It becomes apparent that this poem is not as simple as one may think. It in fact deals with a very serious and uneasy theme of the oppression of women by a patriarchal society. The poem is flooded with powerful images and metaphors. Aunt Jennifer herself is symbolic of oppression; the ring represents marriage and is depicted in an extremely negative light. The tigers themselves are metaphors for the potential beauty and intelligence that lies within Aunt Jennifer. The image of her fingers ‘fluttering through her wool’ suggests dexterity, skill and talent. Yet she finds ‘the ivory needle hard to pull’ which shows how restricted and fragile marriage has made her.
The roots of the radical feminist ideology that Rich adopted in the late sixties are clearly evident in this poem. She tackles this controversial topic brilliantly with her use of mature language and striking imagery. The sense of indignity felt at the perceived oppression of women is palpable. This, I am unashamed to say, is one of the most powerful poems I have ever read.
‘Power’ is another brilliantly feminist poem by Rich. She was inspired by Marie Curie and uses the scientist’s fame to symbolise the power of females. The poem parallels the Radical Feminist Movement that emerged in 1968 and again Rich is tackling a very serious and complex issue.
‘Living in the earth deposits of our history
Today a backhoe divulged out of a crumbling flank of earth
One bottle amber perfect a hundred year old
Cure for fever or melancholy tonic
For living on this earth in winters of this climate’
The first stanza depicts and archaeological excavation. The artefacts already exist but have been covered up over time and must be carefully excavated. This is symbolic of the struggle for equality. It will be slow, painful and difficult. However it will be worth the pain as this precious thing is a cure for society and its illness.
In the second stanza Rich introduces Marie Curie, ‘Today I was reading about Marie Curie.’ She represents greatness and strength. Yet this powerfully striking image of the scientist is followed by a difficult image of her suffering:
‘the source of the cataracts on her eyes
The cracked and suppurating skin of her finger-ends
Till she could no longer hold a test tube or pencil’
This is unbelievably visceral language and imagery. I feel it shows that Marie Curie proved women were (are) equal to men but to do so she suffered greatly. It also represents the price paid for women’s rights.
The language and style of this poem is both strikingly powerful and memorable. The idea of power and the roots of feminine empowerment are clearly fascinating to the poet. The last stanza of this thoughtful and complex poem suggests that the poet believes that Curie never really understood the paradox f her position. ‘She died a famous woman denying her wounds denying her wounds came from the same source of her power.’ The suggestion that the poet makes is that joy and success cannot tasted if not accomplished by pain and suffering. This is an ancient observation, and indicates how Rich’s poetry has a universal appeal outside of a specifically political or personal context which is unusual.
‘Trying to Talk With a Man’ is an extremely personal and confessional poem. This poem unlike ‘Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers’ appears complex but after careful study you see the underlying simplicity. Rich deals with the difficulties and complexities of relationships which is a universal theme.
‘Out in this desert we are testing bombs’, the opening line is dramatic and direct. It represents the dangers inherent in facing into and dealing with the problems in the relationship.
‘Sometimes I feel an underground river
Forcing its way between deformed cliffs
An acute angle of understanding
Moving itself like a locus of the sun
Into this condemned scenery’
These lines of the second stanza are complex. The underground river could be symbolic of hope or it could be a representation of the divide between the couple. The river could be seen as a symbol of the fundamental underlying weakness in the relationship.
The distance between them grows in the third stanza as the poet talks of ‘trying to put a face’ on the relationship. It must have been difficult for Rich to admit the harsh truth that is confronted – ‘everything we were saying until now was an effort to blot it out’. The ‘it’ is the truth. The truth being that they are not meant to be together. I believe that the reason the poem feels as though it has a detached tone is because of the intense emotion of the subject matter.
In conclusion, I find Rich’s poetry to be complex, challenging, unusual but also intensely passionate and engaging. She deals with personal and political issues, and I’ve learned so much from reading her poems. I gained an insight into feminist ideology and have seen that emotional problems and person crisis can be dealt with maturity. Most of all I have learned that Rich’s poetry is remarkable
