THE LIVING PHOTIGRAPH

Stanza
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.
It was true after all; that look.
My tall grandmother become small.
Her back round and hunched.
Her soup forgot to boil.
She went to the awful place grandmothers go.
Somewhere unknown, unthinkable.
But there she is still,
in the photo with me at three,
the crinkled smile is still living, breathing.
Meaning
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.
The persona accepts that her grandmother has passed
to the other world, as all grandmothers do.
Grandmother, who was of a tall stature became small,
hunched and forgetful.
The persona at the age three had taken a photograph
with grandmother. When she looks at the photograph,
she feels grandmother’s presence. To the persona, her
grandmother is still very much alive and smiling at
her.

SAMPLE QUESTIONS
1. In stanza 1, what part of her body does grey bun refer to?

____________________________________________________________________________________________

2. In stanza 2, which phrase indicates that the grandmother had become forgetful?

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

3. Why do you think the persona’s grandmother is ‘tall’ in the photo?

______________________________________________________________________________________________

4. Do you think “The Living Photograph” is a suitable title for the poem? Provide a reason to support your answer.
Opinion :
Reason :

5. In stanza 1, which line indicates that the grandmother and the persona were of different races?

______________________________________________________________________________________________

6. In stanza 3, how old the persona when the photo was taken?

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

7. She went to the awful place grandmothers go.

Somewhere unknown, unthinkable.
What has happened to the persona’s grandmother?
______________________________________________________________________________________________
 8. the crinkled smile is still living, breathing.
What can you say about the persona’s feelings towards her grandmother? Provide a reason to support your
answer.
Response :.
Reason :
.

Where does the word ' there' refer to in the poem?

______________________________________________________________________________________________

9. Which line indicates that the two people belonged to two different races?
10. __________________________________________________________________________________________
__

11. Why has the grandmother become small?

_________________________________________________________________________________________

13. How does the persona look upon death? Give evidence from the poem to justify your answer.
       Evidence 1:____________________________
       Evidence 2:____________________________

14. From stanza 1, what impression do we get of the poet's grandmother from the following?
       (a) straight-back:___________________ (b) her big hand holds mine

15 From stanza 2, what happened to the grandmother before she died?

16.The poem is titled 'The Living Photograph'. Suggest two reasons why the poet has chosen the this
        title.
        Reason 1:__________________________
        Reason 2:__________________________

17. From stanza 1, which line suggests that the grandmother had a determined look?
18. Which words in the poem refer most directly to death?

19 'But there she is still'  What does there refer to?

20. Grandmothers are greatly loved by their grandchildren. Suggest two reasons why the poet loved           her
grandmother.
        Reason 1:______________________
        Reason 2:______________________

21.  In stanza 1, which words tell us that the narrator was an adopted child?
______________________________________________________________________________________________

22.  From stanza 2, which word tells us that the grandmother's body was bent?
______________________________________________________________________________________________

23. Why do you think her soup forgot to boil?

______________________________________________________________________________________________

24 'My small grandmother is tall there', The narrator admires her grandmother for her personal
       qualities. State one personal quality of her grandmother. Support your answer from the evidence
       from the poem.
       Quality : ______________________
        Evidence : ____________________
 25.  State two physical attributes of the grandmother in the photograph.
______________________________________________________________________________________________

26. How has the straight back of the grandmother changed in stanza 2?
______________________________________________________________________________________________

27. How old was the persona in the picture?

______________________________________________________________________________________________

28. How does the persona look upon inter-racial relationships? Give a reason to support your answer
        Inter-racial relationship: ______________________________
        Reason:____________________________________________

29. Which word in the poem denotes the same meaning as the word 'unimaginable'?
______________________________________________________________________________________________

30. the contrast between the 1st stanza and the 2nd stanza.
______________________________________________________________________________________________

31. Give one moral value one can learn from the poem.
______________________________________________________________________________________________

32. stanza 1, which words mean 'open embroidery on white linen'?

______________________________________________________________________________________________

33. Describe the grandmother's skirt and shoes.

______________________________________________________________________________________________

34. Why do you think the grandmother forgot to boil the soup?
______________________________________________________________________________________________

35. Where do you think the persona was when the grandmother passed away?
   
_____________________________________________________________________________________________

36. What do the 'sharp blue eyes' tell us about the grandmother's race?
______________________________________________________________________________________________

37. According to the persona, where has the grandmother gone?

______________________________________________________________________________________________

38. you think the grandmother can be described as brave?

  
______________________________________________________________________________________________

39.What has happened to the grandmother's height and how does she look then?
______________________________________________________________________________________________

40. In stanza 3, which word means 'creased'?

______________________________________________________________________________________________

41. When do you think the grandmother can be described as 'tall there ? 853
______________________________________________________________________________________________

42. Which line tells us that the persona and her grandmother are of different race?
______________________________________________________________________________________________
43. What do you think was the age gap between the persona and her grandmother in the photo?
______________________________________________________________________________________________

44. In stanza 2, which word means 'to have a bent back'?

______________________________________________________________________________________________

45. How old was the persona when the photograph was taken?
______________________________________________________________________________________________

46. What happened to the soup and where do you think it was?
______________________________________________________________________________________________

47.  'she went to the awful place grandmothers go...'

      Do you think the persona understand about death? Provide a reason for answer,
______________________________________________________________________________________________

48. In stanza 3, what does the smile tells us about the face?
______________________________________________________________________________________________

49. What is the main theme of the poem?

______________________________________________________________________________________________

50. Which phrase tells us the grandmother's race is different from that of the persona?     
   
_____________________________________________________________________________________________

51. How do you think the persona feels when she looks at the photograph? Provide a reason for  your answer.
______________________________________________________________________________________________