15.1.1
Summary, Structure & Form
Summary of Climbing My Grandfather
Summary of Climbing My Grandfather
Andrew Waterhouse's poem focuses on the memory of climbing his grandfather's knee and the safety of childhood.
Background
Background
- Waterhouse was a teacher at an agricultural college. He was also an environmentalist and musician.
- His interest in the environment is shown in the powerful natural imagery in the poem.
- Waterhouse also suffered from depression and committed suicide in 2001 - in light of this, it may be interesting to consider the sense of safety in the memory of childhood in the poem.
Summary
Summary
- The narrator looks back on memories of climbing up his grandfather as a child.
- He uses imagery and language relating to real-life rock climbing to convey a sense of childlike reverence for his grandfather.
Structure and Form in Climbing My Grandfather
Structure and Form in Climbing My Grandfather
Here are some of the key features of the structure and form in Climbing My Grandfather:
Structure
Structure
- The poem is in free verse in a single stanza – the poem is practical in its structure, reflecting the serious tone and intensity of the child’s attempt to climb.
- Each line of the poem takes the reader higher and higher, so they reach the summit of the poem with the little boy climbing his grandfather.
- The poet uses enjambment between lines 5-6 to make the reader change direction of their eyes as the child changes direction.
Present tense
Present tense
- Although the poem is in the present tense, this is tempered by the fact that this poem has been written by the poet as an adult.
- The tense shows that he is attempting to recreate a childhood memory and make it as vivid as possible.
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11.1'Mother, Any Distance' Analysis
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15Climbing My Grandfather - Andrew Waterhouse
15.1Climbing My Grandfather Analysis
16Grade 9 - Comparisons
16.1Grade 9 - Comparisons
Jump to other topics
1When We Two Parted - Lord Byron (1788-1824)
2Love’s Philosophy - Percy Bysshe Shelley
3Porphyria’s Lover - Robert Browning (1812-1889)
4Sonnet 29 - Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806-1861)
4.1Sonnet 29 – ‘I think of thee!’ Analysis
5Neutral Tones - Thomas Hardy (1840-1928)
6Letters from Yorkshire - Maura Dooley (Born 1957)
6.1Letters from Yorkshire Analysis
7The Farmer’s Bride - Charlotte Mew (1869-1928)
8Walking Away - Cecil Day Lewis (1904-1972)
8.1Walking Away Analysis
9Eden Rock - Charles Causley (1917-2003)
10Follower - Seamus Heaney (1939-2013)
10.1Follower Analysis
11‘Mother, Any Distance’ - Simon Armitage (Born1963
11.1'Mother, Any Distance' Analysis
12Before You Were Mine - Carol Ann Duffy (Born 1955)
12.1Before You Were Mine Analysis
13Winter Swans - Owen Sheers (Born 1974)
14Singh Song! - Daljit Nagra (Born 1966)
14.1Singh Song! Analysis
15Climbing My Grandfather - Andrew Waterhouse
15.1Climbing My Grandfather Analysis
16Grade 9 - Comparisons
16.1Grade 9 - Comparisons
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