Tasks: My Grandmother by Jackie Kay

This poem is a good example of how you can use metaphors and similes to provide new insight and give more depth to writing by imbuing it with a deeper level of meaning.

Jackie Kay uses these rhetorical devices to ignite the reader's imagination and to reinforce an impression of a grandmother with a conflicting personality.

Do you remember the difference between metaphors and similes? Find out in the short video below.

Go through the passages from the poem and the questions below. Discuss in pairs or small groups:

1. My grandmother is like a Scottish pine, tall, straight-backed, proud and plentiful.
   This is a simile where she describes the grandmother with four adjectives, comparing her to a pine. What are the unique qualities of a pine? Can you think of any other adjectives that could describe both a pine and human nature?
2. Her face is ploughed land.
   What does this line refer to? What does it say about her life, her way of living, and her character? Is this a simile or a metaphor?

3. She wears a plaid shawl of our clan with the zeal of an Amazon.
   Plaid shawls and clans are deeply rooted in Scottish history, tradition, and culture, while Amazons are taken from Greek mythology. Use the internet and find out what Amazons were and what characterised them. Why do you think the poet introduces these elements together? How does it reinforce our impression of the grandmother?

4. She is one of those women burnt in her croft rather than moved off the land.
   This line refers to an event in Scottish history called 'The Highland Clearances'. Use the internet and find out what happened during the Clearances. How does this metaphor describe the grandmother and her personality?

5. She speaks Gaelic mostly, English only when she has to, then it’s blasphemy.
   Why is Gaelic so important for the grandmother? And why is English "blasphemy"?

6. You have now looked at the first stanza of the poem. Focus only on this stanza, and write down five adjectives that you think characterise this grandmother. Are these positive or negative words?

7. My grandmother sits by the fire and swears There’ll be no darkie baby in this house.
   What happens here? How does this line make you feel? What does this line suggest?

8. The final four lines mirror the beginning of the poem. However, with only a minor change of words and a shift between metaphors and similes, the mood of the poem changes. Comment on the changes you find. How does it change your view of the grandmother?

   Beginning:
   My grandmother is like a Scottish pine, tall, straight-backed, proud and plentiful, a fine head of hair, greying now
   tied up in a loose bun.
   Her face is ploughed land.
   Her eyes shine rough as amethysts.

   Ending:
   My grandmother is a Scottish pine,
   tall, straight-backed proud and plentiful, her hair tied with pins in a ball of steel wool. Her face is tight as ice
   and her eyes are amethysts.

1. Using the information you have gathered from the previous task, write an analysis of the poem where you focus on the changing mood of the poem and the literary devices that are used.
2. Have you ever experienced the feeling of not fitting in? Write a personal text where you describe this situation and the feeling it left you with. Make references to the poem in your text.
3. Just like the grandmother described in this poem, there are many people who are afraid of and even hostile towards people who introduce new elements into a culture. Some believe that mingling cultures is a threat to cultural identity, while others see it as a natural process. Write a text where you express your opinion on this matter. Make references to the poem in your text.

How much do you know about Scottish culture, history, and traditions? Below is a list of events and cultural traits that we often relate to Scotland. Work in groups and choose one of the tasks. Make a presentation or a short film about your topic. Share with the rest of the class.

• Scottish Gaelic: Where did Scottish Gaelic come from, what are its characteristics, and how widespread is the language today?
• Scottish English: What is the difference between standard English and Scottish English? (Vocabulary, pronunciation, grammar, Scottish dialects...)
• The Highland Clearance: Why and when did the Highland Clearance take place, and what were the consequences?
• Scotland vs England: How did historical events shape the relationship between Scotland and England?
• Scottish culture: What are the most typical traits in Scottish culture? (music, literature, clothes, food and drink, traditions ...)