Poem The Living Photograph (Form 4) : Themes, Moral Values,

Meaning,Summary,Moral Lessons
THEMES:
 Family love
 Appreciation
 Loving memories
MORAL VALUES:
 Love& care
 Appreciation
 Kindness
 Thoughtfulness
 Gratitude
MORAL LESSONS:
 We must try our best to have a good and strong relationship with our grandparents
 We should love and appreciate our elders especially in our family
 We should spend as much time as we can with our loved ones before they die
 We should take photographs with our loved ones and keep them
 We must not forget those who have died
 We must learn to move on and accept life and death as part of life cycle
TIME
STANZA 1 : Present (Looking at the photograph)
STANZA 2 : Past (Remembering what happened)

STANZA 3 : Present (Looking at the photograph again)

Stanza 1
Line Meaning
1 My small grandmother is tall The persona’s grandmother looks tall in
there, the photograph.
2 straight-back, white broderie She is standing with good posture,
anglaise shirt , wearing an embroidered lace blouse.
3 pleated skirt, flat shoes, grey She wears the blouse with a pleated
bun, skirt, non-heeled shoes and her hair in a
bun.
4 a kind, old smile round her
She is smiling kindly.
eyes.
Her big hand is holding the persona’s
5 Her big hand holds mine,
hand.
6 white hand in black hand. The contrast of their skin colours can
clearly be seen in their linked hands.
7 Her sharp blue eyes look her Her grandmother’s blue eyes suggests
death in the eye. that her death is near.

Stanza 2
Line Meaning
8 It was true after all; that look.
9 My tall grandmother became The persona’s reference of death came
small. true.
The grandmother became thinner and
10 Her back round and
more fragile.
hunched.
Her back became hunched.
11 Her soup forgot to boil.
She became forgetful.
12 She went to the awful place Soon, she passed away.
grandmothers go. Upon her death, she went to a place that
13 Somewhere unknown, no one knows.
unthinkable.

Stanza 3
Line Meaning
14 But there she is still, However, in the photograph, her
15 in the photo with me at three, grandmother will always be alive.
The persona was there years old in the
photograph with her grandmother.
16 the crinkled smile is still Her grandmother’s smile is still so alive
living, breathing. and real.

SUMMARY OF STANZA 1
The persona is looking at an old photograph of her grandmother and herself. She describes the
photograph – her grandmother is standing tall and straight, dressed in a white embroidered lace blouse
with a pleated skirt, and flat shoes. Her grey hair is pulled neatly into a bun. She is smiling kindly while
holding the persona’s hand in hers, giving her the security and comfort. As the persona describes their
linked hands – white hand in black hand – it is clear that they come from a mixed race family. The last line
seems to suggest that the persona knows that her grandmother’s death will come soon.

SUMMARY OF STANZA 2
While the first describes the photograph, in the second stanza, the persona is remembering her
grandmother later, when she is older and has become ill. The persona recalls how her grandmother soon
grows thinner and more fragile. Her back is hunched and she becomes forgetful as is illustrated in the
line, Her soup forgot to boil. Eventually, she passes away and upon her death, she goes to an
unimaginable place.

SUMMARY OF STANZA 3
However, in the photograph, the persona’s grandmother will forever be alive. She is still there, holding the
hand of her three-year-old granddaughter, with her smile looking so alive and real.