My Grandmother Essay -- English Literature

My grandmaThis metrical composition explores the relationship between the speaker and hergrandmother. It focuses on the remorse and sin she felt - andperhaps does still feel - about the way she behaved towards her on oneoccasion, and can be seen as an attempt to exorcise this.The poem is divided into four parts the first stanza describes hergrandmother working in the shop the second the incident which causesher guilt the third stanza shows her in retirement. In the finalstanza, after her grandmother has died, the speaker reflects onherself and her grandmothers life.The first stanza sets the flick - the antique shop reflects thecharacter and life of the grandmother. The words it kept her arguethat it seems, to the speaker, her only reason for living thegrandmothers concern is with surface appearance (polish was all) non with deep human feelings (there was no need of love). Hersolitariness is suggested in the incident that it is only her ownreflection she sees reflected in the an tiques it is these she livesamong, not people. The antiques themselves create an oppressive melodic phrase - they are faded and heavy in this stanza, and in thefinal stanza the tall/ Sideboards and cupboards in the long, narrowroom final payment on the air of coffins. Even the sounds of the words thespeaker uses contribute - the sibilants in the brass/ Salvers and silverbowls are unwelcoming to the reader, and perhaps betray herdisapproving attitude to the shop.But to the grandmother the antiques have great importance. They areneeded, though never used - they are a substitute for humancompany, a replacement for love. She takes experience in her possession ofthem the speakers wish not to be used/... ...think that the women is treating thegirl wish she was an antiqueIt was perhaps I think a wish not to be usedlike antique objects ....In stanza three I think that you can see all the memories actuallybeing revealed to the grandchild in all her best things in one tong narrow roomIt gives us the gumption that after she had passed away now the guilt isjust kicking in and the old womens life has just began to open.In the very last stanza I think that the very last chapter in the oldwomens life is stock to come to an end. Nothing is left in memoryof her..and no feel marks were thereI think that now her life is everyplace and that her family have beenexcluded, their lives have had a fundamental change and new sprinkle hadjust began to settle everyplace the rather cold possessions she seemd tovalue over her children and grandchildren.