Andrew Waterhouse - Climbing My Grandfather Flashcards
1
Q
What is the poem about?
A
- The narrator imagines climbing his grandfather, uses the extended metaphor of himself as a climber and his grandfather as a mountain.
- The narrator may be imagining the scene or remembering it from his childhood when he played with his grandfather as a young boy and observing things about him, or he may be using climbing as a metaphor for getting to know him as an adult.
2
Q
Give a brief synopsis of the poem
A
- The speaker starts at his grandfather’s shoes, and begins to ‘climb’ his body.
- He comments on his shoes, hands, skin and nails.
- He gets up to his shoulders and reflects on his ‘journey’ so far.
- Climbs on further to the top of his head and then reflects on his grandfather’s “good heart
3
Q
When was the poet alive?
A
1958-2001
4
Q
When was the poem published?
A
2000
5
Q
Context regarding Andrew Waterhouse
A
- Waterhouse struggled with mental illness, and eventually took his own life at the age of 42. * He spent his childhood in the north-east of England, and much of his work focuses on the environment - he even gained a masters in Environmental Science, and wrote a series of natural walk guidebooks.
6
Q
“I decide to do it free, without a rope or net.”
A
- The present tense of “decide” involves the reader, and presents the speaker as an active character - the reader feels like they’re witnessing the climb happening in front of them, which develops a sense of adventure.
- Element of peril or risk involved with getting to know his grandfather, may reflect generational divide between them - alternatively, it may suggest a level of familiarity as he is comfortable around his grandfather and can trust him to catch him if he falls
- “without” invokes theme of independence and liberation, shows how he feels confident enough with his grandfather, but it also reinforces the element of risk. This climbing vocabulary introduces the extended climbing metaphor.
- “free” - adds danger and excitement to the child’s game, since there’s nothing to catch the narrator if he falls.
7
Q
“First, the old brogues, dusty and cracked;”
A
- The child is starting his climb and observation at his grandfather’s feet.
- Adjective “cracked” connotes a level of disconnect, but also suggests the grandfather has a lot of advice and experience
8
Q
“an easy scramble onto his trousers,”
A
- Juxtaposing connotations of “easy” and “scramble” may further set up a divide between the child and his grandfather, as this is somewhat paradoxical
9
Q
“pushing into the weave, trying to get a grip.”
A
- Metaphorical of the process of learning more about his grandfather
10
Q
“By the overhanging shirt I change”
“direction, traverse along his belt”
A
- Reflects the change of direction in the formatting of the text, though enjambment of the line, perhaps representing the complex process of getting to know someone
11
Q
“to an earth-stained hand. The nails”
“are splintered and give good purchase,”
A
- Connection to nature - typical of Waterhouse’s work
- Enjambment of “nails are splintered” reflects physically reflects “splintered “ in the text
- “Good purchase” - has a wealth of experience
12
Q
“the skin of his finger is smooth and thick”
“like warm ice. On his arm I discover”
“the glassy ridge of a scar, place my feet”
“gently in the old stitches and move on.”
A
- “smooth” - contrasting image to the rough and old images from earlier
- Simple simile for child-like effect
- “gently” - the grandson is considerate and aware of the pain his grandfather has gone through
13
Q
“At his still firm shoulder, I rest for a while”
A
- Shoulders are typically used in literature as symbols of bearing weight, so by describing them as “firm” it places respect on the grandfather, and suggest he is very resilient, especially for his age
- “Rest” connotes trust for his grandfather, suggests they have a close and trusting relationship
14
Q
“in the shade, not looking down,”
A
- “not looking down” introduces a theme of avoidance
15
Q
“for climbing has its dangers, then pull”
A
- Continues the theme of trust in the relationship between grandson and grandfather, as he is relying on his grandfather to keep him safe
- Continues themes of independence and liberation, contrasting with the trust he places in the grandfather
16
Q
“myself up the loose skin of his neck”
A
- The grandson is gaining independence as he is now circumnavigating his grandfather without his help - “myself”
17
Q
“to a smiling mouth to drink among teeth.”
A
- “smiling” highlights positive relationship between the pair
18
Q
“Refreshed, I cross the screed cheek,”
A
19
Q
“to stare into his brown eyes, watch a pupil”
“slowly open and close. Then up over”
A
- “slowly” connotes consideration and care, which can thematically relate back to the depiction of the relationship
20
Q
“the forehead, the wrinkles well-spaced”
“and easy, to his thick hair (soft and white”
“at this altitude), reaching for the summit,”
A
- “well-spaced” implies intentionalism
21
Q
“where gasping for breath I can only lie”
A
22
Q
“watching clouds and birds circle,”
A
- More natural imagery references back to Waterhouse’s environmentalist background and could suggest the connection between grandson and grandfather is very natural and caring
23
Q
“feeling his heat, knowing”
“the slow pulse of his good heart.”
A
- “Heat” connotes comfort and a sense of familiarity
- “Good heart” - clearly shows his grandson has a lot of admiration for his grandfather
24
Q
Describe the perspective the poem uses
A
- Though the poem is quite ambiguous, it can be assumed that the speaker is recalling memories from when he was a child when playing and getting to know his grandfather.
- This is juxtaposed by the fact that the poem is in the present tense, which shows that it is from the perspective of a child.
- It’s also in first person, and he refers to his grandfather’s features as “his” rather than ‘your’, which may imply narratively there is a divide - perhaps a generational one - between them.
25
Describe the structure of the poem regarding unbroken single stanza
* The format of the poem is in one single, unbroken, stanza which continues the theme of mountaineering and climbing into the structure of the text as well as the language used.
* The simple structure of the poem as in one complete stanza also reflects the child-like nature of the speaker and his memories. * It could also reflect the daunting, relentless journey of climbing a mountain.
* Moreover, the poem is void of specific syllable lengths per line or a rhyming scheme which helps it mirror a natural conversation.
26
Describe the structure of the poem regarding enjambment
* Enjambment is used by Waterhouse, perhaps to reflect a natural pace of a conversation or exploration, or to portray the change of direction taken whilst climbing.
* The most prominent example of this is the set of lines: By the overhanging shirt I change direction, traverse along his belt
* Because the “change direction” is literally displayed through the enjambment.
27
Describe the poem's form.
* The poem is written in the present tense, following the narrator's journey up the mountain as he's imagining it.
* Enjambment imitates the motion of climbing and emphasises the climber's steady progress.
* Visually the poem appears strong and solid, like a mountain.
28
Describe the structure of the poem.
* The poem follows a climber's progress up a mountain from the bottom to the summit, it feels as though he is getting higher with each line of the poem.
29
Describe how language about mountains is used in the poem.
* The extended metaphor of the grandfather as a mountain shows how the narrator sees him- as a permanent, reliable part of his life, as well as something impressive to explore.
30
Describe the use of language regarding mountineering
* Waterhouse employs a semantic field of mountaineering, associated with the apparent care he has for his grandfather, suggesting he enjoys the activity. * For example, the lines: without a rope or net easy scramble overhanging
* This metaphor suggests that the speaker sees his grandfather as a monumental piece of nature, or perhaps quite complex to get to know well.
* It could also be a metaphor for the process of getting to know his grandfather during his adult years, or even a compilation of childhood memories.
* As he is moving from his feet to his grandfather’s head, this may be representative of growing up and developing as a person - perhaps he is finding more out about himself and he finds more out about his grandfather.
* This extended metaphor of climbing could be metaphorical for the grandfather’s status and experience he’s gained through living his life, or the admiration and feeling of awe the boy has towards his grandfather.
* An alternative interpretation of this choice of metaphor is to make the grandfather appear distant and too complex to get to know
31
Describe the use of language regarding oxymorons
* Waterhouse uses oxymoronic language such as “warm ice” and “easy scramble” in order to demonstrate the complex nature of memory and nature, and perhaps the grandson-grandfather bond here.
32
Describe the use of language about exploration.
* The climbing metaphor creates a sense of exploration that reflects the child's excitement and enjoyment from playing with his grandfather.
* The child-like way in which he notices and then describes things shows how fascinated he is by the features he discovers.
33
Describe the use of language about personal discovery in the poem.
* The poem can be read as the words of an adult who is learning about his grandfather, it is adult in tone and uses complex vocabulary.
* The climbing metaphor shows the narrator is actively trying to get to know his grandfather as a person.
34
What is the significance of "decide" (Line 1)?
Because of the present tense, the reader feels like they're witnessing the climb happening in front of them, which develops a sense of adventure.
35
What is the effect of "free" (Line 1)?
This adds danger and excitement to the child's game, since there's nothing to catch the narrator if he falls.
36
What is suggested by "without a rope or net." (Line 1)?
It shows how he feels confident enough with his grandfather, but it also reinforces the element of risk. This climbing vocabulary introduces the extended climbing metaphor.
37
How are feelings/attitudes of inquisitiveness displayed in the poem?
The speaker has a simple, child-like curiosity about his grandfather. This interest is reflected in his adventurousness and fascination with small details
38
How are feelings/attitudes of effort displayed in the poem?
The narrator wants to make the effort to get to know his grandfather and to be close to him - this is shown in the physical nature of the climb and the exhaustion he feels at the end
39
How are feelings/attitudes of closeness displayed in the poem?
The way the narrator affectionately describes exploring his grandfather and the way the grandfather smiles, show that they feel comfortable with each other. Their physical closeness as he's climbing reflects their close emotional relationship
40
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