My Grandmother is a modern poem by Elizabeth Jennings.

INTRODUCTION

My Grandmother is a modern poem by Elizabeth Jennings, which is about her relationship with her Grandmother. The poem is written using ordinary language making it easy to understand. Jennings is an extremely prolific poet. She does not write autobiographical poems, but her religious concerns, mental illness and other personal experiences influence the themes and insights expressed in her poetry. She was born in Boston, Lincolnshire.

There are 4 verses known as sestets of six lines each. The sestets rhyme AB, AB, CC e.g. Grass and Brass, Refused and Used, Prove and Love. This applies through out the poem. Some of the lines are full rhyming and some half, using a speaking voice not a singing voice.

There is repetition in the poem e.g., if you look at the second and the fourth paragraph, the words used and refused have been used twice.

The poem is very simple; the style she uses is very relaxed - like talking to a friend i.e. “Only the guilt of what I once refused”.

The poem is divided into 4 stanzas. The stanzas describe firstly the similarity between the grandmother and the antique shop, secondly the relationship between the author and her grandmother is described more acurratly. Then thirdly, the giving up of the shop by the grandmother, and finally the death of the grandmother. The four stanzas describe the history of the grandmother in four stages.

Verse One

The antique shop symbolises her grandmother; i.e. it describes “The faded silks... She watched her own reflection in the brass”.

The antiques are old, they have no use, and similarly ...

This is a preview of the whole essay

Verse One

The antique shop symbolises her grandmother; i.e. it describes “The faded silks... She watched her own reflection in the brass”.

The antiques are old, they have no use, and similarly I feel the same about the grandmother’s relationship with her granddaughter. The grandmother is like an antique, old, admirable that is, it is beautiful to look at but “There was no need of love”.

“The faded silks….” Gives the impression of something, which has aged with time. Examples of old silver ware, odds of ends, i.e. “Apostle spoons”

“ Bristol glass

“…The brass”

“Salvers and silver bowls”

Because there is bombardment of such words there is a clear impression of oddments that are clattered in an antique shop.

The very first line gives us the most insight into what the poem is all about,

“She kept an antique shop – or it kept her”.

Clearly we get the impression that the antique shop and the authors grandmother are inseparable. Similarly the last line “Polish was all, there was no need of love” gives us a greater insight into the relationship between the two women.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

VERSE THREE

The 3rd verse: symbolizes the poet’s impression of someone too old and frail, now unable to take - care of the antique shop. It gives the impression of something long lost now, never to return. The reader is made to feel sad and lonely, and experience the feelings of the aged women.

This verse also gives the reader a sense of unpleasantness e.g. “The place smelt old”

We are made to feel that the old lady was indeed, a sad, lonely person. Who like her antiques had “too long kept shut”

The old ladies life is symbolized by the penultimate line “There was nothing then” we are given the idea that she has nothing to show in her life. Now that the antique shop has shut down, and the old lady has nothing else left. In a sense the antique shop was her life.

OVERALL OPINION OF THE POEM

There are feelings of guilt, for refusing to go with her grandmother; these feelings stay with the author even after the death. Since there was very little love in the relationship, it’s not surprising then that she says, “And when she died I felt no grief at all”.

The granddaughter refused to be used as a show - piece, she was afraid, and didn’t want to go with her grandmother. The grandmother’s reaction to this rejection, is one of hiding her feelings, although she made her granddaughter feel guilty nevertheless.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Every other line in the poem is a “full” line. There is a steady rhythm in the poem, giving the image of a grandfather clock ticking away steadily. Or perhaps, an old person steadily going on with her life. Here are some examples of ‘half’ lines: -

“To go out with her, since I was afraid”

“Like antique objects though she never said”

The poets use of simple words: It gives the impression of simplicity of child like innocence.

In conclusion Jennings gives a succinct view of her grandmothers demise, and her own relationship with her. She achieves this with her use of simple, steady rhythm, and use of descriptive words to describe the antique shop.