The Living Photograph by Jackie Kay

The Living Photographby Jackie Kay

• 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.

Who is your Grandmother to you?

storyteller

sunshinehandholder

advisorangel

teacher

peacemaker

doctor

family historian

problem

solvermentor

cookie baker

cheer leader

hug giver

chef

healer

counselor

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.

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

broderie anglaise shirtpleated skirt flat shoes grey bun

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.

The way she dressed signifies that she was a woman of an upper or middle class.

She was a kind and loving woman and she loved the persona unconditionally.

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

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

The persona's grandmother held her hand.

The contrast of their skin colours could clearly be seen. * Jackie Kay is a Nigerian adopted by a Scottish family. The persona could be Jackie Kay herself.

Her grandmother's blue eyes were sharp and she looks well however her death was near. Her sharp eyes suggest that she was brave and accepted the fact that she was going to die.

Note that her grandmother is dead and yet the persona refers to her in present tense. This proves that she is still alive in the persona's heart and she wants to remember her grandmother exactly like when she was in the picture.

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

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 fragile

She grew older and became hunched

She suffered senile dementia and became forgetful.

Her grandmother passed away and 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.

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

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 grandmother will always be alive The memory of her still lives on..

The photograph was taken with her grandmother when she was three years old.

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