A Child To His Sick Grandfather (1790)

Question 1

Author?

Answer 1

Joanna Bailey

Question 2

Story?

Answer 2

A 1st person child speaker, speaks to his silent ageing/ dying grandfather

Question 3

Themes?

Answer 3

Powerful emotion, loss, innocence, memory

Question 4

Tone?

Answer 4

Nostalgic, sad, regretful

Question 5

Form and structure

Answer 5

Shortened last lines- grandfathers life is ebbing away

Contrast between past and present- sense of loss “you used to smile” “you take me seldom on your knee”

Final couplet breaks from rhyme- grandfather is dead?

Question 6

Language?

Answer 6

Repetition of dad- reflects child speaker and closeness in relationship

Vivid description of grandfather- emphasises age “old and frail” “Lank and thin”

Symbolism of fire- suggests grandfathers fire is going out, coldness and death “and when the weary fire turns blue”

Question 7

Context?

Answer 7

Emotional topic in this poem is typical of romantic poems from this era

Female poets were unusual at this time, and this captures the domestic subject