The Computer Swallowed Grandma
Poet: Anonymous
Class: 7th Standard | Type: Poem | Syllabus: SCERT New Syllabus (Term 1, Unit 1)
About the Poet
This poem is attributed to an anonymous author. It is a popular humorous poem widely shared on the internet and in educational collections. The poet creatively uses computer terminology to craft a funny and imaginative narrative about a grandmother who gets "swallowed" by a computer.
The Poem
The computer swallowed grandma.
Yes, honestly it's true!
She pressed 'Control' and 'Enter'
And disappeared from view.It devoured her completely,
The thought just makes me squirm.
She must have caught a virus
Or been eaten by a worm.I've searched through the recycle bin
And files of every kind;
I've even used the Internet,
But nothing did I find.In desperation, I asked Jeeves
My searches to refine.
The reply from him was negative,
Not a thing was found 'Online.'So, if inside your 'Inbox',
My Grandma you should see,
Please 'Copy', 'Scan' and 'Paste' her
In an email back to me.
Summary and Analysis
This light-hearted and humorous poem tells the story of a grandchild whose grandmother has been "swallowed" by the computer. The poem begins with the grandchild declaring that the computer swallowed grandma when she pressed 'Control' and 'Enter' and vanished from view. The computer "devoured" her completely, and the speaker imagines she might have caught a computer virus or been eaten by a worm.
The grandchild then describes searching everywhere in the digital world for grandma — through the recycle bin, files of every kind, and even the Internet — but finds nothing. In desperation, the speaker asks Jeeves (a reference to the search engine Ask Jeeves) to help refine the search, but the reply is negative and nothing is found online.
Finally, the poem ends with a heartfelt and humorous plea: if anyone finds grandma in their Inbox, they should 'Copy', 'Scan', and 'Paste' her and send her back in an email.
The poem cleverly uses computer and internet terminology in a dual sense — both as technical terms and as words with everyday meanings — to create humour and engage the reader. It bridges the generation gap between elderly people and modern technology in a playful way.
Glossary
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Swallowed | Took in completely; consumed |
| Control and Enter | Keys on a computer keyboard |
| Devoured | Consumed completely; ate up greedily |
| Squirm | To twist or turn uncomfortably; feel uneasy |
| Virus | A harmful computer program (also a biological infection) |
| Worm | A type of computer malware (also an earthworm) |
| Recycle bin | A folder in the computer where deleted files are stored temporarily |
| Desperation | A state of hopelessness or extreme urgency |
| Jeeves | A reference to Ask Jeeves, an early internet search engine |
| Refine | To improve or make more precise |
| Inbox | The folder in an email account where received messages are stored |
| Copy, Scan, Paste | Common computer operations |
Literary Devices
| Device | Example | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Personification | "The computer swallowed grandma" | The computer is given the human/animal ability of swallowing. |
| Humour / Wit | The entire poem | The absurd scenario of a grandmother being swallowed by a computer creates a comic effect. |
| Pun / Double Meaning (Word Play) | "virus", "worm", "recycle bin", "files" | These words have both computer-related and everyday meanings, creating puns. |
| Rhyme Scheme | ABCB pattern (true/view, squirm/worm, kind/find, refine/Online, see/me) | The second and fourth lines of each stanza rhyme, giving the poem a rhythmic flow. |
| Hyperbole | "It devoured her completely" | Exaggeration used for comic effect — a computer cannot literally devour a person. |
| Irony | "She must have caught a virus / Or been eaten by a worm" | The speaker uses computer terms ironically as if grandma is data inside a computer. |
| Allusion | "I asked Jeeves" | A cultural reference to the search engine Ask Jeeves (now Ask.com). |
Themes
- Technology and Humour: The poem uses computer terminology humorously to create an imaginative and entertaining scenario.
- Generation Gap and Technology: It playfully highlights the challenges older generations may face with modern technology.
- Love and Concern for Family: Despite the humour, the poem conveys the grandchild's deep concern and love for the grandmother, desperately searching everywhere to find her.
- Digital Literacy: The poem introduces young readers to various computer and internet terms (virus, worm, recycle bin, inbox, copy, scan, paste) in an engaging way.
Rhyming Words
| Stanza | Rhyming Pair |
|---|---|
| Stanza 1 | true – view |
| Stanza 2 | squirm – worm |
| Stanza 3 | kind – find |
| Stanza 4 | refine – Online |
| Stanza 5 | see – me |