English/xii/by Moonmoon Sarkar

Question Answer Guide

Class XII
English
Poetry: My Mother At Sixty-Six
MAIN THEME: Pain of separation: While the poet was deeply thinking about
this separation, she painfully thought of the possibility of their meeting again, the
possible demise of the aged mother, as she happened to look at her mother.
An attempt to encourage the mother: Now that the poet knew that her mother
had been reading her troubled mind, the poet wanted to convince the mother that
she had not been thinking about her death. To convince her mother, the poet
changed her expression on her face. So the poet looked out of the car’s widow and
tried to brush away her sadness.
An attempt to forget pain: In an attempt to look cheerful, the poet now looked
out of the car. But what she saw outside didn’t cheer her up. On the contrary she
grew sadder looking out. What she saw there sharply contrasted with the
expression on her mother’s face. It seemed to her that the young trees were running
cheerfully. Young children were in their jolly mood, playing and having fun and
frolic. Everything looked cheerful and lively outside while the mother remained
almost lifeless and the poet sad. The security check-in was completed. The
daughter was left with a few seconds to see her aged mother. She turned back to
look at the mother who stood a few feet away
Childhood fears return: In her childhood, the poet had to separate from her
mother innumerable times. It was quite painful for the poet to separate from her
mother those days. She used to fear these occasions as she thought they would
never meet again.
Smiles that mean pain: The poet was overcome by the intense pain of separation.
She could not speak many words at this time. Controlling her overwhelming
emotions, she managed to bid her mother farewell. She had the least hope of
meeting her mother again. Yet she struck a note of optimism by saying they both
would meet again soon.
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Summary: Kamala Das, an Indian poet, in her poem, ‘MY MOTHER AT 66’,
presents a daughter’s anguish at the realization that her mother was growing old
and that one day she would die. The poem brings out the pain of separation. It is a
poem on death. While going to the airport to board a flight to a distant country,
with her mother in the car, the poet suddenly grows aware of her mother’s ageing
and the possibility of death in her absence.
Literary Devices:
-Rhyme scheme: The poet does not use any identifiable rhyme scheme in this
poem. It’s a blank verse.
METAPHOR: In this poem, the poet uses the device of metaphor in line when
she speaks ‘Trees sprinting, the merry children spilling out of their homes’ to show
the contrary image of her mother’s age and approaching end.
REPETITION: This rhetorical device is used when a word or phrase is repeated.
In this poem, the poet uses the device of repetition in last line ‘all I did was smile
and smile and smile……’ when she had to subdue her feelings and tried not to
show her emotion to her mother. She says she believes that she will meet her
mother again.
Apostrophe: This rhetorical device is used when a poet addresses his or her poem
to an absent audience.
In this poem, the poet uses the device of apostrophe, when she speaks directly to
her mother, addressing her as “Amma”.
Simile: When she compares her mother’s face with that of a corpse and also uses
the word “like” while making that comparison.
She again compares her mother with the moon in wintertime and also uses the
word “as” while making this comparison.
Personification: This rhetorical device is used to bestow human qualities on
something that is not human.
In this poem, the poet uses the device of personification with respect to trees. She
imagines the trees to be figures that are running alongside her car.
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.1. How does Kamala Das try to put away the thoughts of her ageing mother?
(Delhi 2014)
Answer. Kamala Das finds the thoughts of her ageing mother very painful and
disturbing. It is hard for her to accept the fact of her mother growing old, as it
brings back to her mind her childhood fear of losing her mother. She makes a
deliberate effort to drive or put away such thoughts by looking out of the moving
car, at the trees ‘sprinting’ and the joyful young children rushing out of their
homes.
2. What was the poet’s childhood fear? (All India 2014)
or What were Kamala Das, fears as a child? Why do they surface when she is
going to the airport? (All India 2011)
Answer. As a child Kamala Das was insecure about losing her mother just as all
young children often are. The same feelings are evoked inside her while she is on
the way to the airport, as she sees her mother’s pale face, which is a sign of her old
age and impending death.
3. What do the parting words of Kamala Das and her smile signify? (Compartment
2014) or What do the parting words of the poet and her smile signify? (All India
2010)
Answer. The poet’s parting words and her smile are a facade to hide her feelings of
insecurity. The pale and senile appearance of her mother brings back her childhood
fear of losing her mother. She can definitely experience the pangs of separation,
yet she bids her farewell in a pleasant manner. She reassures her mother that all
will be well and they would meet again.

4. Why has the poet’s mother been compared to the “late winter’s moon”? (Delhi
2013) Answer. The poet has used this simile as ‘the late winter’s moon’ looks too
hazy and lacks brightness and lustre. Similarly, the mother, who is now sixty-six, is
pale and has a shrunken and ashen face. She is devoid of the effervescence and
exhilaration of youth.

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5. Bring out the significance of the title, “My Mother at Sixty-Six.”

Answer: The title is very apt as the subject of the poem is the poet’s aged and frail
mother. It at once establishes the context in which Kamal is writing – the mother’s
unexpressed pain and the poet’s worry about her mother’s frail health, old age and
perhaps imminent death. The title prepares us for the frail old mother and her
daughter’s concern for her.

6. What is the significance of the images, ‘sprinting trees’ and ‘merry children
spilling out of their homes’ in the poem “My Mother at Sixty Six”?
Answer. Both sprinting trees and merry children are happy and young. They
present a contrast to the mother’s pain and old age and the poet’s worry and fear.
They represent youth, vigour and spring whereas the mother is old, decaying, frail,
inactive and passive.

Extract based Questions:

1. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.
I looked again at her, wan, pale
as a late winter’s moon and felt that old
familiar ache, my childhood’s fear,
but all I said was see you soon, Amma,
all I did was smile and smile and smile ………
(a) What was the poet’s childhood fear?
(b) What were the poet’s parting words?
(c) What is the poetic device used in these lines?
(d) Why did the poet smile and smile?
2. ….but soon
put that thought away and

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 English/xii/by Moonmoon Sarkar

looked out at young

trees sprinting, the merry children
spilling out of their homes……………
(a) What thought did the poet drive away from her mind?
(b) What did she see when she looked out of the car?
(c) How do you know that the joyful scene didn’t help her drive away the painful
thought from her mind?
(d) What are the merry children symbolic of?
3. Driving from my parent’s
home to Cochin last Friday
morning, I saw my mother, beside me
doze, open mouthed, her face ashen like that
‘ of a corpse and realised with pain
that she was as old as she looked …
a) Where was the poet driving to?
(b) Why was her mother’s face looking like that of a corpse?
(c) What did the poet notice about her mother?
(d) Why was the realisation painful?

A Thing of Beauty
Theme: A thing of beauty is a source of constant joy. Beauty can be found
everywhere. It is something that has the ability to transform lives. It also highlights
the fact that beauty has a therapeutic quality, i.e. the ability to remove negativity. It
can be any object, nature, tales or even noble deeds of our ancestors.

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Oxymoron: Mighty Dead

Imagery: a flowery band to bind us, daffodils in green world they live in, clear
rills, grandeur of dooms, endless fountain of eternal drink.
Question-Answer:
1. What does the line, "Therefore are we wreathing a flowery band to bind us to
earth suggest to you?
Ans: It means that we get attached to the beautiful things around us and weave a
pretty band which binds us with our life, it becomes the reason for us to live.
2. What makes human beings love life in spite of troubles and sufferings?
Ans:The eternal beauty of various things gives us happiness and relaxation. It
makes us love life in spite of life's troubles and sufferings.
5. Why is grandeur associated with the mighty dead?
Ans: The noble deeds of the brave men who sacrificed their lives are an inspiration
for us forever. The beautiful legacy of their bravery is the grandeur which is
associated with the mighty dead.
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7. What image does the poet use to describe the beautiful bounty of the earth?
Ans: The beautiful bounty of the earth is described by an endless fountain of
immortal drink- which signifies that God bestows us with all his beautiful creations
which help us live despite the sad, gloomy aspects of life.
8. What is the ‘grandeur’ of the ‘dooms’ and ‘endless fountain of immortal drink’?
Ans. The ‘grandeur of the dooms’ is a reference to our mighty and dead ancestors
who have created beautiful objects for us. The ‘endless fountain’ is the everlasting
joy provided to us by the bounties of nature as if in the form of nectar pouring on
us from heaven.
9. What does Keats consider an endless fountain of immortal drink and why does
he call its drink immortal?
Ans. Keats considers the joy provided by nature as a never-ending fountain which
uplifts the spirits of human beings. The beauty of nature is a constant source of
pleasure and delight to the human mind and is like an immortal drink from heaven.
10. Keats feels that Nature binds us to the Earth. How does he justify this?
Ans. Keats feels that man has a strong bond with nature. Despite the gloom and
suffering, man is connected to the earth. A flowery band ties us to the earth. This
band is a thing of beauty and metaphorically made of flowers and brings joy. There
is an affinity between things of beauty in nature and in man.
11. How do the ‘daffodils’ and ‘clear rills’ enrich our environment?
Ans: Daffodils are lovely white flowers that bloom in green surroundings. The
‘clear rills’ or clear streams of water create cooling comfort or passage for
themselves as they pass through the thick bushes and ward away the heat of the
sun.
12. . ‘A thing of beauty is a joy forever.’ This is what John Keats says in the poem.
Do you think in the present times of acute stress and violence, proximity to
beautiful things can lead man to everlasting happiness? Discuss.
Answer: A thing of beauty gives us permanent happiness. When we look at objects
of beauty, we feel happy, and the lasting impression that such objects leave on our
mind continues to give us pleasure even when they are no longer in our sight. In
the present times of acute stress and violence, the objects of beauty attain even
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greater significance. When our mind is anxious and troubled, the very sight of
beautiful things often comes as a relief and provides us comfort and happiness for
the moment. Appreciating beautiful things is like appreciating God, who has
bestowed them upon mankind as a gift so that we can derive happiness and solace
from them. Proximity to beautiful things brings us closer to the creator, in whom
lies the ultimate power to grant us relief from all anxieties and troubles. Therefore,
it is sure to bring everlasting happiness at all times.
13. ‘An endless fountain of immortal drink’.
Answer: This line is taken from John Keats’ poem, ‘A Thing of Beauty’. That
beauty is everlasting, as it creates an eternal joy in the beholder. It is an endless
fountain of joy that is immortal as a drink pouring down on us, as a water of joy
from the edge of heaven’s cliff. The eternal joy is like a bliss of heaven on Earth.
The poet here says these words in order to explain the nature of the pleasure and
joy that is created when a beautiful object is seen by a beholder. The poet here
affirms the truth that beauty is not ephemeral, but eternal. The pleasure we receive.
14. What is the message of the poem ‘A Thing of Beauty’?
Ans) Keats, an ardent lover of nature, in his poem refers to the powers of nature.
He urges mankind to realise these powers and make his life enjoyable and worth
living. He tells us how a thing of beauty provides perennial joy to us.
Extract Based questions:
1. “A thing of beauty is a joy forever
Its loveliness increases, it will never
Pass into nothingness; but will keep
A bower quiet for us and a sleep
Full of sweet dreams and health and quiet breathing.”
(a) How does a thing of beauty remain a joy forever?
(b) Mention any two sources of joy which a thing, of beauty provides to us.
(c) Explain, “never pass into nothingness.”
(d) What is meant by ‘bower’?
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2. “Therefore, on every morrow, are we wreathing

A flowery band to bind us to the Earth, Spite of despondence, of the inhuman
dearth
Of noble natures, of the gloomy days,
Of all the unhealthy and o’er-darkened ways
Made for our searching:”
(a) What are the flowery bands that bind us to the Earth?
(b) What message do the above lines convey?
(c) Why is there an “inhuman dearth of noble natures”?
(d) What do you understand by “unhealthy and o’er-darkened ways”?
3. “Some shape of beauty moves away the pall
From our dark spirits,”
(a) How does beauty help us when we are burdened with grief?
(b) Explain; “Some shape of beauty.”
(c) Identify the figure of speech in the above lines.
(d) Why are our spirits referred to as ‘dark’?
4. “Such the Sun, the Moon,
Trees old and young, sprouting a shady boon
For simple sheep; and such are daffodils
With the green world they live in; and clear rills
That for themselves a cooling covert make
‘Gainst the hot season.”
(a)Name the poem and the poet.
(b)List the things that give us joy. Which of these provide respite in the hot
season?

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(c) Describe the role of daffodils and clear rills.

(d) What does the word, ‘sprinkling’ mean?
5. “And such too is the grandeur of the dooms
We have imagined for the mighty dead;
All lovely tales that we have heard or read;
An endless fountain of immortal drink,
Pouring unto us from heaven’s brink”
(a) Who are the ‘mighty dead’? How do we know about them?
(b) What images does the poet use to convey that beauty is everlasting?
(c) What is the effect of the immortal drink?
(d) Write the words from the extract which mean (i) stories (ii) magnificence

Keeping Quiet
THEME: The poet, Pablo Neruda, advises us to be silent for some time during our
busy, frustrated, insecure and selfish life. He promises us lasting peace of mind and
endless happiness that we have never experienced in our lives. Shut up! This is
what he asks us to do.
THEME: SELF- INTROSPECTION FOR PEACE

Silence is necessary for self-introspection and to foster a feeling of mutual

understanding among fellow beings.

TRANSFERRED EPITHET:

A transferred epithet is a figure of speech where an adjective or epithet

describing a noun is transferred from the noun it is meant to describe to
another noun in the sentence.

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 English/xii/by Moonmoon Sarkar

Example: cold sea

ALLITERATION: Alliteration is the repetition of usually initial consonant

sounds in two or more neighbouring words or syllables. Examaple: we will,
wars with, his hurt hands, sudden strangeness, clean clothes, so single

ANAPHORA: Anaphora is the repetition of a word or sequence of words at

the beginning of successive clauses, phrases, or sentences. Example: Let’s not
speak……..
Let’s stop…

PUN: A Pun is a figure of speech that includes a play of words that have more
than one meaning or those that sound alike. Example:ARMS

IRONY: Irony is a literary device that is used to express an intended meaning

by using language that conveys the opposite meaning when taken literally.
Example: Victory without any survivors

Personification: Earth can teach us.

SYMBOLISM:

Symbolism is the use of symbols to signify ideas and qualities by giving them
symbolic meanings that are different from their literal sense. Example: count
to twelve, fisherman and whale, green wars

ENJAMBMENT:

It is a poetic term for the continuation of a sentence or phrase from one line of
poetry to the next. An enjambed line typically lacks punctuation at its line
break, so the reader is carried smoothly and swiftly—without interruption—
to the next line of the poem.

Example: we would all be together

in a sudden strangeness
and for once could perhaps a huge silence……….ourselves with death.

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 English/xii/by Moonmoon Sarkar

What is the significance of ‘counting to twelve?’

Ans: Twelve is an extended counting. While counting for a longer time one feels
more relaxed than counting for a short time such as one or three. As the counting is
followed by a relaxed time of silent meditation, one needs to keep his mind at ease
by counting steadily for a longer time.
2. Why does the poet ask his hearers to stop using any language?
Ans: Languages help us to communicate with other people. As the poet wants this
time of silence for talking to oneself, not for talking to other people, he doesn’t
want us to use any language.
3. Why does the poet ask his hearers to make no movements of the arms?
Ans:Like any language, movements of arms can also communicate with other
people. The poet wants his hearers to stop all sorts of communication with others
to achieve a silent meditation and therefore he asks his hearers to stop any
movements of the arms.
4. How does the time of silent introspection become an exotic moment for us?
Ans. The result of a silent introspection of this kind guarantees a perfect peace of
mind. When this peace is achieved through silence, the happiness it provides is
equal to no other happiness. It is exotic, strange moment.
5. What does the poet mean by ‘rush?’
Ans: Rush means the rush that people make to defeat others, to reach before the
others reach and the rush for achievements.
6. What sort of ‘togetherness’ can we experience while keeping quiet?
Ans: By keeping quiet we are able to understand our true self and its limitations.
We realize how selfish we are and wipe out our ego through meditation. By
eliminating a vast world of ego we give room for our brothers and feel a new
togetherness.
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7. What does the poet mean by the sudden strangeness?

Ans: By stopping all activities that one has been doing without pause, one feels a
sudden silence and peace of mind which leads to a complete strangeness. When
one starts feeling this silence, peace and togetherness, it appears sudden and
strange.
8. What does the earth teach us about the significance of keeping silence?
The earth is full of examples that approve of the necessity to be silent. Everything
keeps silent for some time in order to rejuvenate. Autumn dying in order to come
fresh in the Spring season and seeds decaying to give life to a new plant, are
examples for this.

9. Do you think the poet advocates total inactivity and death in the poem,
Keeping Quiet’? Illustrate.

Ans. In the poem, ‘Keeping Quiet,’ the poet invites us to experience a few quiet
moments amidst our rushing life in order to do introspection for our thoughtless
actions. He firmly advocates that the moments of total inactivity are the most
precious moments without a touch of idleness of thoughtlessness. He deplores the
idea of death or stagnation in life as it is a continuous journey to hit our milestones
with zeal, sensibility and love. He says:

“What I want should not be confused with total inactivity. Life is what it is about.

Life always moves on ceaselessly with positive thoughts and dynamic actions but
it need not be a thoughtless race where people forget the value of love peace and
togetherness to make it a beautiful place to live. In our mad rush, we are trapped in
green wars, wars with gas and fire with mass destruction all around. Due to our
selfish ends, we have forgotten to walk with our brothers and have not noticed our
‘hurt hands’. ‘Keeping Quiet’ offers us a wonderful world to enjoy life in ‘an
exotic moment’.

10. Analyse the importance of the dramatic count to twelve in ‘Keeping

Quiet’.

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Ans. The poem opens with the poet’s appeal, to begin with, a count to twelve,
followed by a moment of silence. The poet links silence with hope for a moment of
togetherness. The repetition of the poet’s request to count to twelve in the first and
the last stanzas create a personal space of silence in the poem. The poet seeks this
moment of silence as a moment to introspect and meditate, to share a feeling of
oneness. The poet wishes that in this selected moment, the fisherman would not
kill the whales and the men gathering salt would give rest to their injured hands.
The threat of destruction of the world would come to a halt. In this chosen
moment, we would have time for self-assessment. The number ‘twelve’ is
dramatically significant to represent our clock time, a moment in real life.

A ROADSIDE STAND
Metaphor trusting sorrow
Alliteration Pathetically pled, Greedy good doers, Beneficent Beasts
Personification A roadside Stand that too pathetically pled
Transferred
polished traffic, Selfish cars
Epithet
Oxymoron Greedy good doers, beneficent beasts

A Roadside Stand is a social satire depicting the two contrasting worlds

existing in society. Justify this statement with reference to the poem. [CBSE
2023]
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 English/xii/by Moonmoon Sarkar

Ans. In the poem, ‘A Roadside Stand’, the poet, Robert Frost has made a sarcastic
remark on depicting the two contrasting worlds existing in the society. It deals with
the lives of poor and deprived people of the villages. The urban rich are always on
the move. They are always in a hurry. They have no time to inquire about the
goods put up by the rural people for sale. On the other hand, the rural poor are
standing and pleading for help. The roadside stand is a metaphor for the people of
the countryside who live in abject poverty. The poem also talks about the power
dynamics where the urban people have the capacity to buy whatever they want and
the country people are deprived of all these things due to resource crunch. They are
quite powerless and they have not the capacity to take decision on their own. Thus,
it can be said, that ‘A Roadside Stand’ is a social satire that shows the sharp
contrast between the two worlds existing in the society.

2. Describe the roadside stand in the poem by that name.

Ans. The stand was a little shed newly put up as an extension attached to a little
old house located on the edge of a busy road. The stand was an ugly site as its
location jarred with a beautiful mountain scene in the area. Its construction was
intended to draw custom from the city folk who passed by it, in their polished
vehicles. It had an ugly signboard with the letters ‘N’ and “S’ in the signboard
painted wrongly. The quality of its wares too were sub-standard and consisted of
wild berries placed in wooden crates, and misshapen golden squash with silver
warts on them. The stand was located by the roadside and far from the city.

3. What were the hidden dangers behind the dole that was to be given to the
urban poor, and which the party in power is said to be keeping from them?

Ans. It was rumoured that the land and property of the urban poor was to be bought
out and they would be mercifully relocated in specially made villages, next to the
theatre and the store, thereby providing them with amenities at their doorsteps. In
the bargain, the new inhabitants, uplifted from poverty through welfare, would lose
their ability to protest or think, by these ‘greedy do-gooders’. Their strategy to
usurp the land and rob the sources of livelihood of the urban poor was couched in
schemes that now provided the poor with calculated benefits which would deprive
the poor of their capacity of earning a living by honest, hard labour. They would be

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transformed into indulgent men who would sleep all day and lie awake at night
indulging in uncivil activities.

4. . Through this poem, Frost underlines his sympathy for the rural people in
opposition to the uncaring capitalistic elite. Justify.

Ans. The poet paints a pathetic picture of the lives of the poor who beg for
financial assistance to sustain themselves. They do not aspire to expand their
business. They seek help that has been promised to them by the political parties in
their manifestos. Ironically, the products of these people are what give the city
dwellers enough to live their glamourous life. They move in sophisticated vehicles
insensitive to the terrible plight of the poor that begs for attention. These self-
absorbed city dwellers have the money but do not want to part with it. Frost refers
to the city dwellers as ‘greedy good-doers, beneficent beasts of prey’ as they drain
the very life out of the poor.

5. What is the ‘childish longing’ of the folk who had put up the roadside stand?
Why is it ‘in vain’? (2011 Comptt. Delhi)

Answer: The ‘childish longing’, the poet refers to, is the dreams and desires of the
rural folk who have a child-like longing for a better life that they hope to live with
the help from the city dwellers. Their longing is in vain because the city folk are
not willing to help them and so their ‘childish longings’ are not likely to be
fulfilled.
EXTRACT BAASED UESTIONS
6. The little old house was out with a little new shed
In front at the edge of the road where the traffic sped,
A roadside stand that too pathetically pled,
It would not be fair to say for a dole of bread,
But for some of the money, the cash, whose flow supports
The flower of cities from sinking and withering faint.
a. Where was the new shed put up? What was its purpose?
b. Why does the poet use the word ‘pathetic’?
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 English/xii/by Moonmoon Sarkar

c. Explain: ‘too pathetically pled’

d. Who are referred to as ‘the flower of cities’?
7. Or beauty rest in a beautiful mountain scene,
You have the money, but if you want to be mean,
Why keep your money (this crossly) and go along.
The hurt to the scenery wouldn’t be my complaint
So much as the trusting sorrow of what is unsaid
a. What attraction does the place offer?
b. What should one do if one wants to be mean?
c. What does the poet not complain about?
d. What do you think is the real worry of the poet?
8. It is in the news that all these pitiful kin
Are to be bought out and mercifully gathered in
To live in villages, next to the theatre and the store,
Where they won’t have to think for themselves anymore,
While greedy good-doers, beneficent beasts of prey.
a. Name the poem and the poet.
b. Explain why merciful have been called ‘greedy good-doers’ and ‘beneficent
beasts of prey’?
c. Why won’t these poor people have to think for themselves any more?
9. Sometimes 1 feel myself I can hardly bear
The thought of so much childish longing in vain,
The sadness that lurks near the open window there,
That waits all day in almost open prayer
For the squeal of brakes, the sound of a stopping car,
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 English/xii/by Moonmoon Sarkar

Of all the thousand selfish cars that pass.

a. What cannot be borne by the poet and why?
b. What is the ‘childish longing?
c. Why the longing has been termed as ‘vain’?
d. Why do the people driving in the cars stop sometimes?
10. Sometimes I feel myself I can hardly bear
The thought of so much childish longing in vain,
The sadness that lurks near the open window there,
a. Why is the longing called childish?
b. Where is the window?
c. Why does sadness lurk there?
11. The sadness that lurks near the open window there,
That waits all day in almost open prayer
For the squeal of brakes, the sound of a stopping car,
Of all the thousand selfish cars that pass,
Just one to inquire a farmer’s prices are.
a. Which open window is referred to? Why does sadness lurk there?
b. What does the farmer pray for?
c. Is the farmer’s prayer ever granted? How do you know?

AUNT JENNIFER”S TIGRESS

Transferred
terrible hands
Epithet
Hyperbole the massive weight of uncle’s wedding band

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 English/xii/by Moonmoon Sarkar

Pun ringed
Aunt- women wedged under the tyrannical hand of
patriarchal society
Symbols Tigers- Aunts desires and dreams
Wedding Band – Patriarchal male domination
Uncle – the oppressor

THEME: The poem revolves around desires and the depressingly harsh realities of
Aunt Jennifer’s existence, using sharp contrasts between the tigers that she sews
and her own self. The tigers appear to be everything that she’s not. The tiger’s
actions are smooth, uninhibited and robust. Aunt Jennifer on the other hand has
great trouble even to embroider because her movements are so weak. Aunt Jennifer
is evidently a lonely, pained old woman plagued by anxiety. The reason for her
miserable plight is the oppressive patriarchal family system wherein “Uncle”
dominates the scene. She creates an alternative world of freedom-a world that she
longs for.
QUESTIONS-ANSWERS
1.Describe Aunt Jennifer’s tigers. How are they different from her?
Ans. Aunt Jennifer’s embroidered tigers prance across a green screen. They are
fearless. They are not afraid of the men beneath the tree. They move elegantly in
style and with confidence which is opposite to Aunt Jennifer’s character who is
meek and finds difficult to pull the ivory needle from the wool and on whom the
responsibility of married life weighs heavily.
2.Explain ‘massive weight of Uncle’s wedding band’.
Ans: Aunt Jennifer is tied down by the constraints of married life. The wedding
band symbolizes the ordeals of married life.
3.Why do you think Aunt made the tigers that were proud and unafraid?
Ans. Aunt Jennifer wanted to be chivalric like the tigers; but was stifled by the
institution of marriage. To give an expression of freedom to her subdued self she
embroidered the prancing tigers that were proud and unafraid.

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 English/xii/by Moonmoon Sarkar

4. Explain, ‘sleek chivalric certainty.’ What makes the tigers pace in sleek chivalric
certainty? Ans: Sleek, chivalric and certainty are the three qualities of the tigers
knitted by Aunt Jennifer. Sleek indicates the smoothness of their movement while
chivalric and certainty are fearlessness and confidence respectively. As the tigers
have overcome the fear of men beneath the tree, they pace in sleek chivalric
certainty.
5. Bring out the symbolic representation of the poet Adrienne Rich, her works,
struggles, her success in freeing women through the image of Aunt Jennifer.
Ans: Aunt Jennifer is a parallel character who represents the poet Adrienne Rich,
her attempts to liberate the women folk from male domination, her struggles and
ordeals, and finally, her victory. Like Aunt Jennifer who knitted tigers with wool
and needle, Adrienne Rich knitted a new America inhabited by brave women.
However, while knitting her tigers, Aunt Jennifer had to face difficulties because
she wore a heavy wedding band imposed upon her by her husband. Similar was
Rich's experience. She too had to face harsh attacks from her society for writing
poems against the existing male domination. Aunt Jennifer never had a time free
from ordeals. She was constantly haunted by her fear of the wedding band.
Similarly did Rich have to live till her death. Unfortunately the male ruled her even
after her death as she still had to bear her hushand's name even in her grave. The
two women had similar life and death and pains and failure at death but what they
left behind them was a brave generation. Aunt Jennifer left behind her a number of
fearless tigers while Rich had new generation of brave women to succeed her.
6. What does “prance” tell about the tigers’ ambitions?
Ans: Prance is an upward jump. In this poem, Aunt Jennifer's tigers are jumping
upward to the higher branches which means they are all ambitious and wish to
reach the higher branches of the tree, above the men who are beneath the tree,
defying the old order.
7. How does the poet advocate gender sensitization in the poem?
Ans: The poem reflects gender struggle; the poet criticizes the male-dominated
world for terrifying and oppressing Aunt Jennifer, leaving her with no alternative
but to create an alternate world of freedom for herself with her sewing. The
embroidering of tigers on the panel, her only form of expression, underlines a
woman’s struggles with expression, rebellion, and a society where power is
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 English/xii/by Moonmoon Sarkar

defined as masculine. The poet depicts the pain of a woman who is living with a
brutal husband who dominates her. Her hidden, vibrant inner life is in sharp
contrast to the outer image of the terrified, trapped woman. The poem is almost a
tragedy relating the plight of women trapped in unhappy marriages. The poet
however makes her stance clear by using the figure of independent and fearless
tigers as a telling symbol of an ideal that women, like Aunt Jennifer, seek to
approximate. The poet yearns for freedom and equality for all women.
8. How are At Jennifer’s tigers different from her?
Ans. Aunt Jennifer is a meek and suppressed woman in a male-dominated society.
She is denied every Kind of freedom and is always oppressed. But the tigers that
she has made are free, bold, confident, chivalric, and courageous.
Extract based Questions:
1. 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
(a) Who is the aunt mentioned here?
(b) Why is she “ringed with ordeals”?
(c) What is the difference between her and the tigers?
(d) Why has Aunt Jennifer created the tigers so different from her own character?
Or
(a) Why are Aunt Jennifer’s hands terrified?
(b) Why did she make the tigers?
(c) What will happen to her tigers after her death?
(d) How are Aunt Jennifer’s tigers different from her?

2. Aunt Jennifer’s tigers prance across a screen,

Bright topaz denizens of a world of green
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 English/xii/by Moonmoon Sarkar

They do not fear the men beneath the tree,

They pace in sleek chivalric certainty
(a) How are Aunt Jennifer’s tigers described?
(b) Why are they described as denizens of a world of green?
(c) Why are they not afraid of the men?
(d) What are her tigers symbolic of?

English/xii/by Moonmoon Sarkar