'Catrin' by Gillian Clarke (detailed analysis)

Detailed commentary and analysis by Claire’s Notes of ‘Catrin’ by Gillian Clarke.
Edexcel: Conflict
CCEA: Identity

"Catrin" by Gillian Clarke is a reflective poem that explores the complexities of mother-daughter relationships. The poem centres on the speaker's memories of her daughter's birth and subsequent growth, highlighting themes of love, struggle, and the passage of time. Clarke vividly portrays the challenges and joys of motherhood, as well as the evolving dynamic between parent and child. The poem captures moments of tension and tenderness, revealing the deep emotional bond between mother and daughter despite their differences. "Catrin" delves into themes of identity, independence, and the enduring connection that binds families together through life's milestones.

Catrin by Gillian Clarke

I can remember you, child,
As I stood in a hot, white
Room at the window watching
The people and cars taking
Turn at the traffic lights.
I can remember you, our first
Fierce confrontation, the tight
Red rope of love which we both
Fought over. It was a square
Environmental blank, disinfected
Of paintings or toys. I wrote
All over the walls with my
Words, coloured the clean squares
With the wild, tender circles
Of our struggle to become
Separate. We want, we shouted,
To be two, to be ourselves.
Neither won nor lost the struggle
In the glass tank clouded with feelings
Which changed us both. Still I am fighting
You off, as you stand there
With your straight, strong, long
Brown hair and your rosy,
Defiant glare, bringing up
From the heart’s pool that old rope,
Tightening about my life,
Trailing love and conflict,
As you ask may you skate
In the dark, for one more hour.

My poetry videos all have the same structure: I start by putting the poem into its historical and biographical context where this enhances its understanding and give a short summary of the poem itself; I then look at the poem in its entirety, picking out structural features, such as metre (rhythm), any rhyming and patterns in language which the poet uses; I finish by going through the poem on a line-by-line basis, giving definitions of words and offering an interpretation of the poet’s words with justification. Most of the terminology I use (in green) is provided with a definition below, so even if you haven’t come across it before, you should still be able to understand the points I am making.

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About me:
I have been an English teacher and private tutor for more than 20 years.
Please note that any literature analysis is highly subjective and may disagree with analysis by another person. All interpretations are valid if they can be justified by reference to the text. This interpretation is my own: it is not exhaustive and there are alternatives!

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