Memories of My Grandmother's Houses
The monologue in "My Grandmother's Houses" by Jackie Kay vividly explores the intimate relationship between a granddaughter and her grandmother as they navigate different stages of life in varying living environments. Through descriptive prose, the poet paints a poignant portrait of nostalgia, family ties, and the passage of time as seen through the lens of the grandmother's homes and daily routines. Each section of the poem delves into the essence of the grandmother's personality, work ethic, and the lasting impact she leaves on her granddaughter.
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Presentation Transcript
My Grandmothers Houses By Jackie Kay
On the post-it Write down what you think you need the most help on and how/what kind of things would help you to improve. Make sure you put your name on it.
What is it about? Monologue told by a female persona describing the time she spends with her grandmother at both her grandmother s homes (initially a tenement and then a high rise block of flats) and the house her grandmother cleans for a living. Explores ideas about the passage of time and intergenerational/family relationships.
In this poem, the poet both recreates her childhood experiences and voices her adult views of her grandmother. Each section of the poem describes a different house, each house reflecting different aspects of the grandmother s life, work and personality. This structure enables Jackie Kay to create a vivid, memorable portrait of her grandmother.
First Section The first section describes her tenement flat with her bedroom s clutter. The focus of this section is to illustrate the grandmother s hoarding habit with gifts and newspapers piling up around her home. She is portrayed to be living in the past by surrounding herself with treasures from it; old newspapers from her youth, gifts from other people, etc. A sense of familiarity is built in the final stanzas if this section. The continual mention of cemeteries and death illustrate her plans to live out the rest of her life in that familiar place.
1. What does the mother dislike about the way the grandmother lives? 2. How does the language suggest this annoyance? (2) 3. In lines 8-14, explain with reference to language how the speaker enjoys spending time at her grandmother s. (2) (4) 4. Explain why the phrase hopping mad is an effective image to show the grandmother s annoyance. (2) 5. What kind of mood does the extract end on? Explain your answer with reference to the text. (2)
Second Section In the second section the poet creates a picture of her life in her new high-rise flat. We learn that she is always busy, still cleaning people s houses at the age of seventy and taking her unwilling grandchild to church with her on Sundays. This section suggests that she is a hardworking, religious woman who is not afraid of taking care of herself and chooses to keep herself occupied rather than give in to the weaknesses of old age.
Practise Questions 1. How is the second house different to the first? (2) 2. Discuss the use of language when describing the narrator s visit to the church. (2) 3. What does the second stanza of the poem illustrate about the grandmother s personality? (2)
Third Section The third section describes the child s perceptions of her grandmother s cleaning house and uses snatches of remembered conversations to portray the somewhat patronising posh one . This section illustrates the working class attitude and background of her grandmother who, as we have already learned, has worked to support herself all her life. The final three lines suggest that her grandmother had moved to a ground floor flat, most likely because her old age cannot handle the stairs. She is disturbed by screaming ambulances. It is a sombre ending to a poem which pays tribute to the life of this spirited, hard-working and devout woman. She has been brought back down to the ground by her old age and the ambulances leave the feeling of impending death to end the poem.
Questions 1. How does the poet structure the poem? 2. even at 70 she cleans people s houses / for ten bob What does this statement reveal about the poet s grandmother? 3. like an octopus s arms ; a one winged creature . Name the language technique used in each of these phrases and suggest what you think the poet is trying to convey.
Key themes As with all of the other Jackie Kay poems, My Grandmother s Houses shares some of the same themes: Family relationships Granddaughter and grandmother Daughter and parents (briefly) Innocence and experience Intergenerational differences The attitudes of the ageing, compared to the young
Interesting Images rooms lead off like an octopus s arms It demonstrates the youth of the narrator and how she perceives the large house. It is a particularly childish comparison and illustrates that just as an octopus s arms are many in number and usually difficult to contain, so to are the corridors to different rooms; there are so many branching off in different directions it s hard to keep track of them all. Shows the extent of the wealth and class division.
one-winged creature The narrator describes the grand piano as a one-winged creature. This illustrates just how alien and unknown, almost magical/mystical such an instrument is. Typically owned by upper-class families as it was both expensive and time consuming. Just as a creature is unknown and fascinating, so too is the piano for a lower/working class child. It is a view into culture that she has otherwise been unable to experience because of her class.
Interesting Images like the Hunchback of Notre Dame The hunchback is a fictional character from Victor Hugo s novel of the same name. The Hunchback illustrates the weakening of age and disability. He is a recluse who hides away in the bell tower of Notre Dame, high above the city, watching but never really joining in.
Just as the hunchback is crouched over due to his medical conditions, so too is the grandmother crouched over due to her old age. Just as the hunchback lives high up in the bell tower of Notre Dame, so too does the grandmother live high up on the 24th floor of her tenement building. Dowager s hump a figure disability caused by osteoporosis, usually in elderly women.
Section 3 Questions 1. How does this section explore the class system in the poem? (2) 2. Choose one example from the section which illustrates the narrator s attitude towards the upper class house. (2) 3. What does the simile like the hunchback of Notre Dame suggest about the grandmother? (2) 4. What kind of mood does this section end on? Explain with reference to the text. (2)
Comparison Table Themes & Key Ideas Tone of Narrative Voice Poems Poetic Techniques Narrator Structure Other Key Points Lucozade My Grandmother s Houses Gap Year Keeping Orchids Old Tongue Whilst Leila Sleeps
Folio Deadline Final deadline- Dec. 13 If you are still working on folio, this is your cut off date. If you would like to me to give feedback on a draft before this date, you must submit it on Google Classroom in advance of this date. I have seen drafts come through recently, these will be read by me this week.
8 Marker Review 2 similarities and/or differences 1 quote from the poem in front of you 2 quotes from the poem your are using to compare
8 Marker In this poem, the speaker is a young woman. With close reference to this poem and at least one other, show how Kay uses language to create believable young people s voices.
Lucozade & MGH Can you make a list of everything that these 2 poems have in common or thins that are different in the poems. (You can look for things such as themes, setting, main ideas- anything from the comparison table.) Example: Both poems have a child narrator
Useful Quotations for Young Voice- MGH Stories of things I can t understand. At night I climb over all the newspapers parcels to get to bed, harder than the school s obstacle course. I play in the lift all the way up to 24. Rooms lead off like octopus s arms. I sit in a room with a grand piano, top open- a one-winged creature. I told you don t touch anything
Useful Quotations for Young Voice- Lucozade I am scared my mum is going to die I am sixteen; I have never tasted a bloody Mary. My mum is on a high bed next to sad chrysanthemums. I clear her cupboard in Ward 10B, Stobhill Hospital.
8 Marker Review 2 similarities and/or differences 1 quote from the poem in front of you 2 quotes from the poem your are using to compare
The idea of the relationships between generations is a key aspect in Kay s poetry. Examine the similarities or differences between this relationship and another poem or poems by Kay that you have read. You may refer to ideas and/or language.
