SUMMARY AND CRITICAL
APPRECISATION OF “MY GRANDMOTHER’S HOUSE” BY KAMALA DAS
There is a house now far away where once
I received love……That
woman died,
The house withdrew into silence, Snakes moved
Among books, I was then too young
To read, and my blood turned cold like the moon
How often I think of going
There, to peer through blind eyes of window or
just listen to the frozen air,
Or in wild despair, pick an armful of
Darkness to bring it here to lie
Behind my bedroom like a brooding
Dog……you cannot believe, darling,
Can you, that I lived in such a house and
Was proud, and loved……I who have lost
My way and beg now at strangers’ doors to
Receive love, at least in small change?
INTRODUCTION
TO MY GRANDMOTHER’S HOUSE:
My
Grandmother’s House is a poem written by a very famous
Indian author Kamala Das. The poem (My Grandmother’s House) is written
by Kamala in the memory of her grandmother. She mourns at her loss of her
grandmother. She tells about how she spent her childhood with her grandmother.
Kamala Das considered those memories to be the best in her life and she desires
to get them. She also grieves about her loss. The poem is of 16 lines and has been written in free
verse.
ABOUT
THE AUTHOR OF MY GRANDMOTHER’S HOUSE:
Kamala
Das also known as Kamala Suraiyya was an Indian author and leading Malayalam
author. She was born on 31 March, 1934 in Kerala. She was born in India when
there was British. She grew up in Calcutta. She always stood up and speak against
domestic violence, marital problems, sexual oppression and about prostitute in
more than 20 books. Her famous works are Padmavati the Harlot,
My story, A Doll for Child Prostitute.
She was rewarded with many awards like Vayalar Award, Varkey Award, Kerela
Sahitya Akademi Award for Story, Muttathu Varkey Award and more. She died
on 31 May, 2009 in Pune, Maharashtra.
SUMMARY OF MY GRANDMOTHER’S
HOUSE:
In
the beginning lines of the poem My Grandmother’s
House, she says that there is a house which is now very far away
from her where she received love. The house which is she talking about is of
her grandmother in which she spent the days of the childhood. However, her
grandmother is no more with her. The house “withdraw in silence” this term
means without any life as her grandmother was the only soul of the house. Her
grandmother also had books which kamala could not read as she was quite young
and her grandmother would read stories for her. But now snakes had found home
in those books. All these things had made that house more horrible and the poet
“like the moon” (quite unhappy or sad). She is now without any life and
temperateness.
The
poet in the next line is expressing her desire to go to her grandmother’s
house. She is so much emotionally attached to it since her childhood. She
wants to look through the “blind eyes of windows” of
her grandmother’s house. Here “blind eyes of windows” means that there
is no one in the house to look for. She also desires to listen to “the frozen
air” which means that fresh air has not moved in the house as the house is
locked. The poet further says that she wants to bring the darkness of her Grandmother’s
House with her “in wild despair” i.e., in her bothered life.
In
the final lines of the poem, she is in conversation with her readers. She says
that no one will believe that she had some of the best memories of her
grandmother’s house. And now she has lost her grandmother. She begs at the door
of strangers for love and care. She knows well that no one will able to give that
much love and care as her but she hopes for at least some part of it. The poets
end the poem My Grandmother’s House with memories, hope and desire.
CRITCAL APPRECIATION OF MY GRANDMOTHER’S HOUSE:
The
poem “My Grandmother’s House” has been composed by Kamala Das. The poem
first appeared in first anthology of canto titled Summer Time of Kamala
Das in Calcutta (1905). The poem has been written in an autobiographical tone.
The poetess is longing for her grandmother’s house in Malabar. She is reminded
of the familial house where she has received immense love affection from her
grandmother. The poetess seems very emotional, when she recalls the old days
related to her grandmother.
The
poetess was deeply and emotional attached with her grandmother. The poem
discloses poet’s unfulfilled desire to visit her grandmother’s house. After the
death of her grandmother, the house is ruin and sank in gloom. All the member
of the house distant themselves and the very house became an isolated place.
The
poetess is not at all happy with her present life and her loveless marriage.
Her loveless marriage reminded her of her grandmother’s pure and selfless love.
She wanted to make her husband understand and know about the prosperous and
happy past. She was longing a small amount of love so that she can lead a happy
life. She has openly expressed her grief and sincere confession of the poetess
makes the poem more unique. The image of her grandmother’s house has stuck in
her mind.
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