1. The poem, My Grandmother’s House, first appeared in Kamala Das’s first anthology of verse
titled Summer Time in Calcutta (1965). It is also an autobiographical poem in which the poet’s
longing for her parental house in Malabar is movingly described. She is reminded of the
ancestral house where she had received immense love and affection from her grandmother.
The poet’s feminine sensibility finds its clearest loveless relationships in it. A note of
pessimism runs throughout the action of the poem. It reveals the poet’s painful unfulfilled
desire to visit her grandmother’s house to which she is deeply and emotionally attached. The
poet is shocked to learn that the house is all in ruin after the death of her grandmother. She
suffers in silence due to the wear and tear it has undergone in her absence. A death-like silence
reigns in her grandmother’s house.
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Moreover, the intensity of her grief is suggestively conveyed by the ellipsis in the form of a
few dots in this section of the poem. It was her disenchantment with her loveless marriage
which reminded her of her grandmother’s pure and selfless love. Her heart is itself like a dark
window where the fresh air does not blow. The image of the house has stuck to her mind. The
poet has also used the similes of a brooding dog show her inability to pay a visit to her
grandmother’s house. She has also used suggestive visual imagery of ‘blind eyes of the
windows’ and ‘the frozen air’ to convey the idea of death and desperation.
There is a house now far away where once
I received love……. That woman died,
The house withdrew into silence, snakes moved
Among books, I was then too young
To read, and my blood turned cold like the moon
How often I think of going
There, to peer through blind eyes of windows or
Just listen to the frozen air,
Or in wild despair, pick an armful of
Darkness to bring it here to lie
Behind my bedroom door like a brooding
Dog…you cannot believe, darling,
My Grandmother's House
by Kamala Das
Notes by:
Dr. G. N. Khamankar, Head Dept. of English, Vivekanand Mahavidhyalaya, Bhadrawati

2. Can you, that I lived in such a house and
Was proud, and loved…. I who have lost
My way and beg now at strangers' doors to
Receive love, at least in small change?
Summary and Analysis:
There is a house now far away where once
(…)
To read, and my blood turned cold like the moon
The poem, My Grandmother’s House, shows Kamala Das’s intense love and attachment to it.
She suffers from an acute sense of alienation after having left this place after her marriage.
The poet now lives in a big city after her marriage, a remote place from her grandmother’s
house. She is reminded of her grandmother’s house where she spent her memorable childhood.
Ironically, it is the only place where she received love from her grandmother. The death of the
grandmother is even mourned by the house to which she was emotionally attached. A death-
like silence reigned in the house after her exit from this world. It seems that the grandmother
was the very soul of this house. Being deserted, the snakes cold be seen among books in the
library of the house. At that point of time she was too young to read those books which looked
quite horrible and repulsive like snakes. She was almost frozen with fear at the passing away
of her grandmother and seemed cold like the moon.
The very opening lines of the poem capture alive the poet’s mood of nostalgia. She is reminded
of the happiest days of her childhood which she spent in the company of her grandmother. She
was deeply attached to her grandmother who was very caring and affectionate to her. She was
emotionally destabilized after the death of her grandmother and felt almost heart-broken. The
intensity of her grief is suggestively conveyed by the ellipse in the form of a few dots in this
section of the poem. It was her disenchantment with her loveless marriage which reminded her
of her grandmother’s pure and selfless love.
माझ्या आजीचे घर ही कविता कमला दास याांचे तीव्र प्रेम आवि त्यािरील जोड दर्शिते. लग्नानांतर हे
विकाि सोडल् यामुळे वतला एकाकीपिाच्या तीव्रतेने ग्रासले आहे. वतच्या लग्नानांतर किी आता मोठ्या
र्हरात राहते, वतच्या आजीच्या घरापासून दू रचे विकाि. वतला वतच्या आजीच्या घराची आििि येते वजथे
वतने वतचे सांस्मरिीय बालपि घालिले . गांमत म्हिजे, ती एकमेि जागा आहे वजथे वतला वतच्या
आजीकड
ू न प्रेम वमळालां . ज्या घरात ती भािवनकररत्या जोडली गेली होती वतच्यामुळे आजीच्या मृत्यूबद्दल
र्ोकदेखील आहे. वतच्या या जगातून बाहेर पडल् यानांतर घरात मृत्यूसारखे मौन बाळगले गेले . असे वदसते
आहे की आजी ही या घराची अत्यांत आत्मा होती. वनजशन असल् याने, घराच्या लायब्ररीत पुस्तकाांमध्ये साप
साप वदसतो. त्यािेळी ती खूप लहान होती जी पुस्तक
े िाचण्यास फारच भयानक आवि सापाांसारखी

3. वतरस्करिीय वदसत होती. आजीचे वनधन झाल् यामुळे ती जिळजिळ भीतीने गोिले ली होती आवि
चांद्रासारखी थांड वदसत होती. कवितेच्या अगदी सुरुिातीच्या ओळी किीच्या उदासीनतेची भािना वजिांत
करतात. वतच्या आजीच्या सहिासात घालिले ल् या बालपिातील सिाशत आनांदाचे वदिस वतला आिित
आहेत. ती वतच्या आजीर्ी खूप प्रेमळ होती जी वतच्यािर खूप प्रेमळ आवि प्रेमळ होती. आजीच्या
वनधनानांतर ती भािवनकदृष्ट्या अस्थथर झाली होती आवि जिळजिळ हृदय दु: खी झाली आहे. वतच्या
दु: खाची तीव्रता सूचनेनुसार कविताच्या या भागात काही विपक
े स्वरूपात लां बितुशळाद्वारे वदली जाते.
वतच्या वतच्या प्रेमरवहत वििाहाबद्दलचा वतचा मोह वतच्या आजीच्या र्ुद्ध आवि वनिःस्वाथश प्रेमाची आििि
करून देतो.
How often I think of going
(…)
Dog…
In the above lines of the poem, My Grandmother’s House, the poet defines her relationship
with her grandmother in a very moving manner. Kamala Das is reminded of the happiest days
of her childhood which spent with her grandmother. The poet was deeply attached to her
grandmother who was very caring and affectionate to her. She was emotionally shattered after
the death of her grandmother who had been the chief source of inspiration in her life.
The poet often longs to visit her grandmother’s house to which she was emotionally attached
since her childhood. It has been a place of security and protection which is sadly missing in
her new house in the city. She would like to peep through the dust-ridden or coloured panes of
windows which were shut after the death of the grandmother. She would like to listen and feel
the still atmosphere prevailing in the house. It is this longing to revisit her grandmother’s house
that adds to her sense of frustration and hopelessness. The darkness of her grandmother’s house
can have no terrifying impact on her. She would like to gather some darkness, some memories
of the grandmother’s house and bring them to her present city residence. The very memories
of her grandmother’s house will have a soothing impact on her loveless and hopeless married
life.
The poet is in a mood of reminiscence and recreates the plight of the grandmother’s house after
her departure from the scene of life. She gives us the very feel of the house in its state of neglect
and desertion. The poet has used the simile of a brooding dog to show her inability to pay a
visit to her grandmother’s house. She has employed suggestive visual imagery of ‘blind eyes
of the windows’ and ‘the frozen air to convey the idea of death and desperation.
कविताच्या िरील ओळीांमध्ये, माझे आजीचे घर, किीने वतच्या आजीर्ी असले ले नाते अवतर्य हलक
े
पद्धतीने पररभावित क
े ले आहे. कमला दास याांना वतच्या आजीबरोबर घालिले ल् या बालपिातील सिाशत
आनांदी वदिसाांची आििि येते. किी वतच्या आजीर्ी खूप प्रेमळ होती जी वतच्यािर खूप प्रेमळ आवि

4. प्रेमळ होती. वतच्या आजीच्या आयुष्यातील मुख्य प्रेरिाथथान असले ल् या आजीच्या वनधनानांतर ती
भािवनक वचवथत झाली होती.
लहानपिापासूनच किी नेहमी वतच्या आजीच्या घरी जाण्याची इच्छा िे िते. हे सुरवितता आवि सांरििाचे
विकाि आहे जे र्हरातील वतच्या निीन घरात दुदैिाने हरिले आहे. आजीच्या वनधनानांतर बांद झाले ल् या
विांडोच्या धूळयुक्त वक
ां िा रांगीत फलकाांमधून ती डोकािू इस्च्छत आहे. वतला ऐकायला आिडेल आवि
घरात र्ाांत िातािरि आहे असे वतला िाटेल. वतच्या आजीच्या घरी परत जाण्याची ही उत्क
ां िा आहे
ज्यामुळे वतच्या वनरार्ेची आवि वनरार्ेची भािना िाढली. वतच्या आजीच्या घराच्या अांधाराचा वतच्यािर
कोिताही भयानक पररिाम होऊ र्कत नाही. वतला थोडा अांधार, आजीच्या घरातील काही आिििी
गोळा करून वतला वतच्या सध्याच्या र्हर वनिासथथानी आिण्यास आिडेल. वतच्या आजीच्या घरच्या
आिििीांचा वतच्या प्रेमळ आवि वनरार्ेच्या वििावहत जीिनािर सुखद पररिाम होईल.
किी आििि करून देण्याच्या मनिःस्थथतीत आहे आवि आजीच्या जीिनातील दृश्यापासून वनघून
गेल् यानांतर वतच्या घराची दुदशर्ा पुन्हा तयार करते. घरातील दुलश ि आवि वनजशन अिथथेत ती आपल् याला
घरची भािना देते. किीने आपल् या आजीच्या घरी भेट देण्यास असमथशता दर्शविण्यासािी एका क
ु त्री
क
ु त्राचा उपमा िापरला आहे. मृत्यू आवि वनरार्ेची कल् पना साांगण्यासािी वतने ‘स्खडक्ाांचे डोळे आांधळे ’
आवि ‘गोिविले ल् या हिेची’ सूचक दृश्य प्रवतमा िापरली आहेत.
you cannot believe, darling,
(…)
Receive love, at least in small change?
In these lines of the poem, the poet says how her frustration and disenchantment in the marital
life forced her to go in for extra-marital relationship. The poet often longs to visit her
grandmother’s house to which she was emotionally attached since her childhood. Unlike her
miserable city life with her husband, it had been a place of security and genuine love for her.
Here the poet informs her dear husband that he can never believe the intensity of love that she
received from her grandmother. He can never realize that she was extremely proud of her
grandmother’s house where she was deeply loved by her grandmother. It is her separation from
her grandmother’s house after marriage that has ruined her life for ever. It is loveless and
hopeless married life that has crippled her sense of pride and love which she used to have in
her grandmother’s house. She has become a beggar for love who knocks helplessly at strangers’
doors to receive at least in a small measure. She has almost lost her way in search of genuine
and selfless love.
Kamala Das exposes the futility of loveless and hopeless marital relationships in these five
concluding lines of the poem. It shows the agony and humiliation of a married woman who is

5. forced to seek extra-marital relationships to seek love for her emotional satisfaction. It is the
mood of nostalgia that dominates the closing phase of the poem. The poet is reminded of her
grandmother’s house where received love and safety in her childhood. She has lost all her
identity and freedom in her loveless relationship.
कवितेच्या या ओळीांमध्ये किीने असे म्हटले आहे की िैिावहक जीिनात वतची वनरार्ा आवि मोह यामुळे
वतला वििाहबाह्य सांबांधात जाण्यास भाग पाडले . लहानपिापासूनच किी नेहमी वतच्या आजीच्या घरी
जाण्याची इच्छा िे िते. वतचे पतीसमिेत वतच्या दयनीय र्हर जीिनासारखे नाही, हे वतच्यासािी
सुरविततेचे आवि अस्सल प्रेमाचे विकाि होते. येथे किी वतच्या वप्रय पतीला साांगते की आजीकड
ू न वतला
वमळाले ल् या प्रेमाच्या तीव्रतेिर तो कधीही विश्िास िे िू र्कत नाही. वतला हे कधीच कळत नाही की
वतला वतच्या आजीच्या घरी अवभमान आहे ज्यािर वतचे आजी वतच्यािर खूप प्रेम करते. लग्नानांतर वतचे
आजीच्या घरातून होिारे िेगळे पि यामुळे वतचे आयुष्य कायमचे उध्वस्त क
े ले आहे. हे प्रेमरवहत आवि
वनरार्ेचे वििावहत जीिन आहे ज्यामुळे वतच्या आजीच्या घरात वतचा अवभमान आवि प्रेमाची भािना कमी
झाली. ती प्रेमाची वभकारी बनली आहे जी कमीतकमी थोड्या प्रमािात प्राप्त करण्यासािी असहाय
लोकाांच्या दाराांिर असहायपिे िोिािते. अस्सल आवि वनस्वाथश प्रेमाच्या र्ोधासािी वतने जिळजिळ
आपला मागश गमािला आहे.
कमला दास कवितेच्या या पाच वनिाशयक ओळीांमध्ये प्रेमरवहत आवि वनरार् िैिावहक सांबांधाांची
वनरथशकता उघडकीस आितात. हे वतच्या भािवनक समाधानासािी प्रेम र्ोधण्यासािी वििाहबाह्य सांबांध
र्ोधण्यास भाग पाडले ल् या एका वििावहत स्त्रीचे क्लेर् आवि अपमान दर्शिते. कविताांच्या र्ेिटच्या
टप्प्यािर िचशस्व गाजवििारी ही भािना आहे. किीला वतच्या आजीच्या घराची आििि करून वदली जाते
वजथे वतला बालपिातच प्रेम आवि सुरिा वमळाली होती. वतच्या प्रेमरवहत नात्यात वतने आपली सिश
ओळख आवि स्वातांत्र्य गमािले आहे.

6. (Write this question in your notebook)
Que. Write a critical appreciation of the Poem My Grandmother’s House by Kamala Das
Or Examine the theme of love in this poem. How do the notions of discontent and disillusionment
connect with the predominant theme?
Ans. Kamala Das has created a permanent place for herself in Indian Writing in English. The poem My
Grand Mother’s House by Kamala Das is a lyric that reveals her nostalgic yearning for her family home
in Malabar where she had spent some of the happiest days of her life with her grandmother.
The poem first appeared in Kamala Das’s first anthology of poems titled Summer Time in Calcutta.
Kamala Das then lived in a city, far away from her grandmother’s place. Here she suffered from an
acute sense of alienation after her marriage. She remembered the days she spent in her
grandmother’s house and the love and affection showed by her. The memory makes her sad. It was
the only place where she could receive love from her grandmother. She became emotional and
suffered intense agony. The poet says that after the death of her grandmother the House was filled
with grief. She was too young to read the books at that time. The books in the house seemed to her
as horrible as snakes and her blood turned cold like the moon.
Since then the poetess was thinking of going to her grandmother’s house again. She had a strong
desire to be in there and wanted to look through the windows of the house. She called the windows
blind because there was no one in the house to look through the windows. She wanted to sit there
alone and listened to the blowing of the cold winter wind. Her heart was itself like a dark window
where the fresh air did not blow.
Kamala Das sums up the poem saying that it is difficult for anyone to believe that she once lived in
such a house filled with love and affection. There is a sharp contrast to her present situation where
she is completely devoid of love and pride. She says that in her desperate quest for love, she has lost
her way. Since she didn’t receive any feelings of love from the people whom she called her own, she
now has to knock “at strangers' doors” and beg them for love, if not in substantial amounts, then at
least in small measure.