Climbing My Grandfather (AQA GCSE English Literature)

Each poetry anthology at GCSE contains 15 poems and in your exam question you will be given one poem – printed in full – and asked to compare this printed poem to another. As this is a closed-book exam, you will not have access to the second poem, so you will have to know it from memory. Fifteen poems is a lot to revise. However, understanding four things will enable you to produce a top-grade response:

• The meaning of the poem
• The ideas and messages of the poet 
• How the poet conveys these ideas through their methods
• How these ideas compare and contrast with the ideas of other poets in the anthology

Below is a guide to Andrew Waterhouse’s poem 'Climbing My Grandfather', from the Love and Relationships anthology. It includes:

• Overview: a breakdown of the poem, including its possible meanings and interpretations
• Writer’s Methods: an exploration of the poet’s techniques and methods
• Context: an exploration of the context of the poem, relevant to its themes
• What to compare it to: ideas about which poems to compare it to in the exam

Overview

In order to answer an essay question on any poem, it is vital that you understand what it is about. This section includes:

• The poem in a nutshell
• A ‘translation’ of the poem, section-by-section
• A commentary of each of these sections, outlining Andrew Waterhouse’s intention and message

'Climbing My Grandfather' in a nutshell

In 'Climbing my Grandfather', the speaker climbs up the body of their grandfather. The tender poem is an extended metaphor  which conveys admiration and respect within family relationships by presenting the grandfather as a mountain and the child’s journey as challenging. 

'Climbing My Grandfather' overview

Line 1

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

Translation

• The poem begins with a speaker’s decision to act without any support 

Waterhouse’s intention

• The poem’s speaker seems determined to attempt a task, despite an implied risk:
• This alludes to the perceived size of the grandfather in relation to the speaker who, Waterhouse implies, is a child 

Lines 2-4

“First, the old brogues, dusty and cracked;

an easy scramble onto his trousers,

pushing into the weave, trying to get a grip.”

Translation

• The speaker begins the climb, starting at the old shoes and pulling himself up by grabbing the grandfather’s trousers

Waterhouse’s intention

• The poem’s speaker assesses the climb from the perspective of a child: 
• The discourse marker , “First” indicates the task will take a few steps to complete
• Waterhouse’s speaker describes the grandfather’s old shoes to imply his age and humble nature 

Lines 5-7

“By the overhanging shirt I change

direction, traverse along his belt

to an earth-stained hand. The nails”

Translation

• The speaker now describes climbing up into his grandfather’s lap
• The description of the child’s climb suggests his small size as he has to “traverse” across his grandfather’s belt

Waterhouse’s Intention

• The speaker implies the difference in size between the child and the grandfather to convey the alternative perspective of a child
• The poet emphasises the simple nature of the grandfather with the description of “earth-stained hand”, implying he is used to manual labour

Lines 8 - 10

“are splintered and give good purchase,

the skin of his finger is smooth and thick

like warm ice. On his arm I discover”

Translation

• Here, the speaker observes his grandfather’s hands, describing them in detail 

Waterhouse’s intention 

• The grandfather’s hands are described with an oxymoron: 
• The opposite nature of “warm” and “ice” and “smooth” and “thick” imply the grandfather’s skin is comforting, yet aged and damaged

Lines 11 - 12

“the glassy ridge of a scar, place my feet

gently in the old stitches and move on.”

Translation

• The speaker describes his continuing climb up his grandfather’s damaged body

Waterhouse’s intention

• Here, Waterhouse again alludes to the aged body of the grandfather:
• The soft, textural elements of words like “glassy” and “gently”, however, creates a poignant tone

Lines 13-15

“At his still firm shoulder, I rest for a while

in the shade, not looking down,

for climbing has its dangers, then pull”

Translation

• The speaker implies the challenge of the climb as he must rest near his grandfather’s shoulder
• He suggests how high up he feels he is by describing a potential fall

Waterhouse’s intention

• Waterhouse shows the child assessing the distance between his grandfather’s shoulder and the floor to describe his grandfather as great in stature:
• This implies the speaker’s sense of awe
• Perhaps, too, the speaker feels growing up to be like him is a challenging task 

Lines 16 - 17

“myself up the loose skin of his neck

to a smiling mouth to drink among teeth.” 

Translation

• The speaker reaches his grandfather’s head and, using metaphorical language, suggests this brings relief as he is able to “drink” from the “smiling mouth”

Waterhouse’s intention

• The poet suggests the child’s relief and pleasure when he sees his grandfather’s smiling face:
• His poem presents an intimate and relatable moment between grandfather and child

Lines 18 - 21

“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”

Translation

• The speaker is able to continue climbing, now he has been energised by his grandfather’s smile
• He describes the face in detail which helps to emphasise the size 

Waterhouse’s intention

• The poet describes the intimate proximity of the child and the grandfather with the close description of his “well-spaced wrinkles”, again suggesting the difference in age and size 

Lines 22 - 25

“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,”

Translation

• The speaker has reached the top of his climb: 
• The strenuous climb is described with imagery connoting to the sky

Waterhouse’s intention

• The poet uses imagery relating to mountain-climbing and the sky to present the end of his climb up his grandfather:
• This alludes to a sense of achievement which the child feels 
• Imagery indicating freedom and peace conveys the pleasure of the moment

Lines 26 -27

“feeling his heat, knowing

the slow pulse of his good heart.”

Translation

• The speaker describes feeling his grandfather’s warmth and heartbeat

Waterhouse’s intention

• The poem ends with a clear sense of the significance of the grandfather in the child’s life:
• The grandfather is steady, reliable and has a “good heart”, which brings the child reassurance and comfort 

Although this section is organised into three separate sections – form, structure and language – it is always best to move from what the poet is presenting (the techniques they use; the overall form of the poem; what comes at the beginning, middle and end of a poem) to how and why they have made the choices they have. 

Focusing on the poet’s overarching ideas, rather than individual poetic techniques, will gain you far more marks. Crucially, in the below sections, all analysis is arranged by theme, and includes Andrew Waterhouse’s intentions behind his choices in terms of:

• Form
• Structure
• Language

Form

Andrew Waterhouse’s poem shows an alternative perspective to family love. The poem presents a memory about a grandfather from the perspective of a child. The poem takes place in present-tense, which creates a sense of both emotive immediacy and nostalgic reflection. 

Theme	Evidence	Poet’s intention
Close family relationships	The poem is a first-person perspective to show a child’s experience as they climb up their grandfather’s body:  The speaker has a child-like innocence and inexperience: “an easy scramble onto his trousers”	The simplicity of the moment is shown as impactful as the speaker narrates his exploration of his grandfather as if it were an adventure
	The present-tense verbs show the child’s perspective and imply the child’s learning process as he observes his grandfather closely: “I discover” and “I watch”	The poem’s sense of immediacy creates a sentimental tone as a child sees the challenge of growing up ahead, and is simultaneously guided and comforted by his grandfather
	Andrew Waterhouse’s poem shows the close bonds within family relationships by presenting a personal memory of a child looking up to a supportive grandfather

Structure

Waterhouse’s poem compares mountaineering to a child’s journey climbing up his grandfather. The poem compares the careful, step-by-step process to a child attempting to reach the dizzying heights of his grandfather’s stature. While the process is presented as challenging, the tone is sentimental and intimate to convey the bonds in a close family relationship.

Theme	Evidence	Poet’s intention
Distance in family relationships	The poem is a single, solid stanza , while the irregular line lengths convey the unpredictability of the speaker’s journey	Waterhouse mirrors the solid, mountainous figure of the grandfather with a single stanza structure; however, the speaker’s journey to reach his grandfather is a challenging one
	The poem begins by implying the risk the child feels they are undertaking climbing so high: “I decide to do it free, without a rope or net.”	The speaker acknowledges the distance between a child and his grandfather:  He is so far away that by the end he is “gasping for breath” in the “high altitude” of the summit
	Waterhouse employs enjambment to create a personal, conversational tone: “At his still firm shoulder, I rest for a while/in the shade”	Waterhouse presents the relationship as close, despite the daunting distance between them, with the speaker being calm and reassured as he makes the journey
	Andrew Waterhouse considers the daunting distance between a small child and their grandfather due to size and age, yet also comments on the comfort and support the child receives

Language

Waterhouse uses an extended metaphor of mountaineering to convey the awe a child feels as they look at their grandfather and, in particular, climb up his vast body. However, Waterhouse is careful to show the grandfather as gentle, humble and pure, rather than powerful.

Theme	Evidence	Poet’s intention
Family Love	Waterhouse shows how a child sees the grandfather as much like a giant: He uses language which describes the scale of his climb: “By the overhanging shirt I change/direction, traverse along his belt”	The extended metaphor constructs the child’s view of their grandfather as, at times, a somewhat mythical character to present the awe the speaker feels toward him
	The poet describes the grandfather as pure using natural imagery : He describes his grandfather and the sky together: “his thick hair (soft and white/at this altitude), reaching for the summit,” He lies at the top “watching clouds and birds circle,”	Waterhouse shows how a child looks up to the grandfather by evoking an image of him as so tall he reaches the sky: As the child reaches the “summit”, the epitome of a successful climb, his grandfather’s head is in the clouds
	However, the grandfather is described with natural imagery to imply he is humble and simple:  He has “earth-stained hands”, scars, stitches and splinters, suggesting a hard life of labour The speaker is “refreshed” by the slow movements of “his brown eyes” and finds “shade” in his arms He repeats the slow movements of his eyes and the  “pulse of his good heart”	Waterhouse presents the grandfather as gentle and experienced and a source of comfort for the child, described as worthy of respect
	Waterhouse presents family love by depicting an intimate portrayal of a child’s respect for his grandfather and the purity of old age

Examiners repeatedly state that context should not be considered as additional factual information: in this case, it is not random biographical information about Andrew Waterhouse or facts unrelated to the ideas in 'Climbing My Grandfather'. The best way to understand context is as the ideas and perspectives explored by Andrew Waterhouse in 'Climbing My Grandfather' which relate to family love and relationships. 

This section has, therefore, been divided into two relevant themes that Waterhouse explores:

• Family bonds
• Distance and dependence

Family bonds

• Andrew Waterhouse, born in 1958, was a British poet and musician, as well as an enthusiastic geographer and environmentalist :
• The poem’s theme of mountaineering is typical of his poetry, which often reflects his love of the natural world
• Waterhouse’s poetry is often rooted in nature, while conveying concern about its place in the modern world
• However, this poem presents a personal memory of childhood by evoking images of a long and successful mountain climb to show a child’s awe for their grandfather

Distance and dependence 

• This poem was included in Waterhouse’s first full-length collection, IN, which considers themes such as family relationships and the natural world:
• In this poem, the distance between a child and his grandfather is presented as vast:
• Waterhouse uses descriptions of size within an extended metaphor, which compares the child’s climb to climbing a huge mountain

• Waterhouse shows the child’s dependence on the grandfather in simple descriptions: 
• Waterhouse grew up in the north of England and his poems use language of the region
• The speaker climbs up the “old brogues”, pulls on to his “trousers” and traverses his body using his grandfather’s belt to help him
• Waterhouse considers the challenging journey of a child growing up in the “shade” of his grandfather’s great stature
• He rests in the “shade” of his grandfather, alluding to the comfort a tree provides, alluding to stability and height

The essay you are required to write in your exam is a comparison of the ideas and themes explored in two of your anthology poems. It is, therefore, essential that you revise the poems together, in pairs, to understand how each poet presents ideas about love or relationships in comparison to other poets in the anthology. Given that 'Climbing My Grandfather' explores the ideas of family relationships and distance, the following comparisons are the most appropriate:

• 'Climbing My Grandfather' and 'Mother, Any Distance' 
• 'Climbing My Grandfather' and 'Follower' 
• 'Climbing My Grandfather' and 'Before You Were Mine'

For each pair of poems, you will find:

• The comparison in a nutshell
• Similarities between the ideas presented in each poem
• Differences between the ideas presented in each poem
• Evidence and analysis of these similarities and differences

'Climbing My Grandfather' and 'Mother, Any Distance'

Comparison in a nutshell:

Both Andrew Waterhouse’s poem 'Climbing My Grandfather' and Simon Armitage’s 'Mother, Any Distance' present speakers who reflect on an impactful family relationship by describing seemingly insignificant events. While Waterhouse presents a childhood moment between a child and grandfather, Armitage’s poem explores the relationship between mother and child.  

Similarities:

Topic sentence	Both speakers describe the relationship as supportive and stabilising, presenting the close family bond
Evidence and analysis	'Climbing My Grandfather'	'Mother, Any Distance'
	Waterhouse shows the grandfather’s reassuring presence through the child’s perspective: The speaker’s calm tone is conveyed through enjambment: “Refreshed, I cross the screed cheek,//to stare into his brown eyes”	Armitage, similarly, suggests the mother is reassuring through the speaker’s calm tone of voice, using enjambment to create a sentimental tone
	The speaker finds comfort in his relationship with imagery: Despite the long climb his grandfather provides respite:  “I rest for a while//in the shade” His grandfather provides support: “The nails//are splintered and give good purchase” and “place my feet gently in the old stitches and move on.”	Armitage’s speaker compares his mother in a metaphor to an “Anchor” which roots and stabilises:  Moreover, they are “reporting” and “recording”, alluding to her experience and dominance Without her he may “fall”
	Waterhouse and Armitage both pay tribute to the family relationship by presenting its supportive and calming role in their development

Topic sentence	Both poets illustrate simple moments that are powerfully significant in the children’s lives
Evidence and analysis	'Climbing My Grandfather'	'Mother, Any Distance'
	Waterhouse’s speaker uses natural imagery  to describe the moment as exciting:  He describes his grandfather and the sky together: “his thick hair (soft and white//at this altitude), reaching for the summit” He lies at the top “watching clouds and birds circle” and “gasping” for breath	Armitage presents the powerful moment in metaphor:  He describes his feelings toward his mother with juxtaposed images to connote to the support she offers and the freedom he is about to enjoy: “the line still feeding out, unreeling//years between us. Anchor. Kite.” He describes “an endless sky” to suggest his sense of adventure
	Waterhouse uses simple language to describe the grandfather as the child climbs up his body: His “old brogues” and “trousers” are the footholds of his climb	Armitage’s poem, too, describes a simple moment, this time between a son and mother measuring floors of his new home:  He conveys the significance of ordinary moments between parent and child with child-like language: “I space-walk through the empty bedrooms, climb//the ladder”
	Both Waterhouse and Armitage explore the influence of seemingly insignificant moments in their childhoods that have a powerful, emotional impact

Differences:

Topic sentence	Andrew Waterhouse’s poem explores the dependence of a child on their grandfather, while Simon Armitage’s poem considers the mixed emotions of an adult speaker who wishes for independence
Evidence and analysis	'Climbing My Grandfather'	'Mother, Any Distance'
	The speaker acknowledges his dependence on the grandfather’s help as he attempts to reach his grandfather’s height as he climbs the vast body: Waterhouse conveys this through a semantic field of mountaineering: the child must “traverse along his belt”, “pull myself up the loose skin of his neck” The child speaker “gently” uses his stitches to climb up and “move on”	The speaker recognises the risk of independence, yet he sees it bringing freedom:  The symbolic imagery of a kite flying in “an endless sky” created by the metaphorical language shows the speaker desiring the freedom independence will bring The speaker recognises the strong pull of the maternal relationship and sees it as restrictive: his mother’s fingertips “still pinch” and “something has to give”
	The speaker considers his grandfather in awe and wishes to be close to him:  The poem ends with the child close to the grandfather’s chest, listening to  the “slow pulse of his good heart”	The poem ends with a decision: “to fall or fly”; however, the isolated line implies the speaker’s choice to be independent from the family bond
	Both poets explore strong family bonds; however, Waterhouse depicts a child’s profound respect for his grandfather’s help, while Armitage’s poem presents an adult speaker keen to explore his independence and freedom from his mother’s control

'Climbing My Grandfather' and 'Follower'

Comparison in a nutshell:

This is an effective comparative choice to explore family relationships which comment on the admiration of older male role models felt by younger speakers. Both Andrew Waterhouse’s poem 'Climbing My Grandfather' and Seamus Heaney’s 'Follower' deal with the challenges of growing up in the shadow of older family members. 

Similarities:

Topic sentence	Both poems explore family relationships through speakers who feel security from supportive older figures
Evidence and analysis	'Climbing My Grandfather'	'Follower'
	Waterhouse depicts a moment a child climbs up the body of his grandfather:  The memory is described with simple language: the child has an “easy scramble” over the grandfather’s “old brogues”	Similarly, Heaney’s poem centres around a significant, yet typical memory of a son and his father working on a farm: The semantic field of rural farm-life (“plough”, “furrow”, “sod”) shows his vivid recollections of his simple childhood
	The speaker describes his grandfather as reliable and experienced: He has “earth-stained hands” and scars and stitches The repetition of “slow” emphasises his composure as the pupil “slowly open and close” and he feels the “slow pulse of his good heart”	Similarly, Seamus Heaney’s speaker shows his father as careful and experienced:  verbs describe him as an “expert”: “His eye//Narrowed and angled at the ground” He presents his father as a role model: “I wanted to grow up and plough,//To close one eye, stiffen my arm.”
	The speakers both explore the family relationship by showing the impact of ordinary moments in family relationships where older figures provide their children with support and guidance

Topic sentence	Both poems present speakers who express challenges when confronting feelings about the distance within family relationships
Evidence and analysis	'Climbing My Grandfather'	'Follower'
	Waterhouse’s speaker finds the journey to reach his grandfather’s “summit” a challenging climb: This is depicted through the present-tense verbs throughout the poem: he is “trying to get a grip” and “traverse along his belt” He emphasises the risk of letting go by “not looking down”	Heaney’s speaker finds it challenging to  behave like his father:   He uses verbs which implies struggling movements: the son “stumbles in his wake” and as a child “Fell sometimes on the polished sod” He implies this with hyperbole: “All I ever did was follow”
	Waterhouse conveys the sentimental moment by creating a nostalgic tone using enjambment:  “the skin of his finger is smooth and thick//like warm ice”: However, the irregular line lengths and broken rhythm of caesura convey a speaker’s uneasiness with the challenge: “in the shade, not looking down,”	Similarly, Heaney’s speaker presents a nostalgic tone regarding his father with lines of enjambment at the start: However, by the end, caesura breaks the voice to represent the changes in the relationship: “always yapping. But today”
	Both poems explore the strong pull of family love, as well as the conflicting emotions surrounding looking up to an older figure

Differences:

Topic sentence	While both poems show a close family bond, Waterhouse’s poem ends with resolution for a comforted speaker, while Seamus Heaney’s poem ends unresolved
Evidence and analysis	'Climbing My Grandfather'	'Follower'
	At the end of the poem, the speaker is emotionally and physically close to his grandfather:  He has reached the “summit” of his grandfather’s body and is reassured by the “slow pulse of his good heart	Heaney’s poem presents the speaker’s father as close by him at the end of the poem, but this is frustrating: The present-tense continuous verb in “It is my father who keeps stumbling” shows the continuing dependence in the relationship
	Waterhouse offers an alternative angle showing a child’s innocent perspective of their grandfather: He commends the maturity of his grandfather with positive imagery: the “wrinkles well-spaced” and his “thick hair” is “soft and white”	The poem’s speaker describes a dependent older male, who is no longer as valuable to the son:  The dependence of the father on his son is shown with the preposition in “Behind me” which implies the father is now following his son The speaker’s frustration is shown as the father will “not go away”
	Both poems discuss family love; however, Waterhouse’s poem presents age as a positive and powerful element of family relationships, while Heaney’s poem sees the changing nature of his father negatively

'Climbing My Grandfather' and 'Before You Were Mine '

Comparison in a nutshell:

Both Andrew Waterhouse’s poem 'Climbing My Grandfather' and Carol Ann Duffy’s poem 'Before You Were Mine' present the perspectives of children acknowledging the changing nature of family relationships. However, Waterhouse’s poem considers a grandfather’s role in a child’s life, whereas Duffy’s poem considers a mother as an individual.

Similarities:

Topic sentence	Both poems present perspectives of children remembering a moment from the past
Evidence and analysis	'Climbing My Grandfather'	'Before You Were Mine'
	Waterhouse’s speaker uses personal and informal language to evoke an intimate anecdote: “the old brogues, dusty and cracked;//an easy scramble onto his trousers”	Similarly, Duffy’s speaker addresses her mother in a personal and informal tone, remembering her mother as a younger woman with her “pals”: She addresses her informally: “and whose small bites on your neck, sweetheart?”
	Waterhouse’s poem considers the supportive role of a grandfather with imagery describing the grandfather’s aged body: “place my feet//gently in the old stitches and move on.”	Similarly, Duffy’s speaker reflects on her mother as a mentor and presents her poem as a eulogy : “You'd teach me the steps on the way home”
	The poems both comment on the powerful influence of family relationships by depicting an emotive and personal anecdote

Similarities:

Topic sentence	Both poets present speakers who comment on dependence within family relationships
Evidence and analysis	'Climbing My Grandfather'	'Before You Were Mine'
	The speaker refers to the dangers of letting go of his grandfather’s support: “not looking down, for climbing has its dangers”	Duffy’s speaker, too, explores dependence within family relationships:  The poet relates this idea with repeated possessive pronouns and repetition of the line: “Before you were mine.”
	The poet explores the child’s naive role in the family relationship as the child climbs up without thought for the grandfather: “the nails are splintered and give good purchase”	Duffy too considers the selfish innocence of the child’s dependence in family relationships: She describes “The decade ahead of my loud, possessive yell”
	The poets comment on the idea of dependence within relationships, acknowledging that the role the child plays can be oppressive

Differences:

Topic sentence	Andrew Waterhouse’s poem considers the grandfather’s role in a child’s life, while Carol Ann Duffy’s poem presents a speaker aware of her mother as an individual, not just in her role as parent
Evidence and analysis	'Climbing My Grandfather'	'Follower'
	Waterhouse describes the moment a child climbs up a grandfather, showing the first-person perspective of the child by using an extended metaphor of mountaineering	However, Duffy’s speaker reflects on her mother’s imagined past before she had a child, using vivid imagery and direct address: “where you sparkle and waltz and laugh before you were mine.”
	The speaker in Waterhouse’s poem describes his grandfather as he remembers him: his hair is “soft and white” and his “wrinkles well-spaced” His actions are slow: his pupils “slowly open and close” and his pulse is slow	Duffy, however, describes her mother as a younger woman, free of parental responsibilities: “The thought of me doesn’t occur”  She describes her mother’s actions with verbs which imply she is liberated and vibrant: she would “dance”, “laugh” and “shriek”
	Both speakers reflect on their parents; however, Waterhouse's poem reflects on a child’s feelings towards his grandfather, whereas Duffy’s poem describes her mother in an imagined event from her past