Aunt Jennifers Tigers.

In general, we can see that the poem has a rhyming pattern of [a,a,b,b]. and consist of several half
rhymes.
In the first stanza,
In the first line, there are long vowels which support the word stride. When we stride we tend to
stretch our bodies for balance so it goes with the sound. There is also sibilance in the sentence with
the multiple uses of the letter s. Screen is a metaphor a frame. This could show that the tiger is
dead. And its skin is being stretched out in a display. Stride across is also a form of collocation.
In the second line, they connote that the tigers that are being referred to stand out in the crowd.
In the third line, it denotes that the men who are taking pictures of them are standing uder a tree
taking a picture of these tigers.
In the fourth line, the use of the letter c in chivalric and certainty are affricates. The word pace
stride and tiger. They are lexical sets in describing the movement of tigers. They tigers are also
being personified. Chivalry as awas used for the tigers is a verb for humans.
In the second stanza,
In the first line, there is a fricative in Jenifer, finger, and flutter. The line fingers fluttering could be
the motion of your hands when you get excited when you see a chance or something that you
wanted. The wool could conote to something precious which we get from sheep. The wool can
also symbolise the tigers fur that she is wearing as she sees the tigers.
In the second line, there is a lexical set of the word ivory and wool. They are both precious items
that we get from animals. This could also fall in the lexical set with the word topaz which are all
very precious items on this earth. Ivory needle could symbolise the teeth of the tiger which is also
a precious item for people to sell for souveniers.
In the third line, massive weight connotes the weight of the diamond on her finger. Wedding band
is a metaphor for wedding ring. The whole line connotes that Aunt Jennifer and the uncle are from a
wealthy family who can afford such rings and tigers wool. In the fourth line, it just adds on to the
fact that it is indeed an expensive wedding ring from the lexical set heavily massive and
weight.
In the third stanza,
In the first line, we see the terrified hands are co-referential markers to Aunt Jennifers to Aunt
Jeniffers hands that held the ring. Note that there is foregrounding, because she is no longer
referred to as Aunt Jennifer but as Aunt.
In the second line, there is a lexical set with the words ringed, wedding band, which refers to
jewelry. The world mastered by connotes that Aunt Jennifer is being controlled by something.
Ordeals denotes pain. The pain that she had caused due to animal cruelty, probably.
In the third line, it the tigers are co-referential markers to the tigers before. The panel is cohesive
and collocates with the word screen in the first stanza which then show that tiger is behind a screen
and in a panel of display. The sentence that she made denotes that she was the one who was
responsible for the tiger being in that frame. There is presentational sequencing as the poet wants
to show the event of her dying and what she did in the past before she died.
In the fourth line, there is a lexical set of striding, proud and unafraid. They are characteristics of
tigers.
There is parallelism in the first line in the first and second stanza. It cuts of with the third stanza.
By lexically analysing the whole poem, the conclusion is that the poem is talking about animal
cruelty and how the animals such as the tiger continue to be oblivious to their continued deaths.
People are using these animals for their precious gains. Notice how the poet compares the tigers to
topaz as a precious stone. When in fact, they are living creatures.
This poem stereotypes women as well. They are stereotyping women to be responsible for animal
cruelty as they are the ones who buy these precious items.