The Use of Symbols in Adrienne Richs Poem, Aunt Jennifers Tigers Essa

The Use of Symbols in Adrienne Richs Poem, Aunt Jennifers Tigersexemption has always been an important value in the United States that most great deal are not willing to give up. Ralph Waldo Emerson, a writer who departd in the 1800s, reminded Ameri can buoys of their rights of liberty at a time when many people started to conform to established norms. He voiced his opinions about the loss of freedom and invited beau monde to realize that they were relinquishing their rights. Years later, his views still had an impact on citizens. Adrienne Rich, a poet of the mid-1900s, also found her autonomy a necessity in life history. She wrote a poem in 1951 cal guide Aunt Jennifers Tigers, which exhibited her opinions about living a life of reliance on others. The poem illustrates a woman sewing a scene of tigers roaming through a field, whose hands are weighed down by the heavy wedding band that she wears. Rich uses the symbols of the ring and the tigers to convey her stamp in Emersons i deas of self-reliance.An Emerson-influenced world would be one without interdependence, as his principles of self-reliance would be employed. In the 1800s, the American g everywherenment and literary movement . . . were calling for unanimity (Loving). During this time, Ralph Waldo Emerson decided to express his dis fitment with the movement by publishing ego Reliance in 1841, which explained his ideas of the importance of personal independence. He states, Nothing can bring you peace but yourself, illustrating his negative view of relying on others (Loving). His audience, the Americans, grew to agree with his individualistic concepts, leading focus from conformity in society.Throughout her life, Richs experiences led her to wish for more independence. In her marr... ...ctly what Rich discovered through her experiences, in the first place from her marriage. The freedom of each person to live as they wish to live is a common value between the both writers. Rich uses the two differ ent symbols in order to express her negative feelings about dependence. By showing her dislike toward the control that one may have over another, she implies her agreement with Emersons established principles of self-sufficiency. Works CitedLitlinks. www.smpcollege.com/litlinks/poetry/rich.htm. Bedford/St.Martins. March 28, 2000.Loving, Tim. What If Aunt Jennifer Had Listened? Responding With number. www.cwrl.utexas.edu/nick/evans/firstpapers/tlovingpaper.html. March 28, 2000.Rich, Adrienne. Aunt Jennifers Tigers. Discovering Literature Stories, Poems, Plays. 2nd ed. Hans P. Guth and Gabriele L. Rico. Upper commit River Blair. 1997. 590