Climbing My Grandfather Literary Elements

The first-person speaker describes climbing a mountainous version of his grandfather. Though Waterhouse uses the present tense, the poem recalls a free and adventurous sense of childhood while also evoking the process of growing older and looking back through one's memories.

The poem is written in free verse

Metaphors
-The poem is based on the extended metaphor of climbing, which represents growing up as well as the speaker getting to know his grandfather better.

Similes
-"the skin of his finger is smooth and thick / like warm ice" (Lines 9-10): The skin of the grandfather's finger is compared to warm ice, which focuses more on the smooth texture of ice rather than its cold temperature.

Alliteration
-"give good purchase" (Line 8): The "g" sound repeats.
-"the skin of his finger is smooth and thick" (Line 9): The "s" sound repeats.

Assonance
-"the screed cheek" (Line 18): The long "e" sound repeats.

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Lyric Poetry, Nature Poetry

The setting is the metaphorical terrain of the grandfather's body.

Focused, Formal, Loving

The protagonist is the loving bond between the speaker and his grandfather. The antagonist is the possibility of falling.

The major conflict is the challenge of climbing the grandfather.

The climax occurs when the speaker reaches the summit (the top of his grandfather's head).

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A mountain is personified as the speaker's grandfather.

The speaker's grandfather is described as being the size of a mountain.

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