Poem The Living Photograph: HOTs Questions + Answers

Complete the poem. Try not to refer to the text.

The Living Photograph

My small grandmother is tall there,
straight-back, white broderie anglaise (1)___________________,
pleated (2)____________, flat shoes, grey bun,
a kind, old (3)_________ round her eyes.
Her big hand (4)____________mine,
white hand in black hand.
Her sharp blue eyes look her own (5) ______________ in the eye.
It was (6) __________ after all; that look.
My tall grandmother became small.
Her back round and (7) _____________.
Her (8) _____________ forgot to boil.
She went to the (9) ____________ place grandmothers go.
Somewhere unknown, (10) ___________.
But there she is still,
in the photo with me at (11)____________,
the crinkled smile is still (12) _____________ , breathing.

1. Why do you think the grandmother wore flat shoes?

__________________________________________________________________________________

2. Why do you think the grandmother became small?

__________________________________________________________________________________

3. Why did the grandmother’s back become round and hunched?

__________________________________________________________________________________

4. According to the persona, where has the grandmother gone and why ‘there she is still’?
__________________________________________________________________________________

5. Why is the smile described as still living and breathing?

__________________________________________________________________________________

6. Why did the grandmother go to that awful place?

__________________________________________________________________________________

7. Why was the place described as awful?

__________________________________________________________________________________

8. How do we know that the grandmother looked prim and proper?

__________________________________________________________________________________

9. ‘White hand in black hand’

What other feature mentioned in the stanza tell us the grandmother’s race? Provide reason to support
your answer.
Feature : __________________________________________________________________
Reason : __________________________________________________________________

1
10. ‘Her soup forgot to boil’
What other thing do you think the grandmother was likely to forget to do? Give a reason to support
your answer.
Thing : __________________________________________________________________
Reason : __________________________________________________________________

1. Why do you think her soup forgot to boil?

__________________________________________________________________
2.
Quality Evidence
Kind
Protective/caring
Fearless/ courageous
Friendly

3. 'she went to the awful place grandmothers go...

Do you think the persona understands about death? Provide a reason for answer,
Understanding: __________________________________________________________________.
Reason: ___________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________.

4. 'But there she is still'

How do you think the persona feels when she looks at the photograph? Provide a reason for your
answer.
Feeling : __________________________________________________________________
Reason : ___________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________.

5. Give one moral value one can learn from the poem.
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________

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