Summary Of My Grandmother Would Rock Quietly And Hum

When writing, imagery is one of the deepest ways to reach the audience, take them by the hand (or nose, ear, eyes,) and lead them to a place that they may be familiar with or can experience a whole new setting. In Leonard Adame’s poem, “My Grandmother Would Rock Quietly and Hum,” there are several examples of imagery, especially of the visual sense, and a few but strong examples of auditory, olfactory, tactile, and gustatory senses. His poem is written in many short lines, eight stanzas, and begins with a striking image of his grandmother, lets us into her kitchen, living room or porch, as well as a quick trip to the nearest Payless, follows with a delicious description of traditional Mexican cuisine, and then, we return to the kitchen after

Adame continues, “and where / there were shadows / it was not cold” (16-18). One of the shadows we learn is of his grandmother’s and it is warming, no pun intended, to know that because his grandmother stood there, it was not cold but comfortable to watch her make breakfast. In the next lines (19-23), Adame tells us that his grandmother is rolling flour tortillas and frying “papas” (potatoes) in hot lard that make a “cracking” noise which wakes him up. For some, these lines would not leave the page because they have not had a similar experience. To me and others, we know exactly how a tortilla starts out: the masa is sticky, you add flour to help roll it, and it smoothly turns into a tortilla between your hands. In addition, we may have heard the cracking of papas in lard or oil, and could smell the scent from rooms away. When I read those lines, my mouth salivated as I remember the taste of a dish that I had not too long ago. Even though, these lines are not able to reach everybody in the audience, it could at least give an idea of traditional Mexican cuisine and how delicately, the rolling of tortillas, and loudly, the cracking of papas, it can be prepared. Adame also lets us know that his grandmother, although toothless, still enjoyed her “bread / soaked in

Adame ends the poem with a return to his grandmother’s house and he sees “the worn sports by the stove / echo of her shuffling” and it is clear that his memory of her is strong. Even though an echo is somewhat abstract, we know what it’s like to hear what was once there, even if just for a moment. He also shares that her calender of Mexico still hangs, but is now fading like his boyish greed and resentment that we sensed in the Payless trip. Throughout the poem, Adame gives detailed imagery and allows us into his cherished memories of his grandmother. We can read the missing, reflection, and overall gratitude of his experiences. Imagery helps Adame and writers to offer rich descriptions to readers that let us take free rides to meaningful and beautiful places. While reading this poem, I learned of great examples of imagery and how they can add to my reading experience by striking my five senses. I will keep imagery in my pocket when I write so I too, can produce precious images that in turn, are priceless yet mean all the