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16) In small groups, write a list of words and phrases to describe Rich's treatment of relationships in the poems you have studied so far on your course.

"was it worth while to lay - with infinite exertion - a toff i can't live under?"

"all those blueprints, closing of gaps
measurings, calculations?"

"A life i didn't choose chose me: even my toools are the wrong ones for what i have to do."

"I'm naked, ignorant, a naked man fleeing across the roofs"

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The Roofwalker. Q10.- Comment on the idea of nakedness in this poem. What might it represent? Is it an effectively used image? Explain your answers fully.

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The Roofwalker. Q10.- Comment on the idea of nakedness in this poem. What might it represent? Is it an effectively used image? Explain your answers fully.

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The idea of nakedness in "The Roofwalker" is used to represent Rich's experience of being exposed and vulnerable to society: "a naked man fleeing across the roofs." It is an effectively used image as it represents Rich in the real world. She has exposed herself to society as she divorces her husband and came out as lesbian

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The Roofwalker- Question 9
Compare the use of the first person speaker in this poem with the use of third person speaker in ‘Living in Sin’, noting the situation of each speaker.
The use of first person in ‘The Roofwalker’ gives a perspective of a personal poem more than ‘Living in Sin’. Rich describes her marriage and her feelings in ‘The Roofwalker’, but in ‘Living in Sin’ Rich is telling about any relationship that does not overcome the expectations of one part of the couple.

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THE ROOFWALKER. Q13 Examine the symbolism of the roof in the poem. It is above the speaker and below the builders- is this significant in any way? Perhaps think in terms of freedom and support versus oppression and enclosure.

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THE ROOFWALKER. Q13 Examine the symbolism of the roof in the poem. It is above the speaker and below the builders- is this significant in any way? Perhaps think in terms of freedom and support versus oppression and enclosure.

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The roof symbolises how she is in danger of leaving her marriage and how dangerous it is to demand equal rights from society. The speaker is still under the roof of the marriage and will come onto the roof with the builders, where she will be exposed and put into danger.

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Q11 : What do you feel is the overall tone of the poem? Do you sense fear resignation regret or something else?

At the start of the poem the poem has a peaceful tone.”It is quite after the hammers”.
The metaphor of the quite hammer shows the reader that the poem begins in a peaceful and quite tone.

Towards the the second stanza of the poem the poem takes on a negative tone full of dangerous situations. “I feel like them up there exposed, larger than life, and due to break my neck”. The poet begins relating her marriage to walking on the rooftop. The quote suggests how dangerous the situation is.

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4. WHAT PLANNING GOES INTO A HOME? WHAT QUESTION IS BEING ASKED HERE.

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4. WHAT PLANNING GOES INTO A HOME? WHAT QUESTION IS BEING ASKED HERE.

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Rich refers to all the plans made after the marriage, as well as having kids. The poet questions her life and her choices and if she wasted all these years planning for nothing.

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The Roofwalker - Adrienne Rich For Denise Leverton    Q12. Look at the placement and use of dashes to punctuate the poem. What is their effect on the form, pace and atmosphere?

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The Roofwalker - Adrienne Rich For Denise Leverton    Q12. Look at the placement and use of dashes to punctuate the poem. What is their effect on the form, pace and atmosphere?

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The dashes create a change of tone in the poem. The affect of the dashe is purposely used to slow down the reader and make him think twice about its meaning and importance. The atmosphere is mysterious as after each dash she asks a question for example "A roof i cant live under?" Its as if she's begging the reader for help since she herself does not know the answer.

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18) 'A life I didn't choose/chose me' (lines 22-23).Write a short story or personal essay inspired by this phrase.

I think 'A life I didn't choose/chose me' could mean a variety of different things. In this poem I think this means that Adreinne feels like the life she has for example, her marriage, her children, her house are all things that she has been given and she does not want them. If she had of been able to choose what she was going to do with her life she would not be living the life she has. She feels as though she was pressured into alot of her life's situation for example, she had to marry a man because she needed to move out of her own toxic household but if she was financially stable enough she probably would have moved out independently. A life she did not choose and situations she did not want chose her but if she was able to go back and change her life into things that she would actually want to live through, She would not have chosen then life she had then.

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5. 'A life I didn't choose, chose me'. What, do you think, is the speaker referring to here? Have you seen this concept arise in any other poems by Rich?

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5. 'A life I didn't choose, chose me'. What, do you think, is the speaker referring to here? Have you seen this concept arise in any other poems by Rich?

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I think the poet is referring to the society as well as her sexuality. The poet lived in a society where the traditional relationships between a man and a woman were the 'normal'. I believe Rich is referring to the society she was born in as she did not choose to be born in a society where she is 'strange' and unequal due to her sexuality and her beliefs. I have seen this concept arise in all the poems I have read by Rich as she feels unequal in all of them as well as exposed and insecure. I think the poet is referring to the fact that she does not fit in to her society as she did not choose it instead it chose her.

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The Roofwalker Question 3. Why does the speaker feel that she is similar to the builders who walk on the roof .

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The Roofwalker Question 3. Why does the speaker feel that she is similar to the builders who walk on the roof .

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She feels that she is similar to the roofwalkers as she feels exposed and in danger, she is using the metaphor of the builders building her house as a representation of her marriage and how much work goes into it.

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LIVING IN SIN QUESTION 12. Compare the relationship in this poem with the one presented in Aunt Jennifer’s Tiger.

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LIVING IN SIN QUESTION 12. Compare the relationship in this poem with the one presented in Aunt Jennifer’s Tiger.

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In both poems the women are chained in an on going perpetual cycle, this is illustrated when Rich says ‘ the massive weight of Uncles wedding band’ and ‘by evening she was back in love again’ , both quotes show that the women are chained in a relationship which they do not feel truly happy in. They are forced by the toxic male masculinity and patriarchal society to abide by these social norms, which is the cause for their depressive state.

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LIVING IN SIN QUESTION 9.Having studied the poem, how does the reality of 'living in sin' compare with how scandalous or exciting the term sounds?

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LIVING IN SIN QUESTION 9.Having studied the poem, how does the reality of 'living in sin' compare with how scandalous or exciting the term sounds?

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'Living in Sin' is a term which refers to a man and a woman living together despite not being married. The poem highlights the woman's idealistic vision of how she imagined things would be and the disappointing reality of living in sin. "She had thought the studio would keep itself," She was disappointed by the reality because she had to fill the traditional role of a woman- she has to do all the cleaning despite not being married meanwhile the man is apathetic, self-absorbed and unmotivated to do anything. The woman receives all the disadvantages without the rewards. She is locked in this relationship as she can't go back to her parents because she decided to live in sin.

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LIVING IN SIN QUESTION Comment on the sounds describing the poem and the atmosphere they create.

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LIVING IN SIN QUESTION Comment on the sounds describing the poem and the atmosphere they create.

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The taps is less vocal. This shows that the apartment is not in good condition
A piano with a persian shawl, this shows that the man is a musician.
Under the milkmans tramp, the milkmans waking up the stairs is symbolic of a repetitive and mediocre lifestyle.
Jeered by the minor demons, this shows that the deplorable conditions of the apartment

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LIVING IN SIN QUESTION 10. In your opinion, does the poem present a positive, negative or very realistic depiction of a couple living together?

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LIVING IN SIN QUESTION 10. In your opinion, does the poem present a positive, negative or very realistic depiction of a couple living together?

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I think this poem is negative because the girl has no freedom and  is depressed because she has to clean the apartment without any help. She expected the apartment to clean itself but realistically she has to clean it herself. Her boyfriend is careless and doesn’t help out. They’re living together in a dirty apartment as there is beetles and mice everywhere.

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LIVING IN SIN QUESTION 7. Describe the impression you get of the couple's relationship from your reading of this poem.

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LIVING IN SIN QUESTION 7. Describe the impression you get of the couple's relationship from your reading of this poem.

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At the beginning of the poem the girl had an impression that she would live a magical ideal life with the love of her life, however we get an impression of a toxic relationship. The couple has a traditional stereotypical relationship where the woman does all the chores while the man does not do any of that or help. Unlike a traditional relationship where the man goes out to work the man in the poem is careless and unperturbed.

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10. The tigers ‘Will go on prancing, proud and unafraid’ (line 12). Describe the mood of this line. Does the alliteration used enhance this mood? Explain.

The mood present in this line is positive and cheerful as the tigers go on jumping and proud in Aunt Jennifer’s panel, associate that the tigers are free and  will not die like her.

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LIVING IN SIN QUESTION 5. Can you offer an opinion as to why she is going through these changes of emotion? 

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LIVING IN SIN QUESTION 5. Can you offer an opinion as to why she is going through these changes of emotion? 

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The woman is trapped in a endless cycle
The woman has nowhere to go therefore she repeats her duties to please the man.

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LIVING IN SIN QUESTION What do you think make her feel she is the who must tidy

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LIVING IN SIN QUESTION What do you think make her feel she is the who must tidy

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She knows he’ll not do it and as women
her role is to clean and cook

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LIVING IN SIN QUESTION 4. The woman begins to clean up the messy flat, ‘jeered by the minor demons’. What is represented by these ‘demons’ and why are they ‘minor’? What do you think, makes her feel she is the one who must tidy up? 

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LIVING IN SIN QUESTION 4. The woman begins to clean up the messy flat, ‘jeered by the minor demons’. What is represented by these ‘demons’ and why are they ‘minor’? What do you think, makes her feel she is the one who must tidy up? 

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The man is lazy as he yawns when the keyboard is out of tune and is to unmotivated to fix it. He is indifferent and doesn’t care about anything.

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LIVING IN SIN QUESTION 2. List the items in their studio and say what they suggest to you about the couples lifestyle and taste.

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LIVING IN SIN QUESTION 2. List the items in their studio and say what they suggest to you about the couples lifestyle and taste.

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The piano suggest he is a musician. The empty bottles suggest that he might be an alcoholic. The saucers indicate that it’s a home. Sheet means there is a bed in there which proves the point beforehand. Coffee pot indicates that they are cooking.

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LIVING IN SIN QUESTION 1. What assumption had 'she' made when she first moved in with her lover?

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LIVING IN SIN QUESTION 1. What assumption had 'she' made when she first moved in with her lover?

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When 'she' first moved in with her lover she expected a magical, ideal life. She imagined that "the studio would keep itself," that the love of her life would be caring and help her around. As we see in the poem she got the exact opposite, she is unhappy as she faced the reality of having to clean the studio and that her partner is careless and unperturbed.

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AUNT JENNIFER'S TIGERS Question 7: Why might the wedding band seem to belong to "Uncle"? Also suggest reasons why the poet has not named him?

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AUNT JENNIFER'S TIGERS Question 7: Why might the wedding band seem to belong to "Uncle"? Also suggest reasons why the poet has not named him?

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The poem describes the "terrified" Aunt Jennifer's fear-filled existence in a marriage full of "ordeals" in which she is ruled over by her husband, referred to simply as "Uncle." The source of Aunt Jennifer's fear is clearly her marriage, which is respresented as an oppressive institution within which she is trapped. The nervousness of Aunt Jennifer's hands is directly linked to the "massive weights of Uncle's wedding band", a symbolic representation of how stifling and burdensome this marriage is, which is why she does not name him in the poem. The fact that it is "Uncle's wedding band" and not Aunt Jennifer's again affirms Uncle's dominance in the marriage.

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AUNT JENNIFER'S TIGERS Question 10. Compare the verbs and adjectives attached to the tigers in the poem with those attached to Aunt Jennifer? Perhaps make two lists. What does this comparison tell us about the two worlds depicted in the poem?

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AUNT JENNIFER'S TIGERS Question 10. Compare the verbs and adjectives attached to the tigers in the poem with those attached to Aunt Jennifer? Perhaps make two lists. What does this comparison tell us about the two worlds depicted in the poem?

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The Tigers in the poem are seen as strong and free from the chains of marriage and society, they symbolize strength and the toxic male masculinity. This is illustrated “The tigers in the panel that she made will go on prancing, proud and unafraid”. These verbs and adjectives represent strength and power. While Aunt Jennifer is seen as chained and brought down by “The massive weight of Uncles wedding band” Which represents the chains on marriage. When Aunt Jennifer’s is dead the verbs used to describe her corpse are “Her terrified hand will lie Still ringed with ordeals she was mastered by” Illustrating she will forever be in fear and under the control of the male dominance which was pronounced upon her existence since she got married.

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AUNT JENNIFER'S TIGERS Question 4. Do you like this poem? Give reasons for your answer.

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AUNT JENNIFER'S TIGERS Question 4. Do you like this poem? Give reasons for your answer.

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I don’t like this poem because it makes me feel sympathetic towards Aunt Jennifer because she’s going through a toxic marriage with her husband and the poem shows me that she is stuck with him even when she has passed away.

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AUNT JENNIFER'S TIGERS Question 2. What do we learn about the habitat, appearance and personality of the tigers in the first stanza?

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AUNT JENNIFER'S TIGERS Question 2. What do we learn about the habitat, appearance and personality of the tigers in the first stanza?

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We learn that the tigers are a “bright topaz” colour, it also mentions that they are in a “world of green” which is a jungle. The tigers are brave and have a great sense of pride.

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AUNT JENNIFER'S TIGERS Question 1. Rich uses a lot of possible symbolism in the poem. What do the tigers, the needle and the ring represent for you in the poem?

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AUNT JENNIFER'S TIGERS Question 1. Rich uses a lot of possible symbolism in the poem. What do the tigers, the needle and the ring represent for you in the poem?

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In my views, the tigers represent men in society. This is evident when it states: "Will go on prancing, proud and unafraid." The tigers are a symbol of strength and power and it symbolises what men are suppose to be.

The needle represents how mankind exploits and takes advantage of those weaker than us: "Find even the ivory needle hard to pull." It shows that human beings will always find ways to exploit and take things from those weaker than them.

The ring symbolises marriage: "The massive weight of Uncle's wedding band Sits heavily upon Aunt Jennifer's hand." The ring represents how marriage bears a heavy burden upon Aunt Jennifer.

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AUNT JENNIFER'S TIGERS Question (9) Comment on the use and meaning of the words 'ringed', 'ordeals' and 'mastered' in line 10.

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AUNT JENNIFER'S TIGERS Question (9) Comment on the use and meaning of the words 'ringed', 'ordeals' and 'mastered' in line 10.

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The words 'ringed', 'ordeals' and 'mastered' used in the poem give me the impression of 'imprisonment' and 'struggles'.

The word 'ringed' a connotation of being surrounded or 'trapped'. Aunt Jennifer is afraid and trapped in her marriage.

'Mastered' describes of being a slave or controlled. The uncle is the superior sex and the aunt is inferior.

All of this is a set of 'ordeals'. Being ringed and mastered in a marriage is a 'traumatic' experience.

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AUNT JENNIFER'S TIGERS Question 8. Why, do you think, will Aunt Jennifer’s hands remain ‘terrified’ even after she dies?

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AUNT JENNIFER'S TIGERS Question 8. Why, do you think, will Aunt Jennifer’s hands remain ‘terrified’ even after she dies?

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Even in death, Aunt Jennifer will still be wearing her Husband’s ring, this is evident in the following quote: “When Aunt is dead, her terrified hands will lie still ringed.” Even though Aunt Jennifer will no longer ever be conscious again, the ring serves as a symbol to how horrible her marriage was.

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AUNT JENNIFER'S TIGERS Question 5.    What do we learn about Jennifer's hands in the second stanza? What emotions do you associate with aunt Jennifer here.

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AUNT JENNIFER'S TIGERS Question 5.    What do we learn about Jennifer's hands in the second stanza? What emotions do you associate with aunt Jennifer here.

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We learn that she is weak as she finds "the ivory needle hard to pull." I associate sadness as she seems to be restrained by her husband as "the massive weight of uncles wedding band sits heavily upon aunt jennfifers hand." Here we notice that she is unhappy therefore I also associate sympathy with Aunt Jennifer in this poem. Aunt Jennifer doesn't desire the life she lives but the wedding band holds her still

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AUNT JENNIFER'S TIGERS Question Thinking about the poem Q5   :     From your reading of the poem, how does the speaker feel about his or her aunt and uncle 

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AUNT JENNIFER'S TIGERS Question Thinking about the poem Q5   :     From your reading of the poem, how does the speaker feel about his or her aunt and uncle 

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The speaker feels that her Aunt is powerless against her uncle who is compared as a fearsome tiger. The speaker compares the aunt to a weak women who even in death will not be free of her faith.“her terrified hands will lie”. The quote shows how even through death see will not be free of her marriage.

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AUNT JENNIFER'S TIGERS Question 6. What do you notice about the form and rhyming scheme in this poem? Do these observations in any way reflect the themes and issues dealt with in the poem? 

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AUNT JENNIFER'S TIGERS Question 6. What do you notice about the form and rhyming scheme in this poem? Do these observations in any way reflect the themes and issues dealt with in the poem? 

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I think the rhyming scheme adds to the overall impact of how you read through the lines, “Aunt Jennifer’s tigers prance across a screen, bright topaz denizens of a world of green” this helps build up a more suspenseful feeling in the poem. The form that the poem is written in  draws the reader in because of the short length it has, but within three stanzas the poet managed to fit a whole life story. It is written in a writing couplet.

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AUNT JENNIFER'S TIGERS Question 3. What, do you feel, is the overall theme of the poem? You can choose one of the options here or suggest your own interpretation.

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AUNT JENNIFER'S TIGERS Question 3. What, do you feel, is the overall theme of the poem? You can choose one of the options here or suggest your own interpretation.

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I feel like the theme of the poem is oppression of women. Uncle has control on Aunt Jennifer and acts as if he owns her. The oppression of women is showed throughout this poem as Aunt Jennifer fears Uncle.

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AUNT JENNIFER'S TIGERS Question 2. Why, do you  think, Aunt Jennifer described in terms of only her hand while the tigers are depicted in more detail?

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AUNT JENNIFER'S TIGERS Question 2. Why, do you  think, Aunt Jennifer described in terms of only her hand while the tigers are depicted in more detail?

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Aunt Jennifer described in terms of her hand because she is the representative of all women suffering in their marriage, while the tigers are depicted in more detail in the poem; therefore Adrienne Rich took the tiger as hunters that, in my opinion, Aunt Jennifer's hand had been hunted by tigers.

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AUNT JENNIFER'S TIGERS Question 6.The needle Aunt Jennifer uses is made of ivory. What is ivory? Could this be significant or connected to the tigers’ world in any way? 

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AUNT JENNIFER'S TIGERS Question 6.The needle Aunt Jennifer uses is made of ivory. What is ivory? Could this be significant or connected to the tigers’ world in any way? 

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Ivory is a hard, white material from the teeth and tusks of an Elephant. This is significant as it shows that men take what they want when ever they want.

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AUNT JENNIFER'S TIGERS                           Question 3. The tigers do not fear the men beneath the tree. What do you imagine is happening here? Who might these men be? Why are they 'beneath the tree'? Why do you imagine, are the tigers unafraid of them?  

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AUNT JENNIFER'S TIGERS                           Question 3. The tigers do not fear the men beneath the tree. What do you imagine is happening here? Who might these men be? Why are they 'beneath the tree'? Why do you imagine, are the tigers unafraid of them?  

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I imagine that these men are hunters who are 'beneath the tree' to hide from the animals before attempting to kill them. I believe the tigers are unafraid as they are stronger and more powerful than human beings and have nothing to fear.

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AUNT JENNIFER'S TIGERS                              Question 2: Comment on the alliteration of ‘z’ sounds in the phrase ‘bright topaz denizens’ (line 2). What effect is achieved here?    

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AUNT JENNIFER'S TIGERS                              Question 2: Comment on the alliteration of ‘z’ sounds in the phrase ‘bright topaz denizens’ (line 2). What effect is achieved here?    

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As the letter ‘z’ is alliterated and read multiple times in the phrase ‘bright topaz denizens’, it gets harder to speak at the same pace. Therefore, it grabs the audiences attention.