15.1.3

Key Quotes & Comparisons

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Key Quotes in Climbing My Grandfather

Here are some examples of key quotes from Andrew Waterhouse's poem Climbing My Grandfather:

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‘To his thick hair...'

  • ‘To his thick hair (soft and white / at this altitude), reaching for the summit’.
    • The narrator shows us that the memory comes from the perspective of a child (his grandfather's head is a 'summit').
    • He uses the extended metaphor of rock climbing.
Illustrative background for <b>‘I decide to do it free...’ Illustrative background for <b>‘I decide to do it free...’  ?? "content

‘I decide to do it free...’

  • ‘I decide to do it free, without a rope or net.’
    • This shows the technical language of rock climbing that appears throughout the poem.
    • The comical image of the child climbing his grandfather contrasts with the technicality of the rock climbing language.

Key Comparisons: Climbing My Grandfather

Here are some suggestions for poems you could compare Climbing My Grandfather to. Remember, there are endless options!

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Mother, Any Distance

  • Compare:
    • Familial relationships.
    • Adults reflecting on childhood experiences.
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Follower

  • Compare:
    • Looking back to the past.
    • Considering a past family relationship.

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)

7The Farmer’s Bride - Charlotte Mew (1869-1928)

8Walking Away - Cecil Day Lewis (1904-1972)

9Eden Rock - Charles Causley (1917-2003)

10Follower - Seamus Heaney (1939-2013)

11‘Mother, Any Distance’ - Simon Armitage (Born1963

12Before You Were Mine - Carol Ann Duffy (Born 1955)

13Winter Swans - Owen Sheers (Born 1974)

14Singh Song! - Daljit Nagra (Born 1966)

15Climbing My Grandfather - Andrew Waterhouse

16Grade 9 - Comparisons

16.1Grade 9 - Comparisons

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