Poetry - A Child to his Sick Grandfather

Question 1

Context for Sick Grandfather

Answer 1

• Written 1790 by presbyterian Scottish poet Joanna Baillie (1762-1851).
• She was confronted with her father’s death at 16.
• Her childhood was dominated by religion.
• She was famous as a female poet in her society.

Question 2

Summary of Sick Grandfather

Answer 2

Narrator reflects on memories of spending time with grand-dad, and spends with him his last moments.

Question 3

Theme Comparisons for Sick Grandfather

Answer 3

• Loss - One Flesh
• Family - Nettles

Question 4

Message of Sick Grandfather

Answer 4

Impact of death on a family

Question 5

Structure and form points for Sick Grandfather

Answer 5

• Second person address - more personal, conversational tone.
• Refrain of ‘dad’ - intimacy, all things circle back to him.
• Rhyming couplets, last line of each stanza missing a syllable - tension interrupts harmony.
• Elegy tone - lament for dead.

Question 6

Language points for Sick Grandfather

Answer 6

• frail… fail - fricatives produce tension.
• round their potions brew - desperate to find a cure, even if against God.
• you love a story, dad? - doubt in question.