THE LIVING PHOTOGRAPH By Jackie Kay Sources: Tan, C. (2016). Understanding new lit: Selected poems, short stories and drama form 4. Johor: Penerbitan Pelangi Sdn. Bhd. Appuduray, S. & Kok, A. (2015). Let’s score in literature: Selected poems, short stories and drama form 4. Selangor: Penerbitan Ilmu Bakti Sdn. Bhd. Illustrations & PPT Slides Prepared by : Mdm. Adlina (
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LITERAL MEANING STANZA 1 The persona describes her grandmother as tall and well-dressed with a kind smile. Her smile comes from her eyes. On her deathbed, she held the persona’s small black hand in her big white hand. She was not afraid to die.
LITERAL MEANING STANZA 2 Grandmother, who was tall, became small, hunched and forgetful. The persona accepts that her grandmother has passed to the other world, as all grandmothers do.
LITERAL MEANING STANZA 3 The persona took a photograph with her grandmother when she was three years old, When she looks at the photograph, she feels grandmother’s presence. To the persona, the grandmother is still alive, smiling at her.
FIGURATIVE MEANING STANZA 1 In the beginning, we are young and we stand tall and confident. We make sure everything is done properly. We approach every situation with a smile even as we offer encouragement to others and receive support in return. When faced with a difficult situation, we face it bravely.
FIGURATIVE MEANING STANZA 2
We can feel the challenges when we look around and see the changes. We begin to lose our grip as things get too difficult. We may even forget things but finally, when the situation is out of our hands and we have to let go.
FIGURATIVE MEANING STANZA 3
Sometimes, we can look back at our past experiences and remember the good things that have shaped our lives. We may have mementos like photos and certificates to keep our memories alive.
Love and appreciation
Close family ties
THEMES Death is a part of life
Tema
Letting go
Value of photographs Memories are to be treasured
We should value our relationship with our loved ones. We should treasure our loved ones when they are still alive.
MORAL VALUES Nilai & Pengajaran We must learn to accept that death is a part of life and learn to let go.
Keeping a memento like photographs helps keep memories alive.
Stanza 1: Nostalgic
Overall:
Sense of strong family ties
TONE & MOOD Stanza 3: Positive
Stanza 2:
Melancholic
POETIC DEVICES v SOUND DEVICES - Alliteration
: ‘tall there’ / ‘ hand holds’
- Assonance
: ‘soup forgot to boil’ / ‘still living’
v LITERARY DEVICES - Symbol
: The photograph is the symbol of close family ties
- Contrast
: ‘straight-back’ vs ‘hunched’ / ‘white’ vs ‘black’
- Imagery
: Stanza 1, lines 2-3: image of a prim and proper lady Stanza 2, line 4: being forgetful
POETIC DEVICES v LITERARY DEVICES (CONT’D) - Diction
: ‘back round and hunched’ / ‘crinkled smile’ / ‘still living, breathing’
v FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE - Metaphor
: ‘her sharp blue eyes look her own death in the eye’
- Personafication
: ‘her soup forgot to boil’ << soup personified as someone who forgot to do something ‘the crinkled smile is still living, breathing’ << the smile means a friendly person
POETIC DEVICES v FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE (CONT’D) - Irony
: The title itself is an irony. The use of the term ‘living’ to refer to a person who has passed away
- Foreshadowing : ‘Her sharp blue eyes look her own death in the eye’ foreshadows the grandmother’s death in the next stanza
SETTING v Time
: When the persona has grown up
v Place
: At the family home, looking at old photographs
PRACTICE 1 The following words are found in the poem. Give the opposite of each word. 1. Kind
5. Awful
2. Hunched
6. True
3. Death
7. Sharp
4. Forgot
8. Smile
PRACTICE 1 - ANSWERS The following words are found in the poem. Give the opposite of each word. 1. Kind
cruel
5. Awful
nice
straight
6. True
false
3. Death
life
7. Sharp
dull
4. Forgot
remembered
8. Smile
frown
2. Hunched
PRACTICE 2 Complete the sentences in your own words. Write only ONE word.
1. In the poem, the persona is recalling memories of her __________. 2. The persona was _______ years old when the photograph was taken. 3. In the photograph, the persona is holding her grandmother’s ____. 4. The grandmother has ______ eyes. 5. When the grandmother grows older, she becomes __________. 6. The last two lines in Stanza 2 tells us that the grandmother is _____.
PRACTICE 2 - ANSWERS Complete the sentences in your own words. Write only ONE word.
1. In the poem, the persona is recalling memories of her grandmother. 2. The persona was three years old when the photograph was taken. 3. In the photograph, the persona is holding her grandmother’s hand. 4. The grandmother has blue eyes. 5. When the grandmother grows older, she becomes forgetful. 6. The last two lines in Stanza 2 tells us that the grandmother is dead.
PRACTICE 3 Match the nouns to the correct adjectives. place
smile
shoes
shirt
eyes
smile
photograph
skirt
back
bun
ADJECTIVES 1. Broderie anglaise 2. Kind, old 3. Round and hunched 4. Unknown, unthinkable 5. Living, breathing
NOUN
EXERCISE 3 (CONT’D) Match the nouns to the correct adjectives. place
smile
shoes
shirt
eyes
smile
photograph
skirt
back
bun
ADJECTIVES 6. sharp, blue 7. pleated 8. grey 9. flat 10. living
NOUN
PRACTICE 3 - ANSWERS ADJECTIVES
NOUNS
ADJECTIVES
NOUNS
1. Broderie anglaise
shirt
6. sharp, blue
eyes
2. Kind, old
smile
7. pleated
skirt
3. Round and hunched
back
8. grey
bun
4. Unknown, unthinkable
place
9. flat
shoes
5. Living, breathing
smile
10. living
photograph
PRACTICE 4
Answer the questions based on your understanding of the poem.
1. How are the people in the photograph related? 2. What kind of person was the grandmother? 3. What happened to the grandmother’s physical appearance as she aged? 4. What does the phrase ‘the awful place’ refer to? 5. How old was the persona when the photograph was taken?
PRACTICE 4 –
SUGGESTED ANSWERS
1. How are the people in the photograph related? They are family / They are grandmother and grandchild. 2. What kind of person was the grandmother? She was prim and proper / She was well-dressed. 3. What happened to the grandmother’s physical appearance as she aged? She became ‘smaller’ and ‘hunched’.
PRACTICE 4 –
SUGGESTED ANSWERS
4. What does the phrase ‘the awful place’ refer to? The afterlife / The life after death / The grave. 5. How old was the persona when the photograph was taken? 3 / Three
The End
Thank you for your kind attention!