‘Behind Grandma’s House’ by Gary Soto is a short poem about a speaker who was once an attention-seeker. In the poem, the speaker tells of the actions they took as a child so they could be noticed. They also tell of their grandma who disciplined them for these actions. Though Soto gives no indication that he is the speaker, his experience growing up in a tough environment clearly inspired this poem.
Summary
‘Behind Grandma’s House’ by Gary Soto is a poem about a speaker who reminisces their childhood days as a problematic attention-seeker.
‘Behind Grandma’s House’ by Gary Soto begins with the speaker revealing the age at which they were a menace. They share the things they did (like having a comb, using hair products, and having a dog “with mismatched eyes”) to be famous in their neighborhood. Though as a child, the speaker clearly thought these first set of actions were “cool,” as an adult, they can see how childish they were. Nonetheless, these actions were harmless. As the poem progresses, however, the speaker details more severe actions they took (like throwing light bulbs at people while bleeding and scaring animals) to garner attention. At this point, it becomes clear how problematic the persona is.
By the end of the poem, the speaker gives readers a humorous twist. They tell of their grandma coming to them, seemingly to “help” them. Only she ends up punching the speaker in the face.
Structure
‘Behind Grandma’s House’ by Gary Soto is written in free verse, meaning there is no determined rhythm, meter, or rhyme scheme. The poem is a single stanza comprising twenty one lines. Soto employs enjambment but also notes when thought ends using the appropriate punctuation. The manner, however, in which one thought runs into another or changes without any warning in indicative of the speaker’s thought process.
Literary Devices
- Personification: Personification is present in lines 4 and 12. The expressions “happy tongue” and “goofy faces” ascribe human qualities, specifically emotional states to body parts.
- Caesura: Caesura is a pause in the middle of a line of poetry. This could either be due to a pause or an end in thought. Caesura appears throughout the poem because of the presence of periods and commas within lines.
- Irony: Situational irony appears in the last lines of the poem, starting from the appearance of the speaker’s grandma. One would expect the grandma to give the persona the loving attention they craved; she did not.
- Metaphor: This literary device is present in lines 10 and 15. There is an implicit comparison between the length of one’s fingers and the manner in which blood dripped in the expression “fingers of blood.” There is also a comparison between spit and the movement of a stream in the expression “stream of spit.”
- Simile: An example of a simile appears on line 8, featuring the expression “hurled light bulbs like grenades.”
Detailed Analysis
Lines 1-4
At ten I wanted fame. I had a comb
And two coke bottles, a tube of Bryl-creem.
I borrowed a dog, one with
Mismatched eyes and a happy tongue,
The opening lines of ‘Behind Grandma’s House’ feature the beginning of the speaker’s reminiscing. They make it clear from the onset that at ten, they wanted attention. These lines reveal the harmless things the speaker did to get this attention. “Bryl-creem” is a hair-styling cream for men.
The speaker then must have thought these actions would make them stand out and look “cool” to others. They probably did, though the speaker does not say so. In fact, the neutral tone in which the persona relates this narrative shows they no longer feel their actions was supposed to be a “cool” thing.
Lines 5-10
And wanted to prove I was tough
In the alley kicking over trash cans,
(…)
And men teachers held their heads,
Fingers of blood lengthening,
These lines lead one to believe that the harmless actions from previous lines were not that successful in garnering attention. Here, the speaker relates how much further they went to draw people’s attention. In previous lines, the speaker does not actively engage people. In these lines, however, they do, and in the most unkind ways. The speaker reveals how they attacked people, harming themselves in the process without caring. This persona also begins to make noises, “kicking over trash cans,” to draw a crowd. This narrative is not far-fetched from reality, considering many in their younger years did the same thing as the speaker.
These lines are rich in both visual and sound imagery. It is also indicative of the progression of the poem. One can envision the narrative reaching a climax; this sparks enough curiosity in readers to keep them engaged.
Lines 11-17
On the ground. I flicked rocks at cats,
Their goofy faces spurred with foxtails,
(…)
I said “Chale,” “In your face,” and “No way
Daddy-O” to an imaginary priest
These lines highlight animal cruelty. The speaker turned to harming animals, plants, and even people who were not present. These lines, more than any, indicate the speaker may have had some underlying psychological issues. They clearly show how much of a menace he was, damaging property. Again, the speaker probably resorted to this because their previous actions only ended up scaring people away from them, not giving them the kind of attention they craved.
“Chale” is a Mexican slang used when one is angry or annoyed. This speaks true to Soto’s heritage as a Mexican American. It also hints at the possibility that Soto is the speaker, although he never admitted such.
Lines 18-21
Until grandma came into the alley
(…)
And punched me between the eyes.
The ending lines of ‘Behind Grandma’s House’ comprise both climax and resolution. The climax is the appearance of the persona’s grandma. This climax introduces a situational irony given the description and later action of the speaker’s grandma. Her mussed hair, apron, and even kind words give the appearance of a gentle woman. However, the unexpected twist comes in the resolution when this woman punches our speaker.
The abrupt ending aims to leave readers baffled and even humored by the way the speaker receives the attention they crave. It is hard to feel sorry for the speaker given how problematic they were. However, it is also sensible to insinuate that their grandma’s heavy-handedness (in every sense of the word) may have also contributed to the speaker’s issues. Regardless, ‘Behind Grandma’s House’ is one of those poems that does not take itself too seriously. In a 1999 reading, the audience burst into laughter at these final lines.
FAQs
‘Behind Grandma’s House’ was first published in the poetry collection Black Hair in 1985. Ten years later, on March 1, 1995, it was reprinted in the poetry collection New and Selected Poems by Gary Soto.
The tone overall is neutral. The speaker is neither eager nor reluctant to share personal details of their childhood. Readers, on the other hand, are humored by the speaker’s narrative. As evidenced by Gary Soto’s poetry reading in 1999, the poem induced a rather light-hearted mood.
The major theme of ‘Behind Grandma’s House’ is childhood. The speaker’s experience as a child forms the entire poem. There are also themes like family dynamics, given the nature of the interaction between the child and their grandma, and community, considering the speaker’s interaction with their community. The speaker’s need for attention is another topic highlighted, although it provides humor at the end of the poem.
No, ‘Behind Grandma’s House’ is not a bildungsroman. A bildungsroman traces the persona’s growth from an often problematic childhood to their life as a mature adult. This poem lacks that detailed trace and only shows the speaker reminiscing about their problematic childhood.
Similar Poetry
If you enjoyed reading ‘Behind Grandma’s House’ by Gary Soto, you should check out similar poems:
- ‘My Grandmother’s House‘ by Kamala Das: a poem speaking to a time in which the poet persona received tremendous love from their grandmother.
- ‘Our Grandmothers‘ by Maya Angelou: a poem highlighting the virtue of acceptance in a family and other relationships.
- ‘Childhood‘ by Markus Natten: a poem portraying a speaker who reminisces on the innocence of childhood.
