‘My Grandmother’ – Christopher Rush

1. ‘My Grandmother’ – Christopher Rush

2. Stanza 1 • Rush remembers his Grandmother standing at the kitchen sink trying to hold back an asthma attack.

3. I see her now • Rush recalls the scene vividly • ‘I’ shows that the poem will be personal • ‘her’ the subject of the poem has made a lasting impression

4. In her wheezing grey frailty • Syntax of metaphor is unusual to place emphasis on ‘frailty’ • Onomatopoeia – ‘wheezing’ implies breathing difficulties • ‘grey’ connotations of old age and hair colour • ‘frailty’ connotations of old age, weakness and a delicate thing

5. clutching hold of her life at the kitchen sink; • Metaphor – shows that she is struggling to not have an asthma attack/spends a great deal of time at the kitchen sink • ‘clutching’ – connotation of desperation and a struggle • ‘kitchen sink’ – juxtaposes the seriousness of the event with a mundane object

6. the noise of her breathing like the sound of the sea • Simile – breathing rises and falls like the waves and sounds rough/ • Alliteration – mirrors the sound of the sea

7. sucking back shingle • Alliteration caries on image – her breathing sound like the noise the sea makes is rough and harsh • ‘sucking’ breathing carefully • ‘shingle’ technical term linked with the sea. Sound of soft sibilant “sh” with harsh guttural “g” sound creates the sound shingle being washed back by the sea and asthma attack

8. Stanza 2 • Shows the strength of his Grandmother and how present she was in Rush’s early years

9. Woman of the waves was she • Alliteration – emphasises her close link with the sea working, living beside etc. and relates to breathing in waves of asthma • Metaphor – she lived by and worked with the sea in partnership • Syntax – inversion places emphasis on “was she” • “was she” – speaking directly to the reader, reminiscing and confirming that she is no longer alive

10. She fought back her asthma • Metaphor – shows she is a strong character who would not give in to her condition • “fought” shows it was a constant struggle • “asthma” confirms that this is why she has breathing problems

11. standing there while I grew up • “standing there” – a strong and constant figure • “while I grew up” – she was always there for Rush, teaching him and helping

12. the tides came and went. • “tides” is ambiguous – represents the passing of time or that her breathing difficulties came and went

13. Stanza 3 • Describes the grandmother’s role as a fishwife, gutting and preparing the fish.

14. Her fingers flashed silver, • Alliteration – shows the quickness and deftness of her gutting the fish • Metaphor – the knife seems to be part of her showing that she was skilled and had worked on it for years

15. the gullie terrible in her hand • Metaphor – the knife was so sharp it made quick work of the gutting • “gullie” – Scots word for large knife, his Grandmother is passing on the Scots language and her knowledge to Rush • “terrible” – ambiguous as it means that it was terrible for the fish (it was gutting them) and that it seemed out of place in the grandmother’s hand

16. she was at home among the herring and flounders and cod. • Metaphor – shows that she was comfortable with the sea and like she was a part of it • List of fish shows how much of her time was spent at work – syntax stresses the amount of fish there seemed to be

17. Stanza 4 • Rush recalls his fear of the crabs that his grandmother used to cook in a pot to the extent that he had nightmares

18. the crabs boiled red in the pot • “red” symbolising violence and fear

19. a stone on its iron lid • Rush’s grandmother helping to calm his fears – reassuring even though the crabs would be dead

20. to keep from crawling out • Alliteration – stresses how frightened rush was • “crawling” shows Rush’s fear and how the crabs move to create a tense atmosphere

21. crawling out/ into my dreams. • Metaphor – shows that Rush had nightmares about the crabs but his grandmother helped to stop them • Shows that Rush was young/ childish when this happened

22. Stanza 5 • Rush goes into further details of his nightmares as he imagines the crabs tearing him to pieces. Rush states that his grandmother was able to stop these nightmares

23. Eyes that wobbled wickedly on stalks • Alliteration – highlights how scary found the eyes of the crabs • Metaphor – underlines that Rush thought the crabs as evil creatures and the way their eyes move seems unnatural • “stalks” – the eyestalk of the crabs seem thin and delicate

24. and claws that tore me to gobbets as I lay • “gobbets” = a piece of meat • Rush describing the content of the nightmares • “gobbets” guttural ‘g’ sound emphasises the unpleasantness of the dream

25. drowning, drowning – she took these terrors away. • Repetition stresses the boy’s fear and powerlessness over the situationand the fact that he struggled for breathe when awaking from the dream • His grandmother was able to stop the nightmares • “terrors” show how scared Rush was and another word for nightmare or metaphor where the crabs are the “terrors” that are being taken away by his grandmother

26. Stanza 6 • Rush’s grandmother teaches him about the fish she is gutting and her generosity is shown.

27. She showed me St Peter’s thumb-print/ on the side of the haddock. • Emphasises the old age of Rush’s grandmother and her knowledge of the fish • She is teaching rush about traditions and the ways of the sea • “St Peter’s” – patron saint of fishermen

28. She gave me the top of my grandfather’s egg. • Rush’s grandmother was affectionate and caring

29. Stanza 7 • The grandmother is in pain every night because of her asthma and cries

30. She washed me in the brine of her tears • Metaphor – demonstrates the oneness Rush’s grandmother had with the sea as brine is another term for salt/sea water • “washed me” – implies that as Rush hugs his grandmother the tears fall onto him

31. that she shed nightly • Alliteration – ‘sh’ soft sibilant sound that mirrors the sound of the sea creating a peaceful scene

32. Stanza 8 – She taught me the ways of the sea. • Personal reflection to show how much knowledge was passed from one generation to another.