Mid-Range Analysis
Vona Groarke
This poem, entitled The Family Photograph, is a testament to the belief that, sometimes, the imperfect things mean more than perfection ever could. It follows a young family and a grandparent as they prepare to take a photograph, only to have it ruined by a sudden burst of crying by the infant. Written by Vona Groarke, the poem highlights this message with sensory details and symbolism.
The first half of the poem is spent discussing the time spent by the woman in a futile attempt to make everything perfect, symbolizing the eternal struggle against life’s issues. For example, Groarke writes, “you have stepped out/ to make sure that everything/is in its proper place” (Lines 10-12). The woman has spent all day preparing for the visit by the photographer, hoping to be able to capture the home in its best light. She steps out to observe her work, knowing that she has done all she can to avoid problems. Another reference to this struggle for perfection is found in the first stanza, where Groarke says “In the window of the drawing-room…in which the figure of your husband is, for a moment, framed” (Lines 1-4). When one thinks of something framed, it is usually a painting or some other work of art. The woman, even if just for a second, has been able to frame her husband into something perfect, just like a work of art. It is with this context that the poem shifts to the problem that breaks the perfection. Groarke writes of “the exact moment when you knew he would cry/and the photograph be lost” (Lines 23-24). The baby cries during the picture, destroying the bubble of perfection that the woman has spent so long trying to make. It Is not just the photograph that has been “lost”, but her whole day of work.
However, the theme of the poem becomes readily apparent in the next paragraph, where the woman reflects on the ruined picture. Groarke says, “You stand, a well-appointed group/with an air of being pleasantly surprised./ You will come to love this photograph” (Lines 26-28). One interesting word choice is that of “well-appointed”, meaning that the family is balanced and complementary, problems and all. Despite the baby crying, they come to love the candidness of the photo and how accurately it depicts their true family.
The use of sensory details and symbolism is present throughout much of the poem. Sensory details are combined with imagery when Groarke writes, “Later, you will try to recall/how he felt in your arms--the weight of him,/ the way he turned to you from sleep” (Lines 20-22). Without actually saying so, Groarke is able to depict the increasing uneasiness of the baby shortly before the crying commences. The reader is able to imagine the baby in their own arms and imagine the way the baby wakes up. This use of sensory details on a personal level gives the reader a much more effective picture of the scene. Furthermore, symbolism is used with simple words such as summer. Groarke says, “They say it will be one of the hottest summers” (Line 17). In this phrase, summer and its hot weather represent the problems in life. However, at the end of the poem, she writes, “you drank a toast to him, and summer-time” (Line 32). This reflects on the woman’s acceptance of the problems in her life and how she celebrates them at the end of the day. After realizing that an imperfect photo may mean much more than a perfect one could, she praises the issues that make her life so interesting. Such symbolism strengthens the relationship between the imagery and the actual theme of the poem.
-Robert Chun
Picture Source
The first half of the poem is spent discussing the time spent by the woman in a futile attempt to make everything perfect, symbolizing the eternal struggle against life’s issues. For example, Groarke writes, “you have stepped out/ to make sure that everything/is in its proper place” (Lines 10-12). The woman has spent all day preparing for the visit by the photographer, hoping to be able to capture the home in its best light. She steps out to observe her work, knowing that she has done all she can to avoid problems. Another reference to this struggle for perfection is found in the first stanza, where Groarke says “In the window of the drawing-room…in which the figure of your husband is, for a moment, framed” (Lines 1-4). When one thinks of something framed, it is usually a painting or some other work of art. The woman, even if just for a second, has been able to frame her husband into something perfect, just like a work of art. It is with this context that the poem shifts to the problem that breaks the perfection. Groarke writes of “the exact moment when you knew he would cry/and the photograph be lost” (Lines 23-24). The baby cries during the picture, destroying the bubble of perfection that the woman has spent so long trying to make. It Is not just the photograph that has been “lost”, but her whole day of work.
However, the theme of the poem becomes readily apparent in the next paragraph, where the woman reflects on the ruined picture. Groarke says, “You stand, a well-appointed group/with an air of being pleasantly surprised./ You will come to love this photograph” (Lines 26-28). One interesting word choice is that of “well-appointed”, meaning that the family is balanced and complementary, problems and all. Despite the baby crying, they come to love the candidness of the photo and how accurately it depicts their true family.
The use of sensory details and symbolism is present throughout much of the poem. Sensory details are combined with imagery when Groarke writes, “Later, you will try to recall/how he felt in your arms--the weight of him,/ the way he turned to you from sleep” (Lines 20-22). Without actually saying so, Groarke is able to depict the increasing uneasiness of the baby shortly before the crying commences. The reader is able to imagine the baby in their own arms and imagine the way the baby wakes up. This use of sensory details on a personal level gives the reader a much more effective picture of the scene. Furthermore, symbolism is used with simple words such as summer. Groarke says, “They say it will be one of the hottest summers” (Line 17). In this phrase, summer and its hot weather represent the problems in life. However, at the end of the poem, she writes, “you drank a toast to him, and summer-time” (Line 32). This reflects on the woman’s acceptance of the problems in her life and how she celebrates them at the end of the day. After realizing that an imperfect photo may mean much more than a perfect one could, she praises the issues that make her life so interesting. Such symbolism strengthens the relationship between the imagery and the actual theme of the poem.
-Robert Chun
Picture Source
