My Grandmother

My Grandmother

This poem explores the relationship between the speaker and her

grandmother. It focuses on the remorse and guilt she felt - and

perhaps does still feel - about the way she behaved towards her on one

occasion, and can be seen as an attempt to exorcise this.

The poem is divided into four parts: the first stanza describes her

grandmother working in the shop; the second the incident which causes

her guilt; the third stanza shows her in retirement. In the final

stanza, after her grandmother has died, the speaker reflects on

herself and her grandmother's life.

The first stanza sets the scene - the antique shop reflects the

character and life of the grandmother. The words 'it kept her' suggest

that it seems, to the speaker, her only reason for living; the

grandmother's concern is with surface appearance ('polish was all')

not with deep human feelings ('there was no need of love'). Her

solitariness is suggested in the fact that it is only 'her own

reflection' she sees reflected in the antiques; it is these she lives

'among', not people. The antiques themselves create an oppressive

atmosphere - they are 'faded' and 'heavy' in this stanza, and in the

final stanza the 'tall/ Sideboards and cupboards' in the 'long, narrow

room' take on the air of coffins. Even the sounds of the words the

speaker uses contribute - the sibilants in 'the brass/ Salvers and silver

bowls' are unwelcoming to the reader, and perhaps betray her

disapproving attitude to the shop.

But to the grandmother the antiques have great importance. They are

'needed', though never 'used' - they are a substitute for human

company, a replacement for love. She takes pride in her possession of

them; the speaker's 'wish not to be used/...

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...think that the women is treating the

girl like she was an antique;

"It was perhaps I think a wish not to be used

like antique objects ...."

In stanza three I think that you can see all the memories actually

being revealed to the grandchild;

"All her best things in one tong narrow room"

It gives us the sense that after she had passed away now the guilt is

just kicking in and the old women's life has just began to open.

In the very last stanza I think that the very last chapter in the old

women's life is beginning to come to an end. Nothing is left in memory

of her:

"..and no finger marks were there"

I think that now her life is over and that her family have been

excluded, their lives have had a fundamental change and new dust had

just began to settle over the rather cold possessions she seemd to

value over her children and grandchildren.