THE LIVING PHOTOGRAPH BY JACKIE KAY FROM MISS NATRA

LITERATURE FORM 4: ‘THE LIVING PHOTOGRAPH’ POEM BY JACKIE KAY

THE LIVING PHOTOGRAPH

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 at her own death in the eye.

It was true after all; that look.
My tall grandmother became 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.

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A GIFT FOR MY BELOVED STUDENTS MISS NATRA @SMKPJI 2020

LITERATURE FORM 4: ‘THE LIVING PHOTOGRAPH’ POEM BY JACKIE KAY

THE MEANING OF EACH STANZA

Stanza 1 (line 1-7)

Line Stanza 1 Literal meaning
1 My small grandmother is tall there, The persona’s grandmother looks tall in the
photograph.
2 straight-back, white broderie anglaise She is standing with good posture, wearing an
shirt, embroidered lace blouse.
She wears the blouse with a pleated skirt, non-
3 pleated skirt, flat shoes, grey bun, heeled shoes and her hair in a bun.
She is smiling kindly.
4 a kind, old smile round her eyes.

5 Her big hand holds mine, Her big hand is holding the persona’s hand.

6 White hand in black hand The contrast of their skin colours can be seen in

their linked hands.

7 Her sharp blue eyes look at her own Her grandmother’s blue eyes suggest that her

death in the eye. death is near.

Stanza 2 (line 8-13) Literal meaning
Line Stanza 2 The persona’s reference of death came true.
8 It was true after all; that look.
The grandmother became thinner and more
9 My tall grandmother became small. fragile.
Her back became hunched.
10 Her back round and hunched.
She became forgetful.
11 Her soup forgot to boil.
Soon, she passed away.
12 She went to the awful place
grandmothers go. Upon her death, she went to a place that no
one knows.
13 Somewhere unknown, unthinkable.

Stanza 3 (line 14- 16) Literal meaning
Line Stanza 3 However, in the photograph, her grandmother’s
14 But there she is still, smile is still so alive and real.
The persona was three years old in the
15 in the photo with me at three, photograph with her grandmother.
Her grandmother’s smile is still so alive and real.
16 the crinkled smile is still living,
breathing. Page2

A GIFT FOR MY BELOVED STUDENTS MISS NATRA @SMKPJI 2020

LITERATURE FORM 4: ‘THE LIVING PHOTOGRAPH’ POEM BY JACKIE KAY

A) SYNOPSIS

The persona reminisces the memories of her grandmother when looking at a
photo she had with her grandmother. In the photo, she was holding hands with her
grandmother when she was 3 years old. The persona describes how her grandmother was
tall, wearing an embroidered white blouse, pleated skirt and flat shoes. Her grandmother
had her hair up in a bun and smiling in the picture. Both of them are different in skin
colours as her grandmother is white and the persona is black. The persona also reminisces
that her grandmother’s health became deteriorated. Her grandmother’s blue eyes looked
different and it suggested that the grandmother is facing death. The persona’s
grandmother became thinner, more fragile, has a hunched back and forgetful. Soon, she
passed away. The persona accepts the fact and still remembers her grandmother during
the good times they had. She still feels that her grandmother is still alive and real. The
persona wants to remember her grandmother exactly she was in the picture.

B) ABOUT THE POEM

The poem highlights the memories the person had with her grandmother. The poem
could be about the poet; Jackie Kay herself as she was born to a Nigerian (father)-Scottish
(mother). She was adopted by a white Scottish family and raised in Glasgow, Scotland. The
poem implies that the grandmother is white and the persona is black; a mixed race family.
Her grandmother dressed nicely which suggested that she was a woman of an upper or
middle class. It also explores about the notion of death and dealing with it. “Sharp blue eyes”
phrase in the stanza suggest that her grandmother was brave and accepted the fact that she
was going to die. The poem also explores the idea of memories created in picture can last
forever.

C) THEMES D) SETTING E) TONE & MOOD F) LANGUAGE & STYLE
The Probably in Tone: the poet used Language is easy &
everlasting Scotland. child-like but with simple.
quality of At the family confidence & optimistic Style is direct to the
photographs home. voice. Sad & reminiscing. point.
portrays good Present time. Mood: sad, reflective. There isn’t any clear
memories & rhyme scheme.
relationship. Page3
Death.

A GIFT FOR MY BELOVED STUDENTS MISS NATRA @SMKPJI 2020

LITERATURE FORM 4: ‘THE LIVING PHOTOGRAPH’ POEM BY JACKIE KAY

G) MORAL VALUES & MESSAGES
We must treasure our loved ones when they are alive.
We must spend more time with our loved ones because once they pass away, all that
will be left are the memories.
It is difficult to lose a family member.
We must never forget the importance of family relationship

H) LITERARY DEVICES

Imagery ”straight-back, white broderie anglaise shirt,”
(using words to create vivid images to “pleated skirt, flat shoes, grey bun,”
readers) “a kind, old smile round her eyes.”
-description about her grandmother in Stanza 1

Contrast -First stanza describe how her grandmother is
(refer to the differences between 2 strong and healthy while in second stanza shows
things) her getting older and gone.

Personification -Her soup forgot to boil (means grandmother has
(representing a non-human thing as if it become forgetful)
were human) -The crinkled smile is still living, breathing (means
grandmother’s smile looks so alive in the
photograph

Irony The irony is in the title itself “The Living
(refers to the use of words to mean Photograph” which seems to suggest that the
something very different from what grandmother is still alive but in reality she is
they appear to be) actually dead.

Foreshadowing “her sharp blue eyes look her own death in the
(means a warning or indication of a eye” foreshadows what is to happen next as the
future event) grandmother dies in the next stanza.

Symbolism The photograph represents the memories the

(the use of objects, plants or animals to persona has for her late grandmother

represent something else)

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A GIFT FOR MY BELOVED STUDENTS MISS NATRA @SMKPJI 2020