THE LIVING PHOTOGRAPH (by Jackie Kay)

Stanza 1
Line
1 My small grandmother is tall there,
2 straight-back, white broderie anglaise shirt ,
3 pleated skirt, flat shoes, grey bun,
4 a kind, old smile round her eyes.
5 Her big hand holds mine,
6 white hand in black hand.
7 Her sharp blue eyes look her death in the eye.
Stanza 2
Line
8 It was true after all; that look.
9 My tall grandmother became small.
10 Her back round and hunched.
11 Her soup forgot to boil.
12 She went to the awful place grandmothers
go.
13 Somewhere unknown, unthinkable.
Stanza 3
Line
14 But there she is still,
15 in the photo with me at three,
16 the crinkled smile is still living, breathing.
Meaning
The personas grandmother looks tall in the
photograph.
She is standing with good posture, wearing an
embroidered lace blouse.
She wears the blouse with a pleated skirt, non-
heeled shoes and her hair in a bun.
She is smiling kindly.
Her big hand is holding the personas hand.
The contrast of their skin colours can clearly be
seen in their linked hands.
Her grandmothers blue eyes suggests that her
death is near.
Meaning
The personas reference of death came true.
The grandmother became thinner and more
fragile.
Her back became hunched.
She became forgetful.
Soon, she passed away.
Upon her death, she went to a place that no one
knows.
Meaning
However, in the photograph, her grandmother
will always be alive.
The persona was there years old in the
photograph with her grandmother.
Her grandmothers smile is still so alive and real.

Moral Value
1 We must treasure our loved ones when they are alive.
We must spend as much time as we can with our loved ones while they are still living
When they pass away, all that will be left are the memories, as is illustrated in the poem.
2 It is difficult to lose a family member.
It is always difficult to deal with the death of a loved one.
The persona loses her grandmother when she was younger but she will always remember her.
3 We must never forget the importance of family relationship.
We should not forget to love and care for our family, especially our grandparents who are the pillars
of a family.
When they are old and sick, we must continue to take care of them.