Stanza 1
|
Line
|
Meaning
|
|
1
My
small grandmother is tall there,
|
The persona’s grandmother looks tall in the
photograph.
She is standing with good posture, wearing an
embroidered lace blouse.
She wears the blouse with a pleated skirt,
non-heeled shoes and her hair in a bun.
She is smiling kindly.
Her big hand is holding the persona’s hand.
The contrast of their skin colours can clearly be
seen in their linked hands.
Her grandmother’s blue eyes suggests that her death
is near.
|
|
2
straight-back,
white broderie anglaise shirt ,
|
|
|
3 pleated skirt, flat shoes, grey bun,
|
|
|
4 a kind, old smile round her eyes.
|
|
|
5 Her big hand holds mine,
|
|
|
6 white hand in black hand.
|
|
|
7 Her sharp blue eyes look her death in the
eye.
|
Stanza 2
|
Line
|
Meaning
|
|
8 It was true after all; that look.
|
The persona’s reference of death came true.
The grandmother became thinner and more fragile.
Her back became hunched.
She became forgetful.
Soon, she passed away.
Upon her death, she went to a place that no one
knows.
|
|
9 My tall grandmother became small.
|
|
|
10 Her back round and hunched.
|
|
|
11 Her soup forgot to boil.
|
|
|
12 She went to the awful place grandmothers
go.
|
|
|
13 Somewhere unknown, unthinkable.
|
Stanza 3
|
Line
|
Meaning
|
|
14 But there she is still,
|
However, in the photograph, her grandmother will
always be alive.
The persona was there years old in the photograph
with her grandmother.
Her grandmother’s smile is still so alive and
real.
|
|
15 in the photo with me at three,
|
|
|
16 the crinkled smile is still living,
breathing.
|
SUMMARY OF STANZA 1
The persona is
looking at an old photograph of her grandmother and herself. She describes the
photograph – her grandmother is standing tall and straight, dressed in a white
embroidered lace blouse with a pleated skirt, and flat shoes. Her grey hair is
pulled neatly into a bun. She is smiling kindly while holding the persona’s
hand in hers, giving her the security and comfort. As the persona describes
their linked hands – white
hand in black hand – it is clear that they come from a mixed
race family. The last line seems to suggest that the persona knows that her
grandmother’s death will come soon.
SUMMARY OF STANZA 2
While the
first describes the photograph, in the second stanza, the persona is
remembering her grandmother later, when she is older and has become ill. The
persona recalls how her grandmother soon grows thinner and more fragile. Her
back is hunched and she becomes forgetful as is illustrated in the line, Her soup forgot to boil. Eventually,
she passes away and upon her death, she goes to an unimaginable place.
SUMMARY OF STANZA 3
However, in
the photograph, the persona’s grandmother will forever be alive. She is still
there, holding the hand of her three-year-old granddaughter, with her smile
looking so alive and real.
.
