ForMyGrandmotherKnitting

Inthispoem,Lochheadexploresthewaytheelderlyaretreatedinsociety.
Overview
Inthispoem,Lochheadasksustoconsiderthewaytheelderlyaretreatedinour
societyandhowtheprocessofagingchangesourperceptionsofindividuals.
Thepoetusesthesymbolofhergrandmothershandstoemphasiseherchangingroles
overthecourseofherlife,fromyoungfishergirltotheagedandinfirmoldladythat
shehasbecome.
Formandstructure
Thepoemisdividedintofivestanzasofunequallengthbutwithafairly
straightforward,chronologicalorder.
Withtheexceptionofthefinalstanza,everyverseisconstructedinone,long
sentence.Enjambmentisusedtodrawourattentiontocertainwordsandphrases.
Thefirstandsecondstanzashaveaparallelstructure.Thefirsthalfofeachverse
focusesonthegrandmotherassheisnow,whileinthelatterhalfsheisdepictedin
heryouth,guttingfishinherfirstjob.
Inthethirdstanzasheisdepictedasayoungwifeandmother.Thefourthstanza
recapitulatesthefirst,showingthegrandmotherwithherfamilyinthepresent.
Inthefinalstanzasheisalone,wavinggoodbyetoherchildrenandgrandchildren
fromherwindow.
HereLochheaddeviatesfromthepatternofthefirstfourstanzas,usingaseriesofone
wordsentencestochangetherhythmandmeterandprepareusfortheconclusionof
thepoem.
Sheusestherepetitionofcertainphrasesandwordsthroughoutthepoemtoinvitethe
readertoconsiderthewayweviewourelderlylovedones.
Althoughthepoemiswritteninthesecondperson,itisdonesofromher
grandmotherspointofview.
Thisallowsthereadertoshareherexperiencesmuchmorefullyandempathisewith
thesituationshenowfindsherselfin.
Themostimportantsymbolinthepoemisthatofhergrandmothershands.Despite
theeverchangingrolesofherlife,theyseemtohaveremainedinalmostconstantand
perpetualmotion.
Stanzaone
Thisverseopenswiththephrasethatisrepeatedthroughoutthepoem,Thereisno
needtheysay.
Thisrefrainappearsinalmosteverystanza.Itreinforcesakeythemeofthepoem
thatofthegrandmother'sincreasingsenseofuselessness.
Thedeliberateuseoftheword'they'alsoseemstocreateasenseofseparationand
distancebetweenthegrandmotherandherchildren,whoareunitedintheirbeliefthat
herdrivetoknitisunnecessary.

Theeffectoftherepetitionofthesewordsinvitesthereadertodoubtthisassertion.It
impliesthatperhapsthegrandmotherisrighttoclingontoherbeliefsandtraditions
theystillhaverelevancetodayevenifothersdontseemtorecognisethis.
Thereisalmostsomethingdefiantinthefollowinglines,buttheneedlesstill
move/theirrhythmsintheworkingofyourhands,asthecentralimageused
throughoutthepoemofthegrandmothershandsisintroduced.
Theneedlesarepersonified,asthoughtheyhavealifeoftheirownandthatthehands
moveinstinctively,skilfullyandautomatically.
Theword'but'isalsorepeatedthroughoutthepoem,appearingineverystanza.This
helpstopresentacounterpointofviewtothatofthegrandmotherschildrenandtheir
insistencethatherknittingisnowunnecessary.
Whattheyfailtograspisthatherneedtoknitstemsfromherneedtohavepurpose
andfeeluseful.Eveninoldageandinfirmityshestillwantstocontributesomething
tangibletotheworld.
Almostseamlessly,aidedperhapsbythecontinuationofonelongsentence,these
samehandsaretransportedbacktoherpast.Weseethemsureandskilfulwhen
shewasayoungfishergirl.
Thisjumpbetweenthepresentandthepasttooisarepeatedfeatureofthepoem.It
helpstoshowthedirectrelationshipbetweentheelderly,infirmgrandmotheroftoday
andtheyoung,robustgirlofheryouth.Again,itisthehandsthatactasthecentral
linkingimagebetweenthetwo.
Stanzatwo
Thisstanzaopenswiththedirectassertionthatthegrandmotherisoldnowandthat
hergraspofthingsisnotsogood.
Thewordchoiceof'grasp'hasadualmeaning.Itimpliesliterallythatherhandsare
lessablewhilefigurativelysuggestingthathermindtooislessalertandthesheis
becomingincreasinglyforgetful.
Againthough,Lochheadimmediatelycontraststhisimageofherelderlygrandmother
withthegirlofheryouth,againguttingfish,deftandswift.
Theeffectofthecontrastagainreinforcesthelinkbetweenthemovementsoftheold
ladyandthatoftheyounggirl.Itforcesthereadertoseeherinavarietyofcontexts,
notjustastheagedandnowinfirmladyofthepresent.
Theassonanceandalliterationoftheline,youslitthestilltickingquicksilver
fishhelpstoemphasisethedexterityofhergrandmothershandswhenshewas
young.
Theshort'i'vowelincreasesthepaceofthewords.Thisreinforceshowquicklyand
efficientlyshewasabletoprocessthefish.Thealmosttonguetwistingjuxtaposition
ofthewordsremindsusthatwhileshemakesitlookeffortless,thiswasacomplex,
highlyskilledtask.
Thefinallinesofthisstanza,Hardworkitwastoo/ofnecessityencourageusto
considerthegrowingsenseofuselessnessandirrelevancethewritersgrandmother
mustnowfeel.
Inheryouth,herhandswereherlivelihoodtheyallowedhertosupportandprovide
forherselfandherfamily.Nowthough,sheknitsnotoutofnecessitybutinorderto
feelusefulandtocontribute.

Inrejectingherknittingthen,herfamilyarebyextensionalsorejectingherand
reinforcinghersenseofuselessness.
Stanzathree

Manwashingatasteelbath
Thisideaofnecessityisemphasisedintheopeningofstanzathree.Italludesbackto
thefirstlineofthepoemButnowtheysaythereisnoneedandagainshowsthe
growingsenseofdistancebetweenthewritersgrandmotherandherchildren.
Thepoemthenleadsbacktoheryouth,thistimeasayoungbridewithahandspan
waistandasamotherofsix.Despitehertinyframe,sheisstrongandrobust,
scrubbingherhusbandsbackinatinbathbythecoalfire.
Sibilanceisusedtodescribehowshescrapedandslavedslappedsometimesto
reallyemphasisethedaytodayhardshipsenduredbyordinary,workingclassfolk.
IndoingsoLochheadinvitesacomparisonbetweenthepastandthepresentbetween
toilandausterityandtherelativecomfortandqualityoflifethatwenowtakefor
granted.
Stanzafour
Thisstanzaisgivenoverentirelytothepointofviewofthegrandmothersown
children.
Theircontinuedrefrainthatsheneednotknitforthemanymoreonlyhighlightshow
littletheyunderstandher.
Theirprotestationthatthereisnonecessitymakesusreconsiderourunderstanding
ofwhatisnecessary.Forherchildren,theideaofneedissolelyattachedtotheir
needs,nottheirmothers.
Theyfailtoseethatsheknitsnotjustforthembutsothatshefeelsshecanstill
contributethatherskillsarenotobsoleteandthatsheisstillrelevant.
Stanzafive
Asthepoemnearsitsconclusions,thepoetsgrandmotherisdepictedwaving
goodbyetoherchildrenatthewindowaftertheirSundayvisit.
Whileattentiveanddutiful,itisclearthattheydontreallyunderstandtheirmother.

Tothem,shebelongstoapast,bygoneerathatisoutofstepwiththemodernworld.
Themeterofthepoemchangesherefromthelongsentencesofthepreviousstanzas.
Againthepoetfocusesonhergrandmothershands:
Swollenjointed.Red.Athritic.Old.

Thesesingleadjectivesentencesreallyforcethereadertoconfrontthecrueltyofthe
agingprocess.Theyinviteacontrastwiththesureandskilfulhandsofthefishergirl
andtheyoungwifeandmotherofthepreviousstanzas.
Theseadjectivescouldbeusedtodescribenotjustherhandsbutthewaysheis
viewedbysocietyandevenbyherownchildren.
Thispessimisticnoteisrelievedinsomewaybythefinallinesofthepoembeginning
withthelineButtheneedlesstillmove/theirrhythmsintheworkingofyour
hands/easily.
Theword'but'isalmostdeliberatelydefiant.Theenjambmentisolatingtheword
'easily'onalineofitsownemphasisesthat,despiteherphysicallimitations,theskills
shelearnedoveralifetimehavenotyetabandonedher.
Inthefinallines,Lochheadalludestothesenseofcomfortandsolacethatthese
patternsandrhythmshaveprovidedtohergrandmotherovertheyears.Theyofferthe
certaintyofsomethingconstantinaworldoffluxandperpetualchange.
Themesandlinktootherpoems
Thispoemdealswiththecrueltyandreductivenessoftheagingprocessandinvitesus
toconsidertherelationshipsandconflictbetweenthepastandthepresent.
Toherownchildren,thepoetsgrandmotherisincreasinglyirrelevanttotheworldin
whichtheylive.Forthem,knittingisaskillfromapasterathattheynolonger
appreciate.
Thiscontrastswiththeworldinwhichtheirmothergrewup,whereknittingwasa
necessity,notahobby.
Byrejectingthescarvesandcardiganswhichsheproduces,theyunwittinglymakeher
feelincreasinglyuselessandwithoutpurpose.
Throughtheimageofskilfulhandsthatknit,thatonceprovidedherlivelihood,that
scrubbedherhusbandsbackandraisedsixchildren,thepoetpresentsadifferentand
muchfullerdepictionofhergrandmother.
ThispoemwouldmakeagoodcomparisonwithSomeOldPhotographs.