Comparing Ageing in A Crabbit Old Woman and My Grandmother Essay

Ageing in A Crabbit Old Woman and My Grandmother The two poems, 'A Crabbit Old Woman' and 'My Grandmother' portray the experience of ageing in very different ways. In 'A Crabbit Old Woman' the poem is written from the old woman's perspective when 'My Grandmother is written from the narrator's point of view. The beginning of the poem 'The Crabbit Old Woman' starts when the woman is old in a nursing home and she is expressing her annoyance at the nurses. "What do you see, nurses? When you're looking at me." The old woman then tells us about each stage and change of her life. When she does she uses brief descriptions in the short line. "A bride now at twenty My heart gives a leap" This suggests that she seems regretful that life has passed so quickly and she had wished she had stopped at the time to enjoy what she had. During, and at the end of the poem a variation of the following lines is repeated: "Is that what your thinking, Is that what you see? Then open your eyes, You're not looking at me." This draws in the attention because it is like the poet is really asking the reader the question, and gives the reader a chance to think about what has just been said. The tone changes frequently during the poem, even when she is describing the life she loved there are a few lines that almost seem to bring the fantasy back ... ...s is probably because I had though that girls would be more sympathetic and understanding to their Grandmothers. I know this is isn't fair and rather discriminating but I just got the feeling that the narrator was a boy. In conclusion, these two poems portray old age as a time in your life when your quality of life deteriorates. 'The Crabbit Old Woman' tells us about how the old women feels about herself and the people who are around her and look after her. On the other hand 'My Grandmother' tells us how the people around an old woman view her and her ways. After reading these poems I feel that I will look at old people in a different way from now on, and realise they that they were all my age once.