THE LIVING PHOTOGRAPH

BY JACKIE KAY

Literature Form 4
 STANZA 1
My small grandmother is tall there,
straight-back,white broderie anglaise shirt,
pleated skirt,flat shoes,grey bun, a kind,old smile
round her eyes.
Her big hand holds mine, white hand in black hand.
Her sharp blue eyes look her own death in the eye.
 STANZA 2
It was true after all that look.
My tall grandmother became small.
Her back round and hunched.
Her soup forgo to boil.
She went to the awful place grandmothers go.
Somewhere unknown, unthinkable.
 STANZA 2
But there she is still,
in the photo with me at three,
the crinkled smile is still living ,breathing.
 Literal Meaning
STANZA 1
◦ The persona described her
grandmother as tall and well-
dressed with a kind smile.
◦ Her smile comes from her
eyes. On her deathbed, she
held the persona’s small
black hand in her big white
hand. She was not afraid to
leave the world.
Figurative Meaning
STANZA 1
◦ As we start off with our life,
we stand tall and confident.
We make sure everything is
carried out properly without
a flaw.
◦ We approach every situation
with a smile even as we offer
encouragement to others
and receive support in return.
When face with an inevitable
situation, we face the
inevitability bravely.
 Literal Meaning Figurative Meaning
STANZA 2 STANZA 2

◦The persona accepts ◦ We can feel the onset of

that her grandmother the inevitable as we look
around and notice the
has passed to the
signs of changes. We
other world, as all begin to lose our grip as
grandmothers do. things change beyond
Grandmother, who our control. We may
was of a tall stature even forget to do certain
became small, things. But, finally, the
hunched and situation is out of our
hands and we have to
forgetful.
let go.
 Literal Meaning Figurative Meaning
STANZA 3 STANZA 3

◦ The persona at the age ◦But sometimes there

three had taken a may be a memento
photograph with to remind us of what
grandmother. When she
we used to be. The
looks at the photograph,
she feels grandmother’s
memento helps to
presence. To the keep our memories
persona, her alive.
grandmother is still very
much alive and smiling
at her.
 THEME
◦Close family ties
◦Grandmother-Granddaughter relationship
◦Love and appreciation
◦Unwillingness to let go of someone close
◦Value of photograph
MORAL VALUES
◦We must strive for close family relationship with our
grandparents and parents.
◦We should love and appreciate close family members while
they are still alive.
◦We must learn to let go of the dead.
◦Keeping a memento like a photograph helps to keep
memories alive.
◦We must not dwell on the past too much
 Questions
1. Why do you think the grandmother wore flat shoes?

2. Why do you think the grandmother became small?

3. Why did the grandmother’s back become round and

hunched?

4. According to the persona, where has the grandmother

gone and why ‘there
she is still’?

5. Why is the smile described as still living and breathing?

 Questions
6. Why did the grandmother go to that awful
place?
7. Why was the place described as awful?
8. How do we know that the grandmother looked
prim and proper?
9. ‘Her soup forgot to boil’
10. What other thing do you think the
grandmother was likely to forget to do? Give a
reason to support your answer.
Answer
◦ Most probably because she is aging and cannot wear heeled-shoes.
◦ She became small because she had aged and her back had hunched.
◦ This is because she is aging and her bones are weaker.
◦ Her grandmother had passed away and gone to the awful place.
◦ Most probably the photograph is very well taken.
◦ She became old and passed away.
◦ No one has been there and persona can no longer see or talk to her grandmother.
◦ She was properly dressed in white broderie anglaise shirt with pleated skirt and flat
shoes.
◦ Thing: Where she placed her spectacles or forgot to turn on the kettle
◦ Reason: As one gets older, its normal to be forgetful.