THE LIVING PHOTOGRAPH

• Jackie Kay was born in

Edinburgh in 1961 to a Scottish

mother and a Nigerian father.
• She was adopted by a white

couple at birth and raised in

Glasgow.
• she studied English ay the

University of Stirling, Scotland
• her first book of poetry 'The

Adoption Papers' was published

in 1991 and won the Saltire

Society Scottish First Book

Award.
• Currently a professor of

Creative Writing at Newscastle

University, England.



cookie baker
doctor

cheer leader
hug giver





The Living Photograph
by Jackie Kay

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 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.

STANZA 1 LINE 1-4

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.

STANZA 1 LINE 1-4

'tall' and 'straight-back'
suggest that she was standing

with good posture. She was
poised and composed.

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.

She was a kind and loving The way she dressed
woman and she loved the signifies that she was a
persona unconditionally.
woman of an upper
or middle class.

STANZA 1 LINE 5-7

Her big hand holds mine,
white hand in black hand.
Her sharp blue eyes look her death in the eye.

STANZA 1 LINE 5-7 Note that her grandmother is dead and yet
the persona refers to her in present tense.
The persona's grandmother This proves that she is still alive in the
held her hand. persona's heart and she wants to remember
her grandmother exactly like when she was
in the picture.

Her big hand holds mine,
white hand in black hand.
Her sharp blue eyes look her death in the eye.

Her grandmother's blue eyes were The contrast of their skin
sharp and she looks well however colours could clearly be
seen.
her death was near. Her sharp * Jackie Kay is a Nigerian
eyes suggest that she was adopted by a Scottish
brave and accepted the fact family. The persona could
that she was going to die. be Jackie Kay herself.

STANZA 2

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.

STANZA 2

The persona was very sure that her grandmother

was going to die soon by looking at her condition. she became

thinner and

It was true after all; that look. fragile

My tall grandmother became small. She grew older
and became
Her back round and hunched.

Her soup forgot to boil. hunched

She went to the awful place grandmothers go.

Somewhere unknown, unthinkable.

She suffered senile dementia Her grandmother passed away and
and became forgetful. she went to a place that no one
knows

Why do you think this stanza was written in PAST TENSE?

She was describing her actual state of dying and her
grandmother is now dead.

STANZA 3

But there she is still,
in the photo with me at three,
the crinkled smile is still living, breathing.

STANZA 3

However in the photograph, her The photograph was taken
grandmother will always be alive with her grandmother
The memory of her still lives on.. when she was three years
old.

But there she is still,

in the photo with me at three,

the crinkled smile is still living, breathing.

Her grandmother's smile is still so alive and real.

The persona does not want to remember her grandmother as old and
senile but she wants to remember her as loving, poised and brave.

Why do you think this stanza was written in PRESENT TENSE?

It is because her grandmother will always be alive in her heart
and the good memories will live on