The poem is about the poet Kamala Das’s memories of her grandmother and her grandmother’s house. She remembers it as a place where she once felt love, warmth, and care. Now, after her grandmother’s death, the house has become silent, empty, and filled with loneliness.
Part 1: Childhood Memories
The poet says that in her grandmother’s house, she received unconditional love.
After her grandmother died, the house became silent and lifeless.
Snakes moved among the books in the house, which shows neglect and loneliness.
She was too young to read the books at that time, but she still remembers the sadness, saying her blood turned cold like the moon (a simile).
This shows how much she misses the warmth and affection of her grandmother.
Part 2: The Poet’s Desire to Return
The poet often wishes to go back to the house.
She imagines herself looking through the blind windows (windows that seem lifeless and dark).
She wants to listen to the silence (“frozen air”) of the house.
Out of despair, she even wishes she could take some of the darkness of the house and keep it in her own room, as if the memories could stay with her like a brooding dog (another simile).
This shows how strongly she longs for the past and her grandmother’s love.
Part 3: Present Life vs Past Life
The poet then speaks to someone (she says “darling”).
She tells them that once she lived in such a house where she felt proud and loved.
But now, in the present, she feels lonely and unloved.
She compares herself to a beggar, going to strangers’ doors just to receive a little love (“small change”).
This shows the deep contrast between her happy childhood and her sorrowful present.
