climbing my grandfather

Question 1

CONTEXT

Answer 1

• suffered from depression
• took own life
• environmetal background and uses natural imagery often in his poetry

Question 2

MEANING

Answer 2

• extended metaphor where the speaker is a climber and the grandfather is a mountain
• family relationship
• 1st person exploration of an older family member

Question 3

STRUCTURE - what is the significance of there being one stanza

Answer 3

• look like a mountain
• one continuous stanza - reflects the continuous climb
• maybe daunting and relentless
• unbrokenness reflects the solidity and stability of his grandfather
  -> reinforcing the extended metaphor of mountain
  -» the speaker feels grandfather is stable and reliable

Question 4

STRUCTURE - how many stanzas are there

Answer 4

1

Question 5

LANGUAGE - examples of climbing words

Answer 5

rope, net, grip, overhanging, traverse, ridge, screed, altitude, summit

Question 5

LANGUAGE - how does the language change as the poem progresses

Answer 5

• speaker has gained knowledge
• starts with the speaker “trying (( to get a grip))”
• to “knowing ((the slow pulse of his good heart)) “
• shows the difficult journey as he was attepting to understand ((the fact he is trying to “get a grip” could imply his struggle of learning mroe about his grandfather)) his grandfather and teh resolution where he understands not only his grandftaher more, but thinks of him in a more positive way

Question 6

LANGUAGE - “wihtout a rope or net” - first line

Answer 6

• themes of independece and liberation
• can imply either
  -> risk ((implying generational divide))
  -> or familiarity ((implying comfort and trust))

Question 7

LANGUAGE - “the old brogues, dusty and cracked”

Answer 7

• “cracked” = adjective - disconnect / his grandfather has a lot of advice and experience

Question 8

LANGUAGE - the juxtapositions (quotes)

Answer 8

• “and easy scarmble”
• “warm ice”

Question 9

STRUCTURE - where is the enjmabement and what does it imply

Answer 9

“i change // direction”
-> physically relfects the change in direction (the speakers)
-> perhaps the complex journey of getting to know someone

Question 10

LANGUAGE - what is the simile

Answer 10

“the skin of his finger is smooth and thick like warm ice”

Question 11

LANGUAGE - “the skin of his finger is smooth and thick like warm ice”

Answer 11

• ambigouous
• maybe means the difference between how something looks and feels, in considering his grandfather, it changes, learning something
• maybe demonstrates the complex nature of memory and nature, the grandson - grandfather bond

Question 12

LANGUAGE - “gently” , “slowly”

Answer 12

• adverbs
• grandson is very considerate and aware while climbing
  -> maybe because the grandfather went through pain

Question 13

LANGUAGE - what is the significance of the extended metaphor and semantic field of a mountain

Answer 13

• steady, reliable, stable, admirable
  -> respect and awe he has for his grandfather
• his grandfather is a monumental piece of nature

Question 14

LANGUAGE - “watching the clouds and birds circle”

Answer 14

• natural imagery
  -> Waterhouse’s background
  -> suggests connection is natural and caring

Question 15

LANGUAGE - “feeling his heat”

Answer 15

• comfort, familiar, sense, warmth, protection

Question 16

LANGUAGE - “knowing the slow pulse of his good heart” - last line

Answer 16

• monosyllabic
  -> slows pace reflecting the slow heartbeat of his grandfather
  -» slowing pace at the end reflects the strenuous activity of climbing is now finished
• “good heart”
  -> positive
  -> ? ((the ending emphasize the significance of this phrase)) ?
  -> ending with positive image reinforces the idea of a positive relationship

Question 17

LANGUAGE - quotes to imply the grandfather went through pain or was maybe a hard worker, manual labour

Answer 17

• “earth-stained hand”
• “nails are splintered”
• “scar”

Question 18

LANGUAGE - “nails are splintered”

Answer 18

• “splintered”
  -> brokeness makes them good to grip onto (focus on)
  -» perhaps the speaker is learning from his experineces and makes his own decisions

Question 19

quotes

Answer 19

• “trying to get a grip”
• “knowing the slow pulse of his good heart”
• “without a rope or net”
• “the old brogues, dusty and cracked”
• “and easy scramble”
• “i change // direction”
• “the skin of his finger is smooth and thick like warm ice”
• “gently” , “slowly”
• “watching the clouds and birds circle”
• “nails are splintered”
• “scar”
• “earth-stained hand”
• “watching clouds and birds circle, feeling his heat, knowing the slow pulse of his good heart”