So far, out of all the poems we have reviewed this semester, Gary Soto’s poem, Behind Grandma’s Hosue, is one of my favorites. This poem tells about a little boy acting all big and bad in his Grandma’s backyard—of course, Grandma’s house is usually where children can get away with things and not get in trouble. Throughout the poem, the little boy does various “bad boy” things.
Lines 6- 10 proved my earlier statemet:
“And wanted to prove I was tough
In the alley, kicking over trash cans,
A dull chime of tuna cans falling.
I hurled light bulbs like grenades
And men teachers held their heads,
Fingers of blood lengthening”
I find all these actions quite hilarious! I remember when I was a little girl, I loved going to my grandma’s house, because I knew I could get away with anything. My grandma was defiantly oblivious to what nonsense I could get myself into. However, what makes this poem so funny is the little boy’s grandma wasn’t oblivious. She knew exactly what he was up to, and boy did she put a stop to it!
The last two lines of the poem made the point across to the readers that grandma really did know what was going on:
“Her hair mussed, and said, ‘Let me help you,’
And punched me between the eyes.”
I personally felt as if the little boy wanted to act like a “bad” kid just for attention. What little boy doesn’t want to be known as the “cool kid” on the block? Like I mentioned earlier, I knew I was capable of getting away with almost anything at my grandma’s house, so he thought he would be able to as well. The little boy was proved wrong, and I highly doubt he’ll be kicking over cans and cussing out loud again anytime soon.
3 comments:
As a child I always got away with everything at my grandmother's as well. I am sure the little boy thought that he could get away with it too, but in this situation that was not the case. I agree that this is one of the best poems that we have read. I laughed and appreciated this poem much more than some of the other readings that we have done this semester.
I agree with you that "Behind Grandma's House" was one of the best poems I read for the class. I was happy to read something funny for once because I feel like all the poems I have been reading lately are either sappy or sad! When I was a child, my grandma's house was the place to be because I also felt like I could get away with anything and everything! As I grow older, I realize that grandmothers are a lot smarter than I thought as a child! Although the particular grandma in this poem was not oblivious to his actions, I am sure the little boy got a lot of excitement during the process! Great thoughts!
Haha. I loved what you said about this poem. I laugh when I picture this little boy trying to be all bad and tough, only to be punched in the face by his grandmother. I agree that he'll probably be better behaved from now on. Great job.
Post a Comment