Professional Documents
Culture Documents
(Form 4)
Introduction
The living photograph
is about a grandchild
looking at a
photograph of his/her
departed grandmother
and remembering her.
Even though the
grandmother is gone,
the photograph keeps
her alive in the
grandchilds memory.
Stanza 1
Line 1: My grandmother is tall there.
The word there refers to the old
photograph.
Line 2: Straight back, white broderie
anglaise shirt
Line 3: Pleated skirt, flat shoes, grey bun
Grandmother wears a white embroided
shirt, a pleated skirt and flat shoes. Her
hair is tied up in a bun.
Stanza 2
Line 8: It was true after all; that look
was how she remembers her grandmother
used to be or the look that a grandmother
give that she was expecting death was true.
Stanza 3
Line 13: But there she is still,
Line 14: In the photo with me at three,
Line 15: the crinkled smile is still living,
breathing.
is in the photograph (still living in her heart)
Feels her grandmothers presence whenever
she
looks at the photograph
She wants to remember her as a healthy
person, not old and fragile
Setting
There is no mention of place and
time. The persona looks at an old
photograph
taken
with
her
grandmother when she was only
three years old. Going through an old
photo album could indicate an indoor
or living room setting. But there is no
expressed statement to validate that.
Theme
Love and fond memories of a person who has passed away. It
also declares how fond memories are perpetuated by an old
photograph
The positive image people create in remembrance of a
departed person
Coping with grief and loss one way is to hang on to the good
memories of a person
Moral Values
We must strive for close family
relationships.
We should love and appreciate our
family members while they are still
alive.
We must not dwell on the past too
much.
We should learn to let go of the dead.
References
http://literature.britishcouncil.org/jackie-kay