NOVEL-“20 000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA”

This novel- 20000 Leagues under the Sea was written by Jules Verne (Retold and published by Singapore Asia Publishers Pte Ltd)

About the Author

Jules Verne was born in Nantes, France in 1828. He was sent to Paris by his father to study law at university. Verne gave up law and started writing. He is often called the founding father of science fiction. He lived in poverty for ten years before his first success when he published his first novel in 1863. From then on, he published at least one book per year, many of which reflected his interest in scientific progress and inventions. Several of his ideas have been prophetic and have become fact, for instance, the submarine Nautilus in 20,000 Leagues Under the sea predated modern submarines by almost thirty years. His books have been a favourite by readers all around the world. He died in 1905. He had published over sixty works.

 

SYNOPSIS

Professor Pierre Aronnax, an Assistant Professor from the Museum of Natural History in Paris is invited on an expedition with Commander Farragut on his ship, Abrahim Lincoln to get rid of a sea monster. They attack the sea monster but it turns out to be the Nautilus, a submarine run by Captain Nemo. The professor, his servant and Ned Land are captured and forced to travel with the submarine crew to the world’s oceans. Not knowing exactly where he is, Professor  Aronnax knows that he is in for quite an adventure. Despite being a prisoner, Professor Aronnax is intrigued by the wonders of the sea, the capabilities of the Nautilus, and the strange behaviour and actions of Captain Nemo. The men are amazed with the deep-sea creatures and they travel to remote islands. They encounter a brilliant madman who travels the seas seeking revenge and beauty. Unable to continue in such a manner, they risk their lives to free themselves. Their chance arrives when the Nautilus enters a dangerous part of the sea called the Maelstrom, the men survive. They find themselves safe in a fisherman’s cottage. Professor Aronnax does not know whether Nautilus escapes the Maelstorm and if Captain Nemo is still alive.

CHARACTERS:

Professor Aronnax: an expert of undersea life, he gets panicky easily when he falls into the sea. However, he has refined knowledge of academic philosophy and culture. He is unable to rely on his senses or on real-life experience. He must be able to reason everything scientifically. He is more inclined to believe science than his own experience.

Captain Nemo: In Latin, Nemo means nobody. It is very true of the captain as he cannot be identified by a name and he asks others to call him Nemo, which appears to be a self-appointed name.

Ned Land: Ned Land’s name obviously comes from Land. He hunts what is in the sea but is attached to the Land. He is much “earthier” than Professor Aronnax.

Conseil: Conseil in French means counsel. He offers counsel to Professor Aronnax.

 

PLOT

The plot of a novel comprises of the series of events that make up the story.  It is the sequence of events that take place in the story .There are five important parts in a plot.

1. Introduction/Exposition: A mysterious creature has been sinking ships. Pierre Aronnax, an expert on the undersea world, is asked to go on a search mission by the US Navy. On board the ship are Pierre Aronnax, a renowned scientist along with his manservant, Conseil, and Ned Land the king of harpooners. The men meet Captain Nemo, the commander of the vessel, known as theNautilus. 

2. Rising Action: Captain Nemo tells them they must never leave theNautilus because he wants to protect its secrets, and his own.

3. Climax: Nemo attacks a warship. Aronnax does not know to which country the warship belongs and baffled when Captain Nemo sinks it. The men decide they must escape at all costs. This is a major decision, which permanently changes their condition of imprisonment.

4. Falling action: They realize they are heading toward a giant whirlpool. However, they survived. They awake in the hut of a fisherman.

5. Denouement/ Resolution: Aronnax plans to return to France and continue writing.

SETTING

Here are some of the places mentioned in the novel:

1. Coast of Australia in July, 1866: The place where the enormous unidentified ‘thing’ was first seen.
2. The Abraham Lincoln: A warship in which Professor Aronnax was invited to join for the expedition to track down the creature that has been destroying ships at sea. It is the best ship of the United States navy which is well equipped to catch the strange sea creature.
3. Nautilus: A highly technological submarine designed, engineered and built by Captain Nemo who has a mystical relationship with the submarine which has become his entire world.
4. Forest of Crespo Island: Captain Nemo presents to Professor Aronnax an underwater island on their first undersea expedition. It is a valley that contains treelike plants whose branches rose straight up.
5. Coral Kingdom: The place where they buried the dead man who was treated by Professor Aronnax. The corals build up over the graves and seal the bodies forever.
6. Arabian Tunnel: An underground passage at Suez which is a layer of solid rock with a natural tunnel. The Nautilus went through this tunnel to reach the Mediterranean.
7. Vigo Bay: A graveyard of old-wrecked ships filled with treasure.The place where twenty-three ships loaded with treasure was set fire when the Spanish admiral felt that he would lose the battle with the English

THEMES

Man and Nature

Nature here refers to the wonderful nature of the world beneath the waves.  Both Captain Nemo and Dr. Aronnax love the sea and have a fascination with the creatures they see and observe. This has made difficult for Aronnax to leave when he is finally convinced that he must escape.

In this story Captain Nemo is trying to overcome nature by creating a new environment. This is typical in a science fiction where man tries to overcome nature. Despite his attempt to create a new environment, he cannot control all living things. Forces of nature get in Nemo’s way in incidences such as being attacked by a shark and being trapped in an ice tunnel.

Technology and Modernization

Nemo has very good knowledge in the field of science and engineering.  His submarine manufactures its own electricity, has provisions for quantities of oxygen that allow it to remain submerged, and is as comfortable as any home. All food comes from the ocean. There is clothing made from some sort of sea fiber. There are cigars made of a special seaweed. Captain Nemo has air guns that allow him and the crew to go hunting as well as a device that permits the crew to walk the ocean floor. However, his achievements in the field of science has alienated him from humanity. He is considered to be a genius but at the same time he is also an outcast. His inventions are many hundreds of years ahead of time; thus, he does not belong in the world he is currently living. Technology and modernization can affect us in both ways- positively and sometimes in a negative way if we do not understand how to live in it.

Adventure and Exploration

Dr. Aronnax, takes on the task of identifying and classifying every animal on the planet. Captain Nemo takes his strange submarine into places no man has ever been before: a coral kingdom, a bed filled with pearls, the Arabian tunnel and so forth. He travels thousands of kilometres under and on the surface of the sea because he has a quest for adventure and knowledge. This quest for knowledge and understanding and the need to explore every centimetre of the planet seems to be a function inseparable from the human brain. The author understands this impulse to acquire new knowledge.

SYMBOLS

Captain Nemo’s Room: His room may be interpreted as a symbol of the Captain himself: his exterior (the extravagantly decorated ship) is commanding and intimidating–his interior (his room) is hollow, and lonely.

The Giant Pearl: This pearl holds a kind of appeal for Nemo. It is really beautiful, and as long as it stays a secret. It is something unique that he owns. It’s a piece of Nemo’s private, self-constructed world that represents the allure of the untouched, of unsolved mysteries.

The name “NEMO”: Nemo in Latin means “No One”. It describes the captain as a mysterious man.  It is as if he is protecting his identity. 

Meaning of the Title

 A league is an old-fashioned measurement of distance that’s approximately equivalent to 5 kilometres. 5 x 20,000 = 100,000 kilometres. This is the distance Aronnax, Nemo, and company travel under the sea, not the depth they go while traveling. 20,000 leagues is about a quarter of the way to the moon when the moon’s closest to earth as written by Verne in his book From the Earth to the Moon. The title tells us of how epic and extensive the journey is. The phrase “under the sea” is important because it points the Nautilus is not a regular old boat; but one that can travel beneath the waves.

 

 

 

 

 

THE POEM “A POISON TREE”

A discussion on the poem ‘A  POISON TREE’

Let’s discuss the poem you need to study – “A Poison Tree” by William Blake

A Poison Tree

I was angry with my friend:
I told my wrath, my wrath did end.
I was angry with my foe:
I told it not, my wrath did grow.

And I watered it in fears,
Night and morning with my tears;
And I sunned it with smiles,
And with soft deceitful wiles.

And it grew both day and night,
Till it bore an apple bright.
And my foe beheld it shine.
And he knew that it was mine,

And into my garden stole
When the night had veiled the pole;
In the morning glad I see
My foe outstretched beneath the tree.

William Blake

Form and Structure-This poem has been written in four quatrains. This is one of the simplest poetic forms.  Each stanza has a pair of rhyming couplets- aabb. (friend-end; foe-grow; fears-tears; smiles-wiles; night-bright; shine-mine; stole-pole; see-tree).

Language-Overall, the vocabulary is simple. Most of the words in the first stanza are mono syllables. All the lines in the first stanza begin with “I”. This emphasizes that there is something personal and told from an individual point of view.

Understanding the poem:

Stanza 1 opens with how the persona was angry with his friend. He told his friend about his anger and the anger then disappeared. The persona then goes on to describe a scenario when he was angry with his enemy. He did not tell his enemy that he was angry, thus, his anger kept on growing!

In stanza 2, the persona talks more on how his anger grows. He compares his growing anger to a growing plant where he waters the plant with his fears and his tears. However, he did not give it real sunshine. He merely gives smiles and deceitful wiles. A wile is a cunning trick. Here, it suggests that he may be planning some sort of a devious scheme for his enemy- and this deceitful scheme is just like the sunshine for the growing plant.

Stanza 3 describes how the persona’s efforts eventually bore fruit. The fruit is the apple bright. The enemy clearly recognises that the fruit belongs to the persona.

Stanza 4 reveals that the enemy had seen the apple and stole it. The enemy had stolen the apple during the night when it was dark as the “pole” – the North Star was all covered up. Thus, the star was not visible-to guide the enemy out of the danger. The enemy eats the apple and most probably – he dies.

Metaphor-A growing apple tree is an extended metaphor for the growing anger and it shows how destructive anger can be. The title “A Poison Tree” is the central metaphor. The apple has become poisonous as it has been nurtured with anger. In other words, the tree grew with negative emotions. When we stay angry for a long time, we may become “A Poison Tree” (a person full of negative emotions).

 Setting-The persona’s garden. The garden where the apple tree grows. The apple tree that features the apple which lures the enemy.

Symbolism-The apple represents anger. The apple grows large till it ripens. Similarly, anger grows till it becomes vengeance.

Themes:

Managing Anger:  It is not totally wrong to be angry. However, it is rather important for us to know how to deal with anger. If we nurture our anger, it might grow and be harmful to us. In this poem, two ways of handling anger were shown with different outcomes. In the first scenario, the anger disappeared but in the second the anger grew into something aggressive and negative.

 Importance of Communication:  As shown in the poem, if the persona had communicated with his enemy, his anger would have been controlled. However, his refusal to communicate has allowed anger to become something that is very destructive. Therefore it is often better if we can communicate with people on the issues that is bugging us. The poet indirectly is trying to persuade his readers to talk about their anger. We can talk about it not only with our friends but with our enemies too. If we talk, the anger might just reduce and it might just ease our troubles. In turn, it will prevent us from causing hurt unto others.

 Moral Value

The poem tells us about the disastrous consequences of one’s own failure to communicate with another person.

Discussion

The persona could be intentionally helping his anger to grow by refusing communication with his enemy or perhaps he is unconsciously helping his anger to grow as his tears are actually tears of sorrow. This poem was written by William Blake and published in 1794 as part of his “Songs of Experience” collection. The poem describes repressed feelings of anger towards someone where the emotions lead him to murder. Perhaps the poet is exploring the darker side of human beings. When the enemy eats the fruit, he dies and the poet seems to be happy. The apple is the symbolic representation of his unreleased anger. The anger that blossoms into a poisoned fruit. We should ponder on whether this anger has attracted the enemy and in turn has lured him into the garden. Perhaps the enemy has unresolved issues with the owner of the garden and that is the reason for him to try and trespass the garden with the intention of settling the issues – in this case- by stealing the apple that has eventually poisoned him. Looking at another angle; considering the fact that William Blake was a religious man, with biblical reference- Adam and Eve was told not to eat the apple. Eating from the tree was the first sin! Perhaps, that’s the reason for Blake to use an apple tree as his central metaphor.

 

Where the Durian Tree Grows by Leela Chakrabarty PPT

 

For those who requested for the notes for 20000 Leagues under the Sea-perhaps this book can help you

 

Malaysia Book Author

Leela Chakrabarty – Malaysia Book Author: Contact Details, Books, Biography http://www.pubmatch.com/profile/20981/leela-chakrabarty.html

 

Recent Press Release

Greetings to my blog readers- I have not posted materials for sometime now. However, I have resumed posting my discussions on poems for Upper Sec School and Lower Sec School. I was busy completing my collection of short stories. My book is finally officially published. Herewith I would like to share the press release on my book.

Do get a copy- you may get it here at google play.google.com/…/Leela_Chakrabarty_Where_the_Durian_Tree_Grows

Also available at Amazon.com amazon.com/…tion/dp/1482853639/ref=sr_1_1

and Barnes and Noble barnesandnoble.com/…hakrabarty/1122824054

Final PRESS RELEASE

 

The poem “Charge of the Light Brigade ”–

CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE
Half a league, half a league,
Half a league onward,
All in the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
“Forward, the Light Brigade!
Charge for the guns!” he said.
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
II
“Forward, the Light Brigade!”
Was there a man dismayed?
Not though the soldier knew
Someone had blundered.
Theirs not to make reply,
Theirs not to reason why,
Theirs but to do and die.
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
III
Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon in front of them
Volleyed and thundered;
Stormed at with shot and shell,
Boldly they rode and well,
Into the jaws of Death,
Into the mouth of hell
Rode the six hundred.
IV
Flashed all their sabres bare,
Flashed as they turned in air
Sab’ring the gunners there,
Charging an army, while
All the world wondered.
Plunged in the battery-smoke
Right thro’ the line they broke;
Cossack and Russian
Reeled from the sabre stroke
Shattered and sundered.
Then they rode back, but not
Not the six hundred.
V
Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon behind them
Volleyed and thundered;
Stormed at with shot and shell,
While horse and hero fell.
They that had fought so well
Came through the jaws of Death,
Back from the mouth of hell,
All that was left of them,
Left of six hundred.
VI
When can their glory fade?
O the wild charge they made!
All the world wondered.
Honour the charge they made!
Honour the Light Brigade,
Noble six hundred!
-Lord Alfred Tennyson

Stanza 1

The poem starts with the three words, “Half a league” repeated three times. It sets up a rhythm -like a military march. A league is an old-fashioned measurement of distance that’s approximately equivalent to 5 kilometres. So, half a league is about two and half kilometres. The phrase “the valley of Death” tends to make us feel a little scared and uncertain. Thus far, it tells us that someone is covering a certain distance in a scary place. Next, we learn that there are six hundred people, and that they are riding, probably on horseback.  In Line 5 –the phrase “Forward, the Light Brigade! – it seems that someone is commanding; shouting out a military order to move forward. We don’t know who this person is, but he introduces the heroes of this poem, the fearless men of the Light Brigade! A “brigade” is a way of dividing up an army. They are “cavalry” soldiers, meaning they are riding on horseback. They are called “Light” to separate them from the “Heavy Brigade,” another kind of cavalry unit at the time. The end of stanza 1 shows that the brigade has been ordered into the valley, and they’re riding in, even though they know that guns and “Death” are waiting for them.

Stanza 2

Stanza 2 begins with the order “Forward, the Light Brigade!” repeated. The speaker really wants us to focus on those words, on the command to move forward. The men are being sent to death. It makes us pause and think about why these brave men are being sent into “the valley of Death.” Line 10 – Was there a man dismayed?- shows that perhaps now the readers are trying to get a peek into the heads of these soldiers, trying to imagine how it must feel to charge toward death. In this poem –“to be dismayed” means to lose your courage, to be overcome by terror. The word “not,” in line 11 implies that these men do not feel discouraged at all. They’re ready to do their job. Lines 13-15 – “Theirs not to make reply, Theirs not to reason why, Theirs but to do and die”- sum up all of the honest, humble heroism of these men. They’re just doing their job. The last two lines “Into the valley of Death”; “Rode the six hundred” are the same as the last two lines in the first stanza. It emphasizes the main action of the poem, which is these men riding to their death.

Stanza 3

The soldiers are surrounded by enemy- cannon, left, right, and front. It’s almost as if we are right there, turning our heads right, left, and forward, and seeing cannon everywhere. A “volley” from a cannon is just a round of firing. Referring to lines 25-instead of “Into the valley of Death,” now the men are riding “Into the mouth of hell. It’s one more way of emphasizing how bad the valley is and how brave these men are.

Stanza 4

Stanza four begins with “Flashed all their sabres bare”. The soldiers were riding through this storm of bullets, on horses, carrying swords- “sabres,” to be exact. Sabres is a kind of curved sword a cavalrymen would have carried. Focusing on these old-fashioned sabres is another way to point out the desperate heroism of the Light Brigade, and also a way to connect them to English warriors of the past. The main action so far, the charge, has gone as far as it can. Now the soldiers have to turn back where they came from. Some have died. The phrase “Not the six hundred” is the first hint of the terrible casualties the Light Brigade has suffered. The poem has been a little grim, but now it starts to become really mournful, like it was meant for a funeral.

Stanza 5

Lines 39-43 lines are almost an exact repeat of the beginning of the third stanza (lines 18-22). The only change is in line 41. The cannon that were in front of them are now behind them, which means that the Light Brigade has turned around and leaving the enemy behind them. The return trip is just as deadly and terrifying, it’s just turned around. Line 44 – While horse and hero fell, emphasizes the loss of life. This stanza ends with the words “six hundred” just like all the others did. In this case, though, the tone is much darker, and the final image we get is the remnants of the Light Brigade moving back across the field.

Stanza 6

Stanza six begins with “When can their glory fade?” –comes in like the sound of a trumpet. It is the Light Brigade’s desperate, “wild” charge that the speaker wants us to remember. This poem is spreading the word, telling us that we should “wonder” at this incredible display of bravery. The poem ends with a couple of commands: Honour the charge they made!; Honour the Light Brigade; Noble six hundred! The speaker orders us, to respect and remember these noble war heroes.

Discussion

The purpose of this poem is to make the courage of these British soldiers immortal. This is an example of poetry having a real effect on how we remember history.  Basically, the six hundred horsemen of the Light Brigade are ordered to charge forward into a valley, with guns on all sides. They encounter their Russian enemies, attack them and then retreat down the valley. It is important to note that at the time, the British were fighting the Russian Empire in the Crimean War. Tennyson read a newspaper story about the Battle of Balaclava where a small group of British soldiers on horseback (called the Light Brigade) made a desperate attack, and suffered heavy casualties. Tennyson was so moved by what he read that wrote this poem, which has turned into one of the most famous poems ever about the tragic heroism of soldiers.

 

The poem “Sad I Ams”.

Sad I Ams

Sad I Ams
I am
the ring
from an empty Cola can
the scrapings
from an unwashed porridge pan
the severed arm
of last year’s Action man.

I am
the envelope
on which the gum is gone
the Sellotape
where you can’t find the end
the toothless stapler, springless bulldog clip
the dried up liquid paper
that mars instead of mends
the stamped addressed reply
that you forgot
to send.

I am
the battery in which no charge is left
the starter motor which remains inert
the tyre on which the tread is worn
the sparking plug which shows no sign of spark
the carburettor chocked by bits of dirt
the chromium trim from which the shine has gone.

I am
a garden
overgrown with weeds
a library book
that no one ever reads
a stray
which no one thinks to feed
the piece of good advice
which no one seems to need.

– By Trevor Millum

 

In the first stanza, the poet is describes himself as the things that are usually thrown away because they have become useless to the owner:-the ring of the can is usually thrown away after we open the can; the scrapings should be cleaned when the pans are put to wash –nobody wants to keep the dirt on the pan! And finally -when the toy’s arm is broken- the ‘action’ figure toy becomes distorted- next year a new action figure would become more popular.
In the second stanza, the poet is now describing used things that cannot be used any longer. They are: the envelope where the gum doesn’t stick- perhaps it is an old envelope; Sellotape that is old or not marked where the end is impossible to find; stapler that has no place to attach the bullets- thus, it has become not functional; spring -less bulldog clip: one without spring would not be able to function; liquid paper that is dry; and an envelope that he had already put the stamp on but had forgotten to post.
Similar to the earlier stanzas; the third stanza also describes things that have become useless to the owner. They are however, concerned with parts of the car: Battery that needs to be charged- it shows that the car cannot be driven; starter motor which does not work; tyre has no threads anymore- it becomes dangerous to drive with such tyres as they have no grip; Spark plug that does not work-the engine of the car would not start if the plugs do not function; carburettor that needs to be serviced before it can be used and chromium plating which is not shining!
In the final or fourth stanza, the poet describes things that are not paid attention to such as: the garden that is not taken care of which is full of weeds- which implies that no one has cleaned the garden; a library book which is probably outdated that no one wants to borrow it; an animal such as a stray dog that no one takes care of and finally good advice that no one heeds.

 

THE POEM “ NEWS BREAK”

Let’s discuss the poem –“Newsbreak”  by Max Fatchen

News Break

Now why so loving, darling,
And why the sudden kiss?
You’d help me with some little jobs?
For goodness sake, what’s this?

Your face is clean for once, dear,
Your clothes without a crease.
You saved your luncheon money?
Will wonders never cease?

No dropping of your school books,
No shrieking, childish treble.
Today you are a lamb, love,
Where yesterday a rebel.

But surely you’re some stranger,
No rage or hullabaloo.
Come closer, let me look, dear,
Can this be REALLY you?

Now were you struck by lightning
Or were you stunned at sport?
Ah … now I see the reason.
You’ve brought your school report!
– Max Fatchen

In the first stanza, the parent is wondering why his child’s behaviour is suddenly so loving.The child even gives a kiss to the parent and the parent is bewildered that the child offers help. The parent desperately wants to know the reason for the sudden change.

In the second stanza, the parent is surprised to see the child’s face neat and tidy. The child’s clothes are also neat as if it has been ironed and has no crumples. The parent is also shocked to know that the child did not spend his money for lunch that day as he usually does. The parent is astonished with all the surprises that he is getting and thinks when it would all end.

In the next stanza or stanza 3, the parent is surprised that his child did not drop his school books as he returns home. The child does not scream or show an outburst of anger. The parent praises the child for his good behaviour that day as the child acts like a gentle lamb when just the previous day, the child was going against his parent.

In stanza 4, the parent feels as if the child is a stranger to him – like a new person.

The child does not show any anger or any emotional disturbance. Therefore, the parent asks the child to come closer so that he can see his child better as he wonders if that is really his child.

That brings us to the last stanza, stanza five, where he also wonders whether his child had been struck by lightning or injured during sports that has made him temporarily unable to react. Finally, he understands the real reason for the change as he noticed that the child has brought his school progress report.

Point Of View

The first person point of view is used

Setting

The setting is in a house.

Theme

Honesty is the best policy – We should be honest with our parents. We must tell them the truth so that we can gain respect and trust from them. Without trust, life would be miserable. Parents will become suspicious in everything we do. This would lead to arguments and lack of trust. It is more effective if the child behaves in honest and productive ways. Learning to be honest and eliminating the need for lies can help to clean up one’s conscience and his relationship with others

Moral Value

Honesty – It is a very important virtue. Speak from your heart and tell the truth. Do not be bothered even though it would make you feel bad. People respect honesty, even when the truth is uncomfortable.

Tone

The persona is surprised and astonished with the child’s behaviour. The poem creates a reflective mood as the persona compares the child’s past and present behaviour. Overall, it is light-hearted and a little humorous.

Metaphors

The poet uses metaphor to describe the behaviour of the child. ‘Today you’re a lamb’ which shows innocence and obedience when the child is compared to a lamb; and ‘Where yesterday a rebel’ which shows disobedience and defiance when the child is said to be a rebel (lines 11 and 12)

Structure, Style and Language

The poem consists of 5 stanzas with four lines and the rhyme scheme is ‘a, b, c, b’.  The style is simple and direct. The language and choice of words used is easy to understand as we can relate it to what a child does.

The Title

News Break means reporting something that is unusual. The title is used to indicate that the boy is doing something unusual by showing a change in his behaviour.

DISCUSSION

The words “News Break” are usually associated to important events in one’s life. In this poem, the child is afraid to tell the parent about his result. Instead of telling the parent, he started to behave differently by being nice to make up to the bad news. The child realises that his report card may not please the parent. Hence, he tries to be extra nice so that the parent will not be angry. The poem demonstrates what a small child has to do just to please his parents before the parents take any action against him. He also tells us the fear he is undergoing when things do not turn out as they are supposed to. The poet has observed the trauma a child faces before he hands over his progress report to his parents.  The job of the poet is to voice the actions of the small child to gain credit from his parents so that there would be no shelling from their parents.

 

POEM “LIVING PHOTOGRAPH”

Let’s read the poem-

The Living Photograph

 

Let’s read the poem-
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 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.
                                                                                            -Jackie Kay

 

 

                          

Understanding the poem:

Stanza 1 tells us that in the photograph, grandmother looks “tall’ although she is supposed to be ‘small’.  Her grandmother is still youthful and has a “straight-back”.  She is wearing a “white broderie anglaise shirt” and a “pleated skirt” which shows that she is a woman of class, upper or middle. She is a kind and loving person. “Her big hand holds mine, white hand in black hand”-Perhaps, the writer and her grandmother come from different ethnic background. The persona’s grandmother was a very brave person as she was not afraid of death – “Her sharp blue eyes look her own death in the eye.” Note that the poet used the present tense to describe her grandmother.

In stanza 2, the persona refers to her grandma in past tense when describing her actual state before dying.  Her grandmother began to grow older and develop a hunch back.  She had become forgetful as dementia sets in – “Her soup forgot to boil” before she died – “She went to the awful place grandmothers go.”  Perhaps as a young child, the persona didn’t understand what that place was, it was just “unknown” and “unthinkable”.

Stanza 3 describes how the poet wants to remember her grandmother. The memory of her grandmother will definitely live on but she doesn’t want to remember her as old and senile, but as how her grandmother was in the photo with her when she was only three years old. She will always be remembered with her smile. Note that the present tense is used once again.

 

Language and Style

The language is clear and easy to understand. The Style is simple and direct to the point. There isn’t any clear rhyme scheme.

 

Tone and Mood

The tone heads towards a sense of strong family relationships. There is a lot of thought and love felt in the poem.

Point of View

The persona uses the words ‘my’ and ‘me’. Thus, it is in the first person point of view.

 

Symbolism

The photograph symbolises the closeness between the grandmother and the persona. It highlights the feelings of the persona towards her grandmother.

 

 

Themes

Positive image people create in remembrance of a departed person.  Just like the persona we remember our dearly departed persons by the great things about them. The persona wants to remember her grandma as how she was in the photo, not the days before she died.  When our loved ones die, we no longer see the ugly side of a person. We forget and forgive all their shortcomings, when they die.
Coping with grief and loss.  One excellent way to cope with grief and loss is to cling on the good memories of a person, instead of remembering the bad.  The persona coped with grief for the loss of her grandma by keeping it in her heart that although her grandma is not with her anymore physically, she is still alive in her heart. She celebrates her grandmother’s life.

 

Moral Value

We must appreciate close family members while they are still alive. The poem teaches us that we must spend time with our loved ones because when they are gone all that will be left are the memories of the time spent together.

 

Discussion

The poet, Jackie Kay, is half Scottish, half Nigerian, and she was adopted by a Scottish family.  The persona could be the poet Ms Jackie Kay herself, hence the “white hand in black hand”. The poet says that her grandmother is tall in the photo but later became ‘small’ as at the time the photo was taken her grandmother was younger. Her back was straight. Thus, she seemed taller. It could also be because the writer was very young at the time -about three years old as mentioned in the last stanza.  As her grandmother grew older, her back became ‘round and hunched’. Therefore, she appeared ‘small’.  Note that although the grandma is dead, she refers to her in the present tense.  This shows that she is alive in her heart, and that the state of her grandma in the photo is how she wants to remember her. In the first stanza, the grandmother is strong and healthy in the photograph while in the second stanza the grandmother is older and ill. In stanza 2, the grandmother is described in the past tense, this also shows that the persona is over the tragedy; and her grandma is now dead. Overall, the poem is about how a photograph immortalises a person.  This is shown in the poem where she will always be remembered by the persona with the photograph although the grandmother is dead.