Speaker
The speaker in "Climbing My Grandfather" uses straightforward and logical language that somewhat contrasts with the childlike sense of wonder, discovery, and growth that is present in the poem. Speakers should not be equated with the poet, but aspects of Waterhouse's own life (such as his love for the natural world) are at work in the poem. Each line strengthens the relationship between the speaker and his grandfather, if only implicitly. One example is the discovery of the glassy ridge of a scar on the grandfather's arm. Though no further context is given, it shows that the speaker finds something out about his grandfather. From the beginning, getting to know his grandfather through the metaphor of climbing is defined as an active choice on the part of the speaker.
Grandfather
In the poem, the speaker's grandfather exists as a living landscape that the speaker climbs. The grandfather's dusty and cracked brogues (shoes traditionally meant to be worn outdoors) and earth-stained hands suggest that he (like the poet) loves the natural world. Other details in the poem—including the comparison between the grandfather's skin and warm ice and the fact that he is smiling—suggest that he has a warm and loving personality. This is further made evident in the final line of the poem when the speaker focuses on the slow pulse of his grandfather's heart.
