A level poem summary sheet on 'Catrin by Gillian Clarke' including notes on stanza by stanza analysis, form, structure, techniques, themes and overviews. Perfect for A level revision of Gillian Clarke poetry or perfect even for templates on how to analyse poetry.
CONTENT: The poem Catrin is about the struggle that Clarke has allowing and accepting the fact that
her daughter is growing up and changing and there is nothing she can do to stop it and the tension
and strain it puts on their relationship.
THEMES: Childhood, Parents, Relationships, Change
KEY ESSAY POINTS:
Relationships are complex and intertwine the ideas of both love and conflict
Relationships lead to loss and cannot always be promised to have a happy ending
Relationships require independence
STANZA BY STANZA ANALYSIS:
1ST Stanza:
Clarke begins the poem with a short statement ‘I can remember you’ this is repeated again on line 6
of the stanza this emphasises the fact that things are no longer the same and that she is talking and
reminiscing on memories cherishing them. The syntactical placement of ‘Child’ at the end of the line
adds a harshness to it. This also highlights the change from the past to the present. The imagery of
the ‘hot, white room’ suggests a blankness and Un comfortability associated with the room. The
metaphor of what we could suggest is the umbilical as the ‘red rope of love’ suggests a strong
attachment and bond between mother and daughter. The many connotations behind the colour red
such as love, anger, passion and desire show the complexity of human relationships. The contrast of
the blank and white hospital with the red rope of love shows the vivid and momentous occasion of
birth made everything else seem as lifeless and dreary and the only colour. This could be a reference
to the daughter's room the words ‘environmental’ and ‘disinfected’ add a cold and lifeless feel to the
room similar to the room describes at the beginning. By the mother colouring the wall with words
she attempts to imitate the actions of a child showing her desperation to cling to any trace of her
daughter’s childhood. ‘paintings or toys’ could be symbolic of childhood and how the room has been
‘disinfected’ of it, removing all traces of it away. ‘wild, tender circles’ suggest a delicacy yet
fierceness to their relationship and the circles imply that they are trapped and locked into one
another. Their identities as mother and daughter are merged and they both desire to become
separate people no longer mother and child but Clarke and Catrin. Effectiveness of title as Clarke
gives Catrin her own identity.
2ND Stanza:
‘glass tank clouded with feelings’ implies once again a frailty to their relationship and also the
unability to see clearly and the mystery and unknowingness that remains within those feelings. The
rhyme of hair and glare and strong and long add an intense atmosphere to the poem as it
exaggerates the child’s determination and defiance. ‘old rope’ there is a motif of this invisible
umbilical cord that connects child and parent however the mention of rope tightening around the
life of the speaker also brings about rather a dark image of a noose around someone's neck. It could
also be representative of the mother and daughter bond that can never be broken even in the face
of conflict. This image of the child skating in the dark is a very romantic and poetic image which
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