Adrienne Rich's Poetry and Prose Lesson Plan

"Aunt Jennifer's Tigers" is one of the few Rich poems written in a traditional poetic style. How would you describe the structure and style of the poem, and why do you think Rich made these decisions for it?

"Aunt Jennifer's Tigers" is made of three quatrains of rhyming couplets. This gives it a sing-songy, old-fashioned sort of feeling that separates it from Rich's other poems (which are usually free verse). The subject of the poem is the poet's older aunt cross-stitching, which is a traditional feminine craft. Perhaps Rich chose this antiquated structure to emphasize her aunt's traditional role in her marriage -- there is something about the rhyme that suggests sweetness,...