1. Who is the poet of the poem “The Grandmother”?
Answer: Ray Young Bear.
2. What is the significance of the purple scarf in the poem?
Answer: The purple scarf is a distinctive item that helps the speaker recognize his grandmother from a distance, symbolizing her uniqueness and identity.
3. What does the plastic shopping bag represent in the poem?
Answer: The plastic shopping bag is another identifying mark that the poet associates with his grandmother, representing the simplicity of her lifestyle.
4. From what distance can the poet recognize his grandmother?
Answer: The poet can recognize his grandmother from a mile away.
5. What does the poet associate with his grandmother’s touch?
Answer: The poet associates the warm and damp hands with the smell of roots, emphasizing his close connection with his grandmother.
6. What sensory details does the poet use to describe his grandmother’s touch?
Answer: The poet describes his grandmother’s touch as warm and damp, with a smell of roots, using tactile and olfactory senses.
7. What is the source of the voice the poet hears?
Answer: The poet describes the voice coming “from a rock,” which symbolizes the strength and wisdom of his grandmother’s words.
8. How does the poet describe his grandmother’s words flowing inside him?
Answer: The poet likens his grandmother’s words to the light stirring ashes from a sleeping fire, showing the warmth and comfort her words provide.
9. What do “stirring ashes from a sleeping fire” symbolize in the poem?
Answer: It symbolizes rekindling memories and warmth, highlighting the deep emotional connection between the poet and his grandmother.
10. Why does the poet mention “a voice coming from a rock”?
Answer: The voice symbolizes the wisdom and authority of his grandmother, which resonates with him deeply.
11. What is the relationship between the poet and his grandmother?
Answer: The poet shares a deep, emotional bond with his grandmother, characterized by recognition through sight, touch, and sound.
12. How does the poet use sensory imagery in the poem?
Answer: The poet uses visual (the purple scarf, plastic bag), tactile (the warm hands), olfactory (the smell of roots), and auditory (the voice) imagery to portray his deep connection with his grandmother.
13. What do the words “sleeping fire” signify in the poem?
Answer: “Sleeping fire” signifies latent warmth and care, symbolizing the enduring love and memories the poet has of his grandmother.
14. How does the poet describe the grandmother’s voice?
Answer: The poet describes her voice as something that flows inside him, like someone stirring ashes from a sleeping fire at night, showing how deeply her words affect him.
15. What does the poem “The Grandmother” reflect about family relationships?
Answer: The poem reflects the poet’s deep affection and respect for his grandmother, highlighting the importance of familial bonds, memory, and cultural heritage.
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