Climbing My Grandfather

Question 1

Context

Answer 1

Poet was teacher, environmentalist, poet, musician
Committed suicide suffered from depression

Question 2

Title

Answer 2

Evoked images of toddler climbing on grandfather
Climbing suggests height in life status experience grandfather reached

Question 3

Beginning

Answer 3

‘I decide to do it free without a rope or net’ adventurous slightly dangerous liberating adventure grandson is keen to embark on
Ascent at beginning described as ‘easy’ grandson notices ‘old brogues dusty and cracked’ creating imagery of practical and resourceful man

Question 4

Middle

Answer 4

‘Traverses’ moving round to ‘an earth stained hand’ portrays grandfather as someone who’s a simple working man fingernails ‘splintered’ romanticised ideal about man’s connection with nature
Something honourable about working on land

Question 5

Middle 2

Answer 5

‘Warm ice’ oxymoron exterior is cold interior warm and kind grandson is at awe of grandfather
‘Glassy ridge of a scar’ man of experience who lived a fulfilled life
Grandson placed feet ‘gently’ on stitches acknowledged pain

Question 6

Middle 3

Answer 6

‘His still firm shoulders’ shoulders symbolic for carrying weight bearing troubled his shoulders are still firm showing how he’s strong both ways
‘Climbing has its dangers’ shows that climbing family members and knowing them means there’s some risks of discoveries that we may uncover in past

Question 7

End

Answer 7

‘Watch a pupil slowly open and close’ inactivity of grandfather shows immense patience from grandson
Summit of the climb if white hair of grandfather
‘Only clouds and birds’ having reached top of head

Question 8

Structure

Answer 8

No stanzas mix of enjambments and caesura indicative of strong relationship shows speakers free flow of memories
Lack of rhyme scheme- effortless close bond
Semantic field of mountaineering- sense of youth adventure freedom ‘rope’ ‘traverse’ ‘altitude’