“My Grandmother's House” Introduction

• Read the full text of “My Grandmother's House”

“My Grandmother's House” Summary

“My Grandmother's House” Themes

• 

  Longing and Nostalgia

  Where this theme appears in the poem:

  • Lines 1-12
• 

  Loneliness and the Desire for Love

  Where this theme appears in the poem:

  • Lines 12-16

Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis of “My Grandmother's House”

• Lines 1-2

  There is a ...
  ... That woman died,

  

  

  

  

  Unlock with LitCharts A⁺

• Lines 3-5

  The house withdrew ...
  ... like the moon

  

  

  

  

  Unlock with LitCharts A⁺

• Lines 6-12

  How often I ...
  ... Dog...

  

  

  

  

  Unlock with LitCharts A⁺

• Lines 12-16

  you cannot believe, ...
  ... in small change?

  

  

  

  

  Unlock with LitCharts A⁺

“My Grandmother's House” Symbols

• 

  The House

  Where this symbol appears in the poem:

  • Lines 1-2: “There is a house now far away where once / I received love...”
  • Line 3: “The house withdrew into silence,”
  • Lines 7-8: “to peer through blind eyes of windows or / Just listen to the frozen air,”
  • Lines 12-14: “you cannot believe, darling, / Can you, that I lived in such a house and / Was proud, and loved...”
• 

  Darkness

  Where this symbol appears in the poem:

  • Lines 9-10: “pick an armful of / Darkness”

“My Grandmother's House” Poetic Devices & Figurative Language

• Caesura

  

  

  

  

  Unlock with LitCharts A⁺

  Where caesura appears in the poem:

  • Line 2: “love... That”
  • Line 3: “silence, snakes”
  • Line 4: “books, I”
  • Line 5: “read, and”
  • Line 7: “There, to”
  • Line 9: “despair, pick”
  • Line 12: “Dog... you,” “believe, darling”
  • Line 13: “you, that”
  • Line 14: “proud, and,” “loved... I”
  • Line 16: “love, at”

• Enjambment

  

  

  

  

  Unlock with LitCharts A⁺

  Where enjambment appears in the poem:

  • Lines 1-2: “once / I”
  • Lines 3-4: “moved / Among”
  • Lines 4-5: “young / To”
  • Lines 6-7: “going / There”
  • Lines 7-8: “or / Just”
  • Lines 9-10: “of / Darkness”
  • Lines 10-11: “lie / Behind”
  • Lines 11-12: “brooding / Dog”
  • Lines 13-14: “and / Was”
  • Lines 14-15: “lost / My”
  • Lines 15-16: “to / Receive”

• Metaphor

  

  

  

  

  Unlock with LitCharts A⁺

  Where metaphor appears in the poem:

  • Line 3: “The house withdrew into silence”
  • Line 7: “to peer through blind eyes of windows”
  • Lines 7-8: “ or / Just listen to the frozen air”
  • Lines 9-10: “pick an armful of / Darkness”
  • Lines 15-16: “beg now at strangers' doors to / Receive love, at least in small change?”

• Rhetorical Question

  

  

  

  

  Unlock with LitCharts A⁺

  Where rhetorical question appears in the poem:

  • Lines 12-16: “ 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?”

• Simile

  

  

  

  

  Unlock with LitCharts A⁺

  Where simile appears in the poem:

  • Line 5: “my blood turned cold like the moon”
  • Lines 10-12: “lie / Behind my bedroom door like a brooding / Dog...”

“My Grandmother's House” Vocabulary

Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.

• Withdrew
• Peer
• Brooding
• In small change

• (Location in poem: Line 3: “The house withdrew into silence,”)

Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme of “My Grandmother's House”

• Form

• Meter

• Rhyme Scheme

“My Grandmother's House” Speaker

“My Grandmother's House” Setting

Literary and Historical Context of “My Grandmother's House”

More “My Grandmother's House” Resources

• External Resources

  • An Introduction to Das — Watch a short video that discusses Das's feminist legacy.

  • A Brief Biography — Learn more about Das's life and work.

  • Das's Legacy — Read an article honoring Das on the tenth anniversary of her death. 

  • Das's Obituary — Read Das's obituary to learn more about her influence on the literary world.