Climbing my grandfather Flashcards

1
Q

“Free”

A

D: he needs to do the climb for himself

I: what he discovers might be perilous

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2
Q

“Decide”

A

L: verb
It’s a deliberate decision and he wants to get to know his grandfather better

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3
Q

“Trousers”

A

L: noun
Implies the grandfather is emotionally shut and doesn’t speak about himself often
The speaker is trying to “push in” which suggests he’s trying to force him to open up

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4
Q

“Earth-stained hand”

A

L: adjective
Tells us the grandfather enjoys physical labour and likes gardening

C: Waterhouse perhaps inherited this interest, as he lectured in agriculture

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5
Q

“His finger is smooth and thick like warm ice”

A

L: oxymoronic simile
His hand is smoothed and calloused with the physical wear like ice but it’s warm - emphasises that he’s warm hearted

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6
Q

He dares not to “look[ing] down”

A

Implies that he wants to look up at his grandfather literally and figuratively or he might lose his nerve and stop him

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7
Q

At his “shoulder”

A

L: metaphor
In a metaphorical sense this could represent how his grandfather is supportive of him

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8
Q

The wrinkles are well spaced and “easy”

A

L: adjective
They provide ridges to climb

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9
Q

What can you say about the structure of the poem (stanzaic breaks)

A

There are no stanzaic breaks and a lot of enjambment which reflects the speakers’ continuous journey

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10
Q

Why do you think the full stops are placed in those places?

A

They represent how the speaker rests at different stages of the journey
- this symbolises the different stages of becoming closer to his grandfather

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11
Q

What is the effect of enjambment between lines 5 and 6?

A

It emphasises the continuous nature of the journey and how he sometimes needs to change direction

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12
Q

Why do the last 6 lines have no full stops?

A

Emphasises that he’s near the end of his journey

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13
Q

The poem is written in free-verse, why?

A

This reflects how he’s completing his journey freely

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14
Q

Why do you think Waterhouse wrote the poem?

A

To show that we need to respect elders and we can learn a lot from experiences and wisdom

C: the old should not be marginalised in society, they should be valued

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