Question

Describe the poetic devices used in the poem Aunt Jennifer's Tigers.

Answer 1

Hint: A figure of speech/poetic instruments is a deviation to enhance the utility of the ordinary usage of language. Basically, the term or the expression is a figurative language. They demonstrate not only the intention of the author, but also his intention to use this language.

Complete answer:
"Aunt Jennifer's Tigers" was written by American poet Adrienne Rich in 1951. The central theme of Adrienne Rich's "Aunt Jennifer's Tigers" is how patriarchal dominance dominates but not the minds of women. The poem highlights this by introducing and comparing the wild, exotic, strong tigers browned by Aunt Jennifer to Aunt Jennifer’s.

Poetic devices used in the poem are:
1. Imagery – Imaginary means a sensory experience or creating a picture with words only for the readers or Imagination is the literary term that refers to the five senses for language and representation. Imagery includes: fear stricken, depressed wife, magnificent tigers.

2. Metaphor – describes an object or an action in such a way that isn’t literally true or is used to indicate indirect comparison between completely different things. For example: bright topaz.

3. Alliteration – refers to the repetition of the same letter or sound and they consist of closely connected words; used when a series of the words have the same letter or sound. For example: sleek, chivalric certainty or fingers fluttering or prancing proud.

4. Symbolism – shows the ideas and qualities and is a literary device which uses symbols, such as words, people, signs, settings or abstract ideas in other ways. For example: heavy wedding band, tigers as untamed free spirit.

5. Personification – type of figurative language where non-human beings are described as having human characteristics. For example: tigers are being given qualities like pride, confidence, and unafraid of humans/men.

6. Hyperbole – they consist of claiming statements or claims that are not meant to be taken literally. For example: exaggeration of “heavy wedding band”.

Note: There are more poetic devices other than the devices that are given in the poem and they are:
1) Assonance – is the repetition of the vowel sound words within the lines of the poem that are creating rhymes internally. For example: I can do the boogaloo too.
2) Rhyme - is the repetition of syllables, typically at the end of a verse line. For example: cat / hat; dog/log.
3) Refrain – it is a word, line or phrase that is replicated within the lines or stanzas of the poem itself. For example: jump back, honey, jump back.