In Memory of My Grandfather

“In Memory of My Grandfather” is a poem written by Edward Storey to pay tribute to his grandfather who made a big impact on his life. It is about the good and happy memories of the boy with his grandfather. It is about a boy who is stuck inside the house because he is always sick. His grandfather visits him all the time and brings amazing stories about the outside world. The highlight of the poem is his grandfather’s visit. The poem shows us how the boy misses his grandfather so much and his stories.

The poet begins his tribute by comparing his grandfather to a tree as he says “Like an old tree and sat down”
He uses simile to emphasise that his grandfather was as big and strong as an old tree but his body was a bit hunched. It gives us the impression that his grandfather is at one with nature. He continue the idea of comparing his grandfather to nature when he describe his grandfather’s voice and hands as he says “………his voice Rough as the bark of his cracked hands”
He emphasises that his grandfather’s voice and hands were rough. Also, the poet says that “.....His clothes reeked Of the soil........”
This suggests that the grandfather was a farmer or someone who worked on land.

He goes on to describe how his family considers the grandfather to be a nuisance. The boy’s parents do not really want the grandfather to visit in their house. They feel like he is in the way as he says “Whenever he came it was the wrong time”
Perhaps the parents were always busy and had no time to entertain him. Also, the boy's parents think that he is a bad influence for him and he doesn't want him there. There is also a veiled criticism of his parents as he says “The house was cramped with only furniture.”
It suggests that the parents were only giving the boy material possessions not time and love. Perhaps they were always busy working, trying to buy and give the boy material things which he doesn’t need.

The boy, on the other hand, loves his grandfather’s visit. We know this because he says “But I was glad if his coming.”
The boy is always happy whenever his grandfather visits him. Since the boy is sick, he is not allowed to go outside and play like normal kids are doing but his grandfather allow him to feel alive. “……..Only Through him could I breathe in the sun”
The grandfather’s visits bring him the outside world – the smell, the warmth and colours of nature. The poet makes clear the importance of the grandfather’s visit by using vivid descriptions. Through stories, the grandfather allows the boy to experience the world outside, making him to visualise the colour and even hear the birds sing. “He knew the language of the birds and brought them Singing out of his beard, alive To my blankets.”
This lines suggests that maybe the grandfather is humming or whistling like a bird. His whistling not only brings the birds to life but also makes the boy feel ‘alive’. This idea is continued in the next stanza when the grandfather’s descriptions of the orchards were so vivid that the boy can almost see the fruit. “Plums shone in his eyes when he rambled Of orchards.”
The grandfather is so happy whenever he talks about the nature. His eyes widen and there is a twinkle in his eyes. The use of the word ‘rambled’ suggests not only the grandfather talking but also the idea of that they were walking together through the orchards. He also says “….He was winter and harvest.”
The ‘winter’ suggests an old age. Perhaps near the end of his grandfather’s life. Also, the harvest suggests that the boy reaps the benefits of his grandfather’s labour and work.

He feels miserable when his grandfather doesn’t visit him for a whole summer. The house goes back to normal. We know this because he said “The house regained silence and corners.”
The fantasies and colourful world become dull; all that is left is emptiness and the boy feels trapped within his sick room. The idea of silence and emptiness is continued in stanza 7, after the death of the boy’s grandfather. “Slumped there in my summerless season”
The use of alliteration emphasises the boy’s sickness and despair. It means that his summer was dull because his grandfather can no longer bring the outside in. His body was covered with illness that he can’t move properly and lively. The grandfather hasn’t visited and he misses him so much as he says “I longed for his rough hands and words”
It emphasises his loneliness and longing for his grandfather each day. His ‘rough hands and words’ are what makes the boy feel alive. There is an extended metaphor carried out through th poem of the grandfather being 'like a tree'. These are the things that make him imagine and visualise what he can’t see because of his condition.

At the end of the poem, we realise that the poet has been describing his grandfather’s final visit. The tone of the poem at this point has changed from being happy to quite sad and reflective as he says “But there was no chance again of miming His habits or language.”
It means that he cannot get back the time when his grandfather was still alive and visiting him. He cannot get back what his grandfather did to him and what they usually did. He cannot copy it. His grandfather’s humming and stories are gone. His grandfather is gone. We know that the grandfather is no longer with us because he said that “…….Only now, Years later in a cramped city, can I Be grateful of his influence and love.”
The part when he says ‘Years later’ suggests that the boy has grown up. He is now living in a ‘cramped city’. Also, the part that he says ‘in a cramped city’ suggests that he already got a job in the city. It also suggests that he feels the same way as he did in the city when he was stucked in his room because his grandfather was gone. And now, he is glad and ‘grateful’ to what his grandfather did to him because he wouldn’t be the same or successful as he is today if not because of his grandfather. He treasured the time he had with him. His grandfather made him see life with full of inspirations.

I found that the poem "In Memory of My Grandfather" by Edward Storey was very fitting tribute to his grandfather because it was full of love. As you read the poem, you would really feel the love and the strong affection of the boy and the grandfather. Even though his grandfather had already died, his love never fade away; instead, it has grown stronger. It sends us the message that time with grandparents is time to be treasured. It is a great poem that touches everyone's heart and probably made us think about our grandparents.