married.

Question 2:
Analyse the symbols and poetic devices employed in the poem.
Answer:
Adrienne Rich has aptly used a number of images, symbols and poetic devices in the poem to convey the theme. The tigers symbolise the freedom of spirit which Aunt Jennifer dreams of attaining, but never achieves except in her dreams and art. Aunt Jennifer metaphorically represents the women as a whole, women who are victims of male superiority and domination. Tigers symbolise the true nature of a woman’s free soul that values strength and assertion.
There lies a metaphor in the implied comparison of the tigers to the bright topaz denizens where tigers are considered to be the inhabitants of the forests, the crafted grean world on the panel. The tigers are also attributed with the quality of chivalry in their confidence. The alliteration in ‘fingers fluttering’ evokes the sense of irony in the poem, as the fingers signify Jennifer’s physical feebleness. She therefore finds it difficult to pull the ivory needle. The alliteration ‘prancing proud’ signifies the everlasting strength of the tigers.

Value Based Question

Question 1:
In a predominantly male dominated society, women have always faced oppression from men.
What changes can be brought about in society for uplifting the position of women like Aunt Jennifer?
Answer:
The position of women like Aunt Jennifer can be uplifted in society by implementing the measures given below, as these are still lacking in society:

1. Education, particularly the girl child’s education, is still lagging behind, as girls are burdened with domestic duties at an early stage in life and also married at an early age.
2. Women are not given equal opportunities equal to men in life, whether it is upbringing, education or employment. Society should change so that women are treated equally to men.
3. Women should be empowered to take their own decisions in life. Aunt Jennifer is afraid of her husband because he dominates all parts of her life; she cannot take any decisions on her own. Thus, she expresses her suppressed desires through her knitting.

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NCERT English for Class 12 Solutions