climbing my grandfather grade 9 essay

Climbing My Grandfather Summary & Analysis by Andrew Waterhouse

• Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis
• Poetic Devices
• Vocabulary & References
• Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme
• Line-by-Line Explanations

"Climbing my Grandfather" is a poem by British poet Andrew Waterhouse. The poem is told from a first-person perspective and sees its speaker climbing up their grandfather, as though the latter were a mountain. It's a treacherous, unpredictable climb, but the speaker is attentive and observant, eventually making it to the summit—the grandfather's head. It's here that the speaker can sense the "slow pulse of [the grandfather's] good heart," suggesting that the poem is about reclaiming a certain memory or feeling of emotional connection and warmth. It is one of a number of Waterhouse poems that takes a look at family relationships—though unfortunately his total output is rather small given his death by suicide at the age of 42 (in 2001).

• Read the full text of “Climbing My Grandfather”

The Full Text of “Climbing My Grandfather”

“climbing my grandfather” summary, “climbing my grandfather” themes.

Childhood, Adulthood, and Familial Love

Lines 10-12.

• Lines 18-27

Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis of “Climbing My Grandfather”

I decide to ... ... get a grip.

By the overhanging ... ... like warm ice.

On his arm ... ... and move on.

Lines 13-20

At his still ... ... open and close.

Lines 20-27

Then up over ... ... his good heart.

“Climbing My Grandfather” Poetic Devices & Figurative Language

• Line 1: “o,” “o,” “i,” “i”
• Line 2: “o,” “o”
• Line 3: “a,” “a”
• Line 4: “i,” “i,” “i”
• Line 5: “a,” “a”
• Line 7: “a,” “ai,” “a,” “ai”
• Line 8: “i,” “i”
• Line 9: “i,” “i,” “i,” “i,” “i”
• Line 10: “i,” “i,” “i,” “i”
• Line 11: “ee”
• Line 12: “y”
• Line 13: “i,” “i”
• Line 16: “i,” “i”
• Line 17: “ee”
• Line 18: “e,” “ee,” “ee”
• Line 19: “i,” “i”
• Line 20: “o,” “o,” “o,” “o”
• Line 22: “i,” “i,” “a”
• Line 23: “a,” “i,” “a,” “i”
• Line 25: “i,” “i”
• Line 26: “o”
• Line 27: “o”
• Line 1: “,”
• Line 2: “,”
• Line 4: “,”
• Line 6: “,”
• Line 7: “. ”
• Line 10: “.”
• Line 11: “,”
• Line 13: “,”
• Line 15: “,”
• Line 18: “,”
• Line 19: “,”
• Line 20: “.”
• Line 21: “,”
• Line 22: “,”
• Line 23: “,”
• Line 26: “,”
• Line 1: “d,” “d,” “d”
• Line 2: “d,” “s,” “d,” “s,” “d”
• Line 3: “s,” “s,” “s,” “s”
• Line 4: “t,” “t,” “g,” “g”
• Line 7: “n,” “n,” “d,” “n,” “d,” “n”
• Line 8: “n,” “n,” “g,” “g”
• Line 9: “s,” “k,” “n,” “n,” “s,” “th,” “th,” “c,” “k”
• Line 10: “k,” “r,” “r,” “s,” “r”
• Line 11: “ss,” “s,” “c”
• Line 12: “n,” “n,” “n,” “n”
• Line 13: “r,” “sh,” “r,” “r,” “r”
• Line 14: “sh”
• Line 15: “n,” “n”
• Line 16: “l,” “l,” “k,” “ck”
• Line 17: “m,” “m,” “n,” “m,” “n”
• Line 18: “R,” “r,” “cr,” “ss,” “s,” “cr,” “k”
• Line 19: “t,” “st,” “t,” “p,” “p,” “l”
• Line 20: “l,” “l,” “p,” “l,” “p”
• Line 21: “s,” “c”
• Line 22: “h,” “h,” “t,” “t”
• Line 23: “t,” “t,” “t”
• Line 24: “r,” “r,” “l,” “l”
• Line 25: “l,” “ds,” “d,” “ds,” “l”
• Line 26: “l,” “ng,” “h,” “h,” “ng”
• Line 27: “s,” “l,” “l,” “s,” “h,” “h”

Extended Metaphor

• Line 5: “change”
• Line 6: “direction,” “belt”
• Line 7: “to,” “nails”
• Line 8: “are ”
• Line 9: “thick”
• Line 10: “like ,” “discover”
• Line 11: “the,” “feet”
• Line 12: “gently”
• Line 13: “ while”
• Line 14: “in”
• Line 15: “pull”
• Line 16: “myself,” “neck”
• Line 17: “to”
• Line 19: “ pupil”
• Line 20: “slowly,” “over”
• Line 21: “the,” “well-spaced”
• Line 22: “and,” “ white”
• Line 23: “at ”
• Line 24: “ lie”
• Line 25: “watching”
• Line 26: “knowing”
• Line 27: “the”

End-Stopped Line

• Line 1: “.”
• Line 2: “;”
• Line 3: “,”
• Line 4: “.”
• Line 8: “,”
• Line 12: “.”
• Line 14: “,”
• Line 17: “.”
• Line 25: “,”
• Line 27: “.”
• Line 2: “s,” “s,” “s”
• Line 6: “s,” “s”
• Line 7: “s”
• Line 8: “s,” “s”
• Line 9: “s,” “s,” “s,” “s”
• Line 10: “c,” “s,” “s”
• Line 11: “ss,” “ s,” “c”
• Line 12: “s,” “s”
• Line 13: “s,” “s,” “s”
• Line 15: “s,” “s,” “s”
• Line 16: “s,” “s,” “s,” “s”
• Line 17: “s”
• Line 18: “sh,” “ss,” “s”
• Line 19: “s,” “s,” “s”
• Line 20: “s,” “s”
• Line 21: “s,” “s,” “c”
• Line 22: “s,” “s,” “s”
• Line 23: “s,” “s”
• Line 24: “s”
• Line 25: “s,” “s,” “c”
• Line 26: “s”
• Line 27: “s,” “s,” “s”
• Line 10: “like warm ice”

“Climbing My Grandfather” Vocabulary

Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.

• Screed Cheek
• (Location in poem: Line 2: “brogues”)

Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme of “Climbing My Grandfather”

Rhyme scheme, “climbing my grandfather” speaker, “climbing my grandfather” setting, literary and historical context of “climbing my grandfather”, more “climbing my grandfather” resources, external resources.

More Thoughts on Waterhouse — Libby Brooks talks about Waterhouse's life, work, and death. 

Thoughts on Waterhouse and His Poetry — A thoughtful piece about Waterhouse and his work by Helena Nelson. 

A Reading of "Climbing My Grandfather" — "Climbing My Grandfather" read aloud.

Waterhouse's Obituary — A piece on Waterhouse in the British newspaper The Guardian.  

Everything you need for every book you read.

• International
• Schools directory
• Resources Jobs Schools directory News Search

(15) Climbing my Grandfather by Andrew Waterhouse - GRADE 9 Poem Notes AQA English Literature (9-1)

Subject: English

Age range: 14-16

Resource type: Assessment and revision

Last updated

12 December 2020

• Share through email
• Share through twitter
• Share through linkedin
• Share through facebook
• Share through pinterest

**Detailed GRADE 9 notes on Climbing my Grandfather by Andrew Waterhouse, including:

• context (life of the poet and socio-historical context)
• summary of the plot and key themes
• stanza-by-stanza language analysis
• structure and form analysis.

Climbing my Grandfather is one of the poems in the Love and Relationships Anthology for Paper 2 of the AQA English Literature (9-1) course.

I have notes on all 15 poems in the anthology – please check these out!

I achieved a Grade 9 overall and full marks in Paper 2, so these notes proved VERY helpful.

Hope you find the notes useful and please a review below!**

Tes paid licence How can I reuse this?

Get this resource as part of a bundle and save up to 20%

A bundle is a package of resources grouped together to teach a particular topic, or a series of lessons, in one place.

Love and Relationships Poetry Anthology - GRADE 9 REVISION PACK, NOTES ON ALL POEMS INCLUDING CONTEXT, LANGUAGE, STRUCTURE AND FORM ANALYSIS AQA English Literature (9-1)

**This bundle contains DETAILED GRADE 9 NOTES on all 15 poems in the Love and Relationships Anthology for the AQA English Literature Course, Paper 2 Section B. Notes on each of the 15 poems contain: - context (life of the poet and socio-historical context) - summary of the plot and key themes - stanza-by-stanza language analysis - structure and form analysis. ** The 15 poems are: When We Two Parted Love’s Philosophy Porphyria’s Lover ‘I think of thee!’ Neutral Tones Letters From Yorkshire The Farmer’s Bride Walking Away Eden Rock Follower Mother, any distance Before You Were Mine Winter Swans Singh Song! Climbing My Grandfather These notes are tailored to this spec, but they can be used for any GCSE course. I achieved a Grade 9 overall and full marks in Paper 2, so these notes proved VERY helpful. Hope you find the notes useful and please a review below!

Your rating is required to reflect your happiness.

It's good to leave some feedback.

Something went wrong, please try again later.

This resource hasn't been reviewed yet

To ensure quality for our reviews, only customers who have purchased this resource can review it

Report this resource to let us know if it violates our terms and conditions. Our customer service team will review your report and will be in touch.

Not quite what you were looking for? Search by keyword to find the right resource:

Climbing My Grandfather, Andrew Waterhouse Poem Analysis/Annotations

• July 5, 2021
• All Poems / GCSE AQA

Climbing My Grandfather, Andrew Waterhouse

FULL POEM - SCROLL DOWN FOR LINE-BY-LINE ANALYSIS​

I decide to do it free, without a rope or net.

First, the old brogues, dusty and cracked;

an easy scramble onto his trousers,

pushing into the weave, trying to get a grip.

By the overhanging shirt I change

direction, traverse along his belt

to an earth-stained hand. The nails

are splintered and give good purchase,

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.

At his still firm shoulder, I rest for a while

in the shade, not looking down,

for climbing has its dangers, then pull

myself up the loose skin of his neck

to a smiling mouth to drink among teeth.

Refreshed, I cross the screed cheek,

to stare into his brown eyes, watch a pupil

slowly open and close. Then up over

the forehead, the wrinkles well-spaced

and easy, to his thick hair (soft and white

at this altitude), reaching for the summit,

where gasping for breath I can only lie

watching clouds and birds circle,

feeling his heat, knowing

the slow pulse of his good heart.

LINE-BY-LINE ANALYSIS

The poem begins ‘in media res’, in the first person and in the present tense – immediately creating a sense of action and excitement. The ‘rope’ and ‘net’ are references to climbing equipment, introducing the extended metaphor present throughout the poem. Climbing without them symbolises the narrator’s intrepid nature as well as the trust he has in his grandfather.

The narrator’s grandfather’s ‘dusty and cracked’ shoes are a metaphor for his age and experience – he, like his shoes, have seen and endured a lot over the years. 

These two lines are imagery of climbing a mountain, further referencing how climbing a mountain is a metaphor for getting to know his grandfather throughout the poem. The shift from ‘easy scramble’ to ‘trying to get a grip’ conveys the increasing difficulty of the climb as it progresses.

The enjambement at the end of these lines reflects the narrators slick change of direction – the climb requires a change in approach but not a pause, hence, remains rather effortless for the narrator.

His grandfather’s ‘earth-stained hand’ and ‘splintered’ nails are symbolic of his old age and experience. ‘Earth-stained’ alludes to his keenness for nature and the outdoors, whilst his ‘splintered’ nails emphasise how he has been weathered by this environment over the years. The fact that they ‘give good purchase’ is a metaphor for how his grandfather’s wisdom and experience benefit the youthful narrator.

The simile ‘like warm ice’ to describe the skin on his grandfather’s fingers is an oxymoron as ice only exists below freezing temperatures, otherwise it melts to water. This sense of warmth, however, signifies the comfort that the narrator feels when he is close to his grandfather.

The ‘glassy ridge of a scar’ is further mountain imagery and implies that the man has suffered pain and suffering in his life, linking to the idea that he has been weathered by the environment – as though he is a mountain being eroded by the wind and the rain.

His grandfather’s ‘still firm shoulder’ provides a shaded place for the narrator to rest and recover. The way in which his shoulders offer shade from the sun is a metaphor for the sense of security and safety that the narrator feels in his grandfather’s arms.

The imagery of ‘drink among teeth’ is a metaphor that likens the narrator gaining wisdom from his grandfather’s words and advice to the refreshing qualities of drinking from a fresh mountain spring.

The narrator staring into his grandfather’s ‘brown eyes’ conveys the closeness in their relationship and the strong bond that they share. The fact that his pupil slowly opens and closes suggests a weariness to the man, indicative of his old age, that juxtaposes the narrator’s youthful energy.

In a metaphorical sense, the grandfather’s ‘wrinkles’ are the ridges which act as footholds on a mountain, whilst his ‘soft and white’ ‘thick hair’ is the snow that settles on a mountaintop where the altitude is high and the temperature is low.

The narrator is exhausted as he reaches the summit – in the poem’s literal sense the climb has been a long and arduous one, hence, metaphorically the narrator has taken great efforts to get to know his grandfather. This has potentially been made difficult by their age and cultural differences, represented by the challenges facing the narrator during the climb.

feeling his heat, knowin

The ‘heat’ the narrator feels from his grandfather links to the sense of comfort that he feels when in his arms. This feeling of warmth is also symbolic of the love and affection shared between grandfather and grandson, whilst the grandfather’s slow beating ‘good heart’ further emphasises his caring, nurturing qualities.

You Might Also Like

Valentine, Carol Ann Duffy Poem Analysis/Annotations

Exposure, Wilfred Owen Poem Analysis/Annotations

One Flesh, Elizabeth Jennings Poem Analysis/Annotations

• GCSE Edexcel

Terms and Conditions - Privacy Policy

Climbing My Grandfather | Summary and Analysis

Critical appreciation of derek mahon's climbing my grandfather, climbing my grandfather | analysis.

Climbing my Grandfather  is a single-stanza poem written in first-person narrative. It depicts the narrator’s journey in recalling every aspect of his grandfather. He describes it metaphorically, as though his grandfather is a real mountain, and he is braving the trek.

Climbing My Grandfather | Analysis, Lines 1 – 4

I decide to do it free, without a rope or net.

First, the old brogues, dusty and cracked;

an easy scramble onto his trousers,

pushing into the weave, trying to get a grip.

The opening line,  “I decide to do it free, without a rope or net. ” suggests that the poet is  taking a risk . Mountaineering is dangerous, even more so without proper protection. This line also builds the image of a mountain in the reader’s minds, hence making it easier to imagine the grandfather as the mountain itself. This single line establishes the metaphor for the entire poem.

The poet  immediately starts climbing  from the second line, starting at the shoes. The shoes represent the  foothills  of the mountain, the  very first step . “ First, the old brogues, dusty and cracked; an easy scramble onto his trousers, pushing into the weave, trying to get a grip .” Here, the fact that the shoes are described as  “dusty and cracked ” shows that the grandfather is very experienced. The  worn-out shoes   symbolise  the many paths of life that have been walked, and the situations the grandfather must have lived through. Despite these cracks, they are still usable, which means the grandfather has successfully made it through his hard-working youth. Further,  ‘brogues’  are old-fashioned shoes which are not often used in the current days- this hints at the grandfather’s old age. The following lines, where the poet  “tries to get a grip”  suggests the difficulty of climbing a mountain. Throughout the poem, there is a projection of determination and effort by the narrator to reach his destination.

Climbing My Grandfather | Analysis, Lines 5 – 10

By the overhanging shirt I change

direction, traverse along his belt

to an earth-stained hand. The nails

are splintered and give good purchase,

the skin of his finger is smooth and thick

like warm ice.

The change in direction- choosing to travel towards the hands rather than straight up- is a depiction of the poet wanting to remember every single detail about his grandfather. It also refers to the reality of mountaineering- it is nearly impossible to go straight up. There are always detours and winding routes which one must face before reaching the top, just as the poet must remember every inch of his grandfather if he wants the overall memory to be accurate. The  “earth-stained hands”  and  “splintered nails ”, similar to the worn brogues, suggest years of labour and hard work. This time, the implication leans more towards manual labour. The  earth-stained  hands make the readers wonder whether the grandfather engaged in agriculture-related work in his younger days. The description of his hands being like  “warm ice ” is an oxymoron. The texture of ice is also smooth yet hard, similar to what the grandfather’s skin is described as. The addition of the word  “warm ” is to emphasise on the comfort they bring, unlike ice’s freezing nature.

Climbing My Grandfather | Analysis, Lines 10 – 12

On his arm I discover

the glassy ridge of a scar, place my feet

gently in the old stitches and move on.

This line represents  two elements –  injury and recovery,  as well as  care and affection.  The scar on the grandfather’s arm is a nod towards both the  physical and emotional battles of life . It is another hint that the grandfather engaged in a lot of manual labour in his youth, as it is only such work that gives physical scars. On the  metaphorical aspect,  the scar represents  mental weariness and emotional difficulty.  The fact that it is a stitched-up scar- which means it is an injury that has healed- means the grandfather has recovered from all of these struggles and moved on. We may look at this in a general viewpoint- everyone must brave their own unique battles, and they each receive different scars- whether physical or emotional- from which they must recover. The gentleness with which the narrator treads implies his affection towards his grandfather, and the tenderness with which he treats him. He does not want to hurt him in any way.

Climbing My Grandfather | Lines 13 – 17

At his still firm shoulder, I rest for a while

in the shade, not looking down,

for climbing has its dangers, then pull

myself up the loose skin of his neck

to a smiling mouth to drink among teeth.

The poet  taking a break  from climbing adds to the realistic element of the poem. It truly seems like he is climbing a mountain because of these pragmatic details. The tiredness hints at the toil of the journey, and the poet being afraid to look down symbolises how far he has come from the bottom. He is now at a midpoint, which is the final chance to turn back and go down- once he climbs higher, he will be closer to the summit than the foothills. Choosing not to look down symbolises the poet’s determination to continue the journey. The later mention of the grandfather’s  “smiling mouth ” is an implication towards his disposition. All this time, it is only the physical features which have been described- this phrase, on the other hand, suggests that the grandfather was of jolly personality.

Climbing My Grandfather | Lines 18 – 20

Refreshed, I cross the screed cheek,

to stare into his brown eyes, watch a pupil

slowly open and close.

There is a saying that the eyes are the mirror of one’s soul. The poet finally reaching this point in his memory emphasises that not only recalls physical attributes, but is now remembering emotional aspects as well. When one grows old, the speed of their actions gradually reduces- this is shown by the  “slow”  speed of the grandfather’s blinking.

Climbing My Grandfather | Lines 20 – 27

Then up over

the forehead, the wrinkles well-spaced

and easy, to his thick hair (soft and white

at this altitude), reaching for the summit,

where gasping for breath I can only lie

watching clouds and birds circle,

feeling his heat, knowing

the slow pulse of his good heart.

The  top of the grandfather’s head  is the  summit.  Waterhouse makes an interesting connection between white hair and altitude of the mountain- as altitude increases, the temperature decreases. This is why most mountain summits are covered by snow caps. These snowy peaks are metaphorically linked to the grandfather’s white hair. The poet  “gasping for breath ” makes it clear that the journey was a long and strenuous one. However, the first thing he does on reaching his destination is lying down and admiring the clouds and the birds. This paints a very serene and happy image. Gazing at the infinitely spreading sky often represents hope and excitement- similarly, the poet’s action represents the excitement of achieving his goal and reaching the top. The simple finality of the gesture- rather than resting for a moment or making a stop, the poet completely relaxes by lying down- symbolises the satisfaction at the outcome of the journey. The poet braved the mountain, and he is content with what he sees at the summit.

The concluding line is perhaps the most important- not just to the readers, but to the poet. Until now, he has described physical features, and hinted at emotional ones. But when he says, “ knowing the slow pulse of his good heart.”  he clearly defines the goodness of his grandfather’s personality. It may be that this is what he was searching for all along- getting past the obstacles to unlock what is underneath. Only on going through what is outside could the poet wholly remember the grandfather’s heart. Moreover, it acts as a reminder of what is truly important. The poet endured the trek up a difficult mountainous landscape- yet in the end, the thing he appreciates the most is not the outward appearance, but the purity of the heart.

Related Articles

Shaving story summary, st. lucy’s home for girls raised by wolves summary.

The Luncheon | Summary and Analysis

Raymond’s Run | Summary and Analysis

Leave a reply cancel reply.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

• The Youngest Doll | Summary and Analysis August 15, 2022

Adblock Detected