5th Standard, English FL POEM – 2
GREAT GRANDMOTHER
Glossary:
yellowing: discoloured/getting old. White paper turns yellow after a long period
misted: dimmed
stern: strict
frank: straightforward
recognize: understand, identify, find
Comprehension:
I. Answer the following questions in two or three sentences each.
1. What has happened to the photograph? Why?
Answer: The photograph had yellowing and misted. Because it was very old.
2. What expression does the poet read in the eyes of his great grandmother?
Answer: The eyes which read by the poet of his great grandmother was stern and they can also laugh too.
3. Describe the poet’s great grandmother as she appears in the photograph.
Answer: Great grandmother’s hair is seen pulled back tightly in a bun in the photography. She appears on black dress and she wears no jewellery. That is how the poet’s great grandmother appears in the photograph.
4. Did the poet know her personally? Why? Which line suggests this?
Answer: No, the poet didn’t know her personally. Because there is three generation gap between the poet and his great grandmother.
“I never knew her,” This line suggests this.
5. “She looks out at me” – What does this opening line of the poem mean?
Answer: The poet feels that his great grandmother in the photography is looking at him. He thought he looks like his great grandmother. So she looks out at him.
6. Pick out the word from the poem which means that the photograph is old?
Answer: ‘yellowing and
Misted over by time…’ These words from the poem which means that the photograph is old.
7. What were the feelings that the poet experienced when he looked at the photograph of his great grandmother?
Answer: The poet feels when he looked at the photograph of his great grandmother that three generations later may his great grandchildren feel as close to his photography as he now do to her.
II. Answer the following questions.
1. “Yet I recognize myself in her, three generations later”
a. What does the word ‘‘recognise” mean in this context?
Answer: recognise means to identify someone or something as previously known or seen. Here recognise means the poet identify himself in the place of great grandmother.
b. Explain the term “three generations”.
The term “three generations” means in the poet is the son of the poet, grandson of the poet, great grandson of the poet. It also means his mother, his grandmother and his great grandmother.
2. What feelings/thoughts run in the poet’s mind as he looks at the photograph of his great grandmother?
Answer: The poet thought about the three generation after him as he looks at the photograph of his great grandmother. He thinks that three generations later may his great grandchildren feel as close to his photography as he now do to her.
3. What picture do you get about the great grandmother of the poet?
Answer: The Great grandmother in the photography have a frank and serious look. Her eyes in the picture are stern, but they can laugh too. Great grandmother’s hair is seen pulled back tightly in a bun in the photography. She appears on black dress and she wears no jewelry.
III. Appreciation.
1. Which line in the poem do you like? Say why.
Answer: May my great grandchildren… Feel as close to me….” I like this line in the poem. Because the poet recognise himself in the place of great grandmother and thinks about after three generation and about his great grandson. It is nice thought and feeling which everyone like.
2. Attempt a description of your mother or grandmother or great grandmother.
Answer: To student
Further reading and activity:
“My Grandmother’s House” by Kamala Das. Compare the poems.
