i really think this poem has another meaning, one much more sinister. for me, though i wouldn’t ever write this in an exam, it seems to really centre around suicide. for example, ‘i decide to do it free, without a rope or net’ ‘trying to get a grip’ ‘climbing has its dangers’ ‘gasping for breath’ and ‘earth-stained’ all seem to connote suicide imagery or at least ideas about mental health. whether this is simply an accident or has a deeper meaning took me a while to debate. my overall guess was that the writer could be exploring the life of his dead grandfather meticulously in order to validate a reason for his own death. as through comparing his life to his grandad’s he may be searching for justification before dying alongside him, and maybe therefore, feeling ‘refreshed’ and ‘smiling’ when he sees confirmation through his grandfather that he will join him through death- finally feeling ‘the slow pulse of his good heart’. coupled with the fact that the writer wrote this in 2000, and that he sadly committed suicide in 2001, this idea gives me chills.
i'm using this analysis for my work because I thought the exact same thing when I read it and I'm tired of my teacher viewing it so happily when it is most probably a very tragic poem. at least I'm not alone loool
RIgHt i always got the strange feeling of bittersweetness from reading the poem and an unexpected sense of finality and freedom which, although at the surface level would have been a very inconspicuous feeling to inject into a poem but once you think about it from that point of view its the least paniful and worrying way to write about suicidal feelings.
Surely warm ice is just water or ice that is sort of melting which could reflect how he is getting to know his grandfather in the sense that the ice could represent a physical barrier between the mountain and the climber. The ice therefore could represent an emotional barrier in the relationship. The fact that it is warm may show that it is melting and therefore they are becoming closer in their relationship. I think that this might be wrong though.
The oxymoron of 'warm ice' when describing his hand may apply to the interpretation of the narrator looking back on his grandfather. If his grandfather has passed away, it could suggest that it's painful for him to remember the time spent with him which is represented by the noun 'ice' and the sharp pain that can be felt when you touch ice; then the adjective 'warm' is used to show that despite this it is a pleasant and comforting thing to remember his grandfather, almost bitter-sweet. The evidence for the grandfather being dead could be gathered from how he is dressed in smart clothes ('shirt', 'brogues' the 'belt' that's worn) as many people are buried in their own formal attire, and the slightly foreboding 'birds' as they 'circle'.
Personally, I think "warm ice" represents the grandfather's life coming to an end. Ice cannot stay warm for long for it will turn to water and no be ice so similarly, the grandfather cannot be old for long because he must die just like "warm ice" must melt.
This idea can be further backed up by "soft and white at this altitude" which symbolises Heaven and has angelic connotations thus linking it to death. "Gasping for breath" and "slow pulse" usually come right before death, further reinforcing that the grandfather isn't far from dying.
@@holliewilliams8470 Because the 'slow pulse' is at the end of the poem do you think it could represent the poem coming to a stop just like the life of the grandfather?
This is most likely wrong but is it possible that at the end of the poem the grandfather could be near death , with the "slow pulse" gasping for breath and birds circling (possibly like vultures).
I think it suggests something similar to what you speculated - that although at first glance the grandfather is a character of solidity, purposefulness and even distance (there is often an metaphorical 'distance' between the generations due to changing values etc.) - when that hard wall of severity is broken down, as the speaker 'climbs' up his grandfather, he realises that his grandfather does emit a kind of warmth and love that the speaker hadn't expected. This idea could be linked to Mother Any Distance, which is unostentatious (e.g. Armitage describes everyday objects that seem to almost undermine the important ultimatum that the speaker grapples with throughout the poem) to reflect how it is the everyday things that are the repositories of love. Just an interpretation, potentially completely the wrong end of the stick!
I’m doing my GCESEs this year, you’re an amazing help I just wanted to say bless you, your channel is one of the only amongst TH-cam that is ACTUALLY helpful, thank you so much!
For like 'warm ice' it may suggest the grandfather's long, hard life, through the 'ice' used. However it could also suggest that he is still happy even though his past was very hard as the writer suggests the ice as 'warm'
I think it reflects the speaker's admiration for his grandfather. If the grandson is viewing his granddad through a rose tinted perspective, even his flaws can be seen as beautiful due to parts of his life which they symbolise. This is reinforced through the oxymoron, as something as cold as ice itself becomes warm. This rose tinted view has completely taken over the speakers perspective on not only his grandfather, but every part of his life. The oxymoron alternatively may suggest the bittersweet nature of the relationship due to the risk of losing someone so important in the speaker's life. This is reinforced through the idea of a climb as despite the journey being thrilling, it also involved risks. Although their relationship is wonderful to experience, in hindsight, an older speaker is aware of the pain which the relationship will bring when it comes to an end. The oxymoron foreshadows the grandfathers death in the future. This is again, made clear through the fact that the speaker recalls the memory in a way which treasures it more than he initially would've when being young. This is due to the fact that he no longer takes experiences like this for granted, therefore aspects of his grandfather which he once viewed as being ugly or strange, from a child's perspective, and now admired. For example, he now sees the "wrinkles" as being positive and beautiful, describing them as "well spaced and easy" as they are a part of such an important person in his life who is no longer present.
For me, the oxymoron 'warm ice' describes his grandfather's hands suggests not only the grandfather's but also the elderly population's hands are quite cold and worn out from the many years that they have been used but these hands have an abundance of 'warmth' to possibly suggest that his grandfather contains bundles of joy, love and bounty.
Ice can be cracked suggesting something fragile about the grandfather. Thinking about the scar mentioned aswell and how the speaker 'gently' puts his feet into the stiches I think that the skin is tough to act as a protective barrier for the grandfather's inner sensitivity (warmth=loving). The skin is like ice though because it is damaged (scar) and can be broken. Idk probably doesn't make sense but just an idea?
Could I say that: The use of the oxymoron 'like warm ice' after the speaker having admired the 'smooth' skin gives a sense of the toughness the journey has and all the mysteries it holds and that the speaker cannot be sure yet of weather the judgement of the grandfather is good or bad, emphasised by the use of caesura stopping the enjambment the line has run on, slowing down the pace, really giving the speaker a sense of ambiguity towards what he feels about his father, we see that the judgement on his g.father has been reached at the end of reaching his 'altitude' suggesting he understands him as a person which really helped him, especially of his manual labour he has done for him thus the full stop at the end of the poem when stating he has a 'good heart.' and the full stop here marks how he feels there can be no opposition to what he is saying about his g.father and that he has found an answer to his mystery, therefore the poem has ended, it could also mark how the purpose of his grandfather has ended thus has a 'slow pulse' and the action of the ' birds' circling are vultures suggest the imminent death of the grandfather along with how the discovery of his good heart is imminent because of the manual labour he has done for the speaker. The bird are a symbol of hope for the grandfather which will soon be discovered of his good heart, Heaney uses this because of his love for nature, reflected in his father.
Well, it could suggest that after climbing his grandfather, the previous cold and distant perception he had is starting melt and the ice is sort of breaking to reveal the true personality of his grandfather.
I think that the warm ice oxymoron suggests that even though the subject( the grandfather) is dead and this is an old memory, he's kept alive through the speakers love, reinforcing the close and loving relationship.
the oxymoron helps to show how it can look one thing but mean another hence the fact of an oxymoron. And the whole metaphor of the story; they refer to the grandfather as a mountain because he was maybe strong and sturdy like a mountain, tall like a mountain and yet both rough and smooth like a mountain.
what about the fact that the warm ice refers to the grandfather as a strong person who has been through a lot for example 'scar', therefore the ice can be representing him as a strong person holding him high and steadfast teaching the grandson new things. while the word 'warm' could refer to the grandfather as 'warm hearted' because he can feel the warmth of his grandfathers skin while climbing up him, feeling comforted by his presence. Also the fact that the poet changes the focus of the poem giving the reader an idea of how the speaker feels about his grandfather. could suggest that his grandfather is his whole mountain or his whole world (if that makes sense), for example he changes the poems setting by using words that are features of a person and that are features of a mountain: 'screed cheek'. i don't know what else to say...ohgosh
Personally, I think the “smooth and thick like warm ice’ similie is just an example of the extremely vivid descriptive language that Andrew Waterhouse employs to describe his grandfather. The oxymoron ‘warm ice’ makes this imagery perhaps more striking and has the effect of making the reader stop and try to rationalise this inherent contradiction by imagining how this texture would feel like in real life. Each reader may imagine the exact sensation differently, but perhaps the grandfather’s skin has the smoothness of ice whilst being warm and thick with age. In my opinion, the purpose of this similie is to immerse the reader into the poem by engaging the sensory imagination. This is what I make of the phrase.
Good video really helped out my son :) I was just wondering, is there anyway for my son to prepare for the AQA Language Exam. By this I mean is there any techniques or mindsets he should adopt before and within the exam? Can I have some advice? He's aiming for a grade 8-9
I do power and conflict poetry but I just wanted to see what the love and relationship poetry is about 😂. My English teacher used this poem to teach us about unseen poetry and I found it interesting
Can you please do a video about How Scrooge from the Christmas Carol is presented as an outsider throughout the novel. Please! I have to do an exam on it next week and it'll help me understand ALOT!
I think that 'warm ice' suggests that the grandfather has a sense of omnipotence. This could be because, at this point, is not describing his grandfather but the mountain. As the mountain is a force of nature and humans have not been able to overcome the forces of nature. This could be why the 'ice' is 'warm'.
Could the warm ice suggest how their relationship looks warm and reliable on the outside but on the inside it is like ice and their relationship is cold, I don't think that this is right though.
Could you link the warm ice to how it represents the relationship they shared, so like to other people they were completely different and therefore it was impossible to understand the bond that they built, because warm ice is impossible
I noticed that you always talk about the poet before you get on with the actual poem but I wanted to ask whether or not you need that in your exam or is it just extra information
Could you possibly link the "warm ice" to how the poet perhaps felt nervous to get to know his grandfather and pictured him as cold. There's context that the poet was quite a private person so could you link it and say that he found it difficult to get to know him or was intimated by him ?
The ‘warm ice’ could represent the fact that even though his grandfather has passed away (his hands are cold) the memory of him is still very much alive through speaker’s memory.
i really think this poem has another meaning, one much more sinister. for me, though i wouldn’t ever write this in an exam, it seems to really centre around suicide. for example, ‘i decide to do it free, without a rope or net’ ‘trying to get a grip’ ‘climbing has its dangers’ ‘gasping for breath’ and ‘earth-stained’ all seem to connote suicide imagery or at least ideas about mental health. whether this is simply an accident or has a deeper meaning took me a while to debate. my overall guess was that the writer could be exploring the life of his dead grandfather meticulously in order to validate a reason for his own death. as through comparing his life to his grandad’s he may be searching for justification before dying alongside him, and maybe therefore, feeling ‘refreshed’ and ‘smiling’ when he sees confirmation through his grandfather that he will join him through death- finally feeling ‘the slow pulse of his good heart’. coupled with the fact that the writer wrote this in 2000, and that he sadly committed suicide in 2001, this idea gives me chills.
Woah, your actually right i never looked at the poem this way
Amazing analysis
that is such a great idea! but could it also be a reflection of his grandfather before he planned to commit suicide?
i'm using this analysis for my work because I thought the exact same thing when I read it and I'm tired of my teacher viewing it so happily when it is most probably a very tragic poem. at least I'm not alone loool
RIgHt i always got the strange feeling of bittersweetness from reading the poem and an unexpected sense of finality and freedom which, although at the surface level would have been a very inconspicuous feeling to inject into a poem but once you think about it from that point of view its the least paniful and worrying way to write about suicidal feelings.
The ‘warm ice’ suggests that the ice is being warmed.
genius
amazing
or maybe since it is in line 10, it can show that the poet is thawing out his grandfathers frosty interior
A?!
Surely warm ice is just water or ice that is sort of melting which could reflect how he is getting to know his grandfather in the sense that the ice could represent a physical barrier between the mountain and the climber. The ice therefore could represent an emotional barrier in the relationship. The fact that it is warm may show that it is melting and therefore they are becoming closer in their relationship. I think that this might be wrong though.
Lyra Seerena love this
there is no wrong, there is only one true lord of the rings and he does not share power
@@olar647this will be my gcse answer
The oxymoron of 'warm ice' when describing his hand may apply to the interpretation of the narrator looking back on his grandfather. If his grandfather has passed away, it could suggest that it's painful for him to remember the time spent with him which is represented by the noun 'ice' and the sharp pain that can be felt when you touch ice; then the adjective 'warm' is used to show that despite this it is a pleasant and comforting thing to remember his grandfather, almost bitter-sweet. The evidence for the grandfather being dead could be gathered from how he is dressed in smart clothes ('shirt', 'brogues' the 'belt' that's worn) as many people are buried in their own formal attire, and the slightly foreboding 'birds' as they 'circle'.
Love it
also 'earth-stained hand' could suggest he is in the grave
The warm ice could perhaps reflect how even the perceived 'cold'est features of his grandfather appear warm to him.
wow, that is great analysis
Personally, I think "warm ice" represents the grandfather's life coming to an end. Ice cannot stay warm for long for it will turn to water and no be ice so similarly, the grandfather cannot be old for long because he must die just like "warm ice" must melt.
This idea can be further backed up by "soft and white at this altitude" which symbolises Heaven and has angelic connotations thus linking it to death. "Gasping for breath" and "slow pulse" usually come right before death, further reinforcing that the grandfather isn't far from dying.
amazing
I'm surprised u thought of dat
@@holliewilliams8470 Because the 'slow pulse' is at the end of the poem do you think it could represent the poem coming to a stop just like the life of the grandfather?
He is literally the reason I am going to pass my GCSE
Did you pass?
This is most likely wrong but is it possible that at the end of the poem the grandfather could be near death , with the "slow pulse" gasping for breath and birds circling (possibly like vultures).
Toby Forster I like that interpretation
wolves lol
I think it suggests something similar to what you speculated - that although at first glance the grandfather is a character of solidity, purposefulness and even distance (there is often an metaphorical 'distance' between the generations due to changing values etc.) - when that hard wall of severity is broken down, as the speaker 'climbs' up his grandfather, he realises that his grandfather does emit a kind of warmth and love that the speaker hadn't expected. This idea could be linked to Mother Any Distance, which is unostentatious (e.g. Armitage describes everyday objects that seem to almost undermine the important ultimatum that the speaker grapples with throughout the poem) to reflect how it is the everyday things that are the repositories of love. Just an interpretation, potentially completely the wrong end of the stick!
+Miriam Clifton great!
Miriam Clifton right why don't you have the analysis channel
Miriam Clifton hi please do u know which poem came up in 2015 and 2016
Miriam Clifton wow I love this interpretation
Miriam Clifton golly that's good
I’m doing my GCESEs this year, you’re an amazing help I just wanted to say bless you, your channel is one of the only amongst TH-cam that is ACTUALLY helpful, thank you so much!
Thank you!
These videos are great- they are helping me so much with my English GCSE. Life saver! Thank you.
+Izzie Pyle good
🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗 thanks so much
Same
how did u get on
For like 'warm ice' it may suggest the grandfather's long, hard life, through the 'ice' used. However it could also suggest that he is still happy even though his past was very hard as the writer suggests the ice as 'warm'
I dislike the line about the climber drinking among the teeth.
me too
It's so creepy. Almost like he's drinking his saliva
He is drinking the saliva
@@aadamize1539 that is what i thought whilst Mr Bruff was reading it at the start of the poem
@Aadamize I thought that he's drinking the things (which his grandfather is drinking) from his grandfather's mouth
I think it reflects the speaker's admiration for his grandfather. If the grandson is viewing his granddad through a rose tinted perspective, even his flaws can be seen as beautiful due to parts of his life which they symbolise. This is reinforced through the oxymoron, as something as cold as ice itself becomes warm. This rose tinted view has completely taken over the speakers perspective on not only his grandfather, but every part of his life. The oxymoron alternatively may suggest the bittersweet nature of the relationship due to the risk of losing someone so important in the speaker's life. This is reinforced through the idea of a climb as despite the journey being thrilling, it also involved risks. Although their relationship is wonderful to experience, in hindsight, an older speaker is aware of the pain which the relationship will bring when it comes to an end. The oxymoron foreshadows the grandfathers death in the future. This is again, made clear through the fact that the speaker recalls the memory in a way which treasures it more than he initially would've when being young. This is due to the fact that he no longer takes experiences like this for granted, therefore aspects of his grandfather which he once viewed as being ugly or strange, from a child's perspective, and now admired. For example, he now sees the "wrinkles" as being positive and beautiful, describing them as "well spaced and easy" as they are a part of such an important person in his life who is no longer present.
For me, the oxymoron 'warm ice' describes his grandfather's hands suggests not only the grandfather's but also the elderly population's hands are quite cold and worn out from the many years that they have been used but these hands have an abundance of 'warmth' to possibly suggest that his grandfather contains bundles of joy, love and bounty.
Ice can be cracked suggesting something fragile about the grandfather. Thinking about the scar mentioned aswell and how the speaker 'gently' puts his feet into the stiches I think that the skin is tough to act as a protective barrier for the grandfather's inner sensitivity (warmth=loving). The skin is like ice though because it is damaged (scar) and can be broken. Idk probably doesn't make sense but just an idea?
Thanks so much! Just finished binging your videos for my mock on Wednesday!
The warm ice is just warm ice
i think its funny that i didnt find these videos til last year, ive gone up 3 grades, why is mr.bruff teaching me better than my teacher
Could I say that:
The use of the oxymoron 'like warm ice' after the speaker having admired the 'smooth' skin gives a sense of the toughness the journey has and all the mysteries it holds and that the speaker cannot be sure yet of weather the judgement of the grandfather is good or bad, emphasised by the use of caesura stopping the enjambment the line has run on, slowing down the pace, really giving the speaker a sense of ambiguity towards what he feels about his father, we see that the judgement on his g.father has been reached at the end of reaching his 'altitude' suggesting he understands him as a person which really helped him, especially of his manual labour he has done for him thus the full stop at the end of the poem when stating he has a 'good heart.' and the full stop here marks how he feels there can be no opposition to what he is saying about his g.father and that he has found an answer to his mystery, therefore the poem has ended, it could also mark how the purpose of his grandfather has ended thus has a 'slow pulse' and the action of the ' birds' circling are vultures suggest the imminent death of the grandfather along with how the discovery of his good heart is imminent because of the manual labour he has done for the speaker. The bird are a symbol of hope for the grandfather which will soon be discovered of his good heart, Heaney uses this because of his love for nature, reflected in his father.
Sorry for the overlong sentance and crazy idea which i think was forced by the markscheme asking for A03 context, lol i'd still like a reply :D
LOOOL i was not thinkin when i wrtoe this :)
wrote* ( for anyone gonna say wt a stupid child, he is gonna fail in under a month) :DDDDD
lrel
nigga aman u actually wrote this what a fat shit
Well, it could suggest that after climbing his grandfather, the previous cold and distant perception he had is starting melt and the ice is sort of breaking to reveal the true personality of his grandfather.
is it possible that the 'warm ice' oxymoron could represent the distance of the age gap but the closeness of the familial relationship?
I think that the warm ice oxymoron suggests that even though the subject( the grandfather) is dead and this is an old memory, he's kept alive through the speakers love, reinforcing the close and loving relationship.
KATIE NORMAN omg this is acc so helpful thank you
Sorrry to ask but did his grandfather die before he died? I can’t see anything online that would tell me
has no-one ever seen warm ice.
it's not liquid, but it's much more slippery than cold ice.
the phrase "drink among the teeth" suggests that the climber is slightly odd
the oxymoron helps to show how it can look one thing but mean another hence the fact of an oxymoron. And the whole metaphor of the story; they refer to the grandfather as a mountain because he was maybe strong and sturdy like a mountain, tall like a mountain and yet both rough and smooth like a mountain.
what about the fact that the warm ice refers to the grandfather as a strong person who has been through a lot for example 'scar', therefore the ice can be representing him as a strong person holding him high and steadfast teaching the grandson new things. while the word 'warm' could refer to the grandfather as 'warm hearted' because he can feel the warmth of his grandfathers skin while climbing up him, feeling comforted by his presence.
Also the fact that the poet changes the focus of the poem giving the reader an idea of how the speaker feels about his grandfather. could suggest that his grandfather is his whole mountain or his whole world (if that makes sense), for example he changes the poems setting by using words that are features of a person and that are features of a mountain: 'screed cheek'.
i don't know what else to say...ohgosh
Thank you very cool Mr Bruff
Personally, I think the “smooth and thick like warm ice’ similie is just an example of the extremely vivid descriptive language that Andrew Waterhouse employs to describe his grandfather. The oxymoron ‘warm ice’ makes this imagery perhaps more striking and has the effect of making the reader stop and try to rationalise this inherent contradiction by imagining how this texture would feel like in real life. Each reader may imagine the exact sensation differently, but perhaps the grandfather’s skin has the smoothness of ice whilst being warm and thick with age. In my opinion, the purpose of this similie is to immerse the reader into the poem by engaging the sensory imagination. This is what I make of the phrase.
Good video really helped out my son :) I was just wondering, is there anyway for my son to prepare for the AQA Language Exam. By this I mean is there any techniques or mindsets he should adopt before and within the exam? Can I have some advice? He's aiming for a grade 8-9
Email me info@mrbruff.com about the grade 9 club
@@mrbruff is this still around?
I do power and conflict poetry but I just wanted to see what the love and relationship poetry is about 😂. My English teacher used this poem to teach us about unseen poetry and I found it interesting
Can you please do a video about How Scrooge from the Christmas Carol is presented as an outsider throughout the novel. Please! I have to do an exam on it next week and it'll help me understand ALOT!
How's it going now
These videos are amazing. Thankyou so much.
Thanks for this I struggled on this poem.👍
14;40 grandfather seems tough but through gaining knowledge from him the speaker sees a soft side
The extended metaphor of climbing could suggest the dangers entails however the strong trust in the relationship.
I think that 'warm ice' suggests that the grandfather has a sense of omnipotence. This could be because, at this point, is not describing his grandfather but the mountain. As the mountain is a force of nature and humans have not been able to overcome the forces of nature. This could be why the 'ice' is 'warm'.
Could the warm ice suggest how their relationship looks warm and reliable on the outside but on the inside it is like ice and their relationship is cold, I don't think that this is right though.
Loved that add in the beginning owaowaowaowaa
Will you make videos on how to write comparative essays? And will you compare few poems on the channel?
+MM H all in the ebook on literature at mrbruff.com
Night before my gcse-this better not be the poem lol
Could you link the warm ice to how it represents the relationship they shared, so like to other people they were completely different and therefore it was impossible to understand the bond that they built, because warm ice is impossible
warm ice is physically impossible, perhaps reflecting how impossible the speaker finds it to 'climb' his grandfather/get to know him.
Another amazingly video! Thank you again! your the only reason im gonna pass ❤
Do you think it can be a dramatic monologue
Wow I really felt this
Warm ice could be bringing attention to the changing nature of his Grandfather.
What is your advice on how to get a grade 9?
Clarendon ???
I have a feeling this will be in tomorrow's exam for some reason.
me to
same iT gave me chiils
what about the form though? i thought we need form in order to be in the top band...
I noticed that you always talk about the poet before you get on with the actual poem but I wanted to ask whether or not you need that in your exam or is it just extra information
Could you possibly link the "warm ice" to how the poet perhaps felt nervous to get to know his grandfather and pictured him as cold. There's context that the poet was quite a private person so could you link it and say that he found it difficult to get to know him or was intimated by him ?
+Iona MacRobert yes
Omg anyone May I know which poems came up 2015 and 2016 in love and relationship poetry plzzz
Aisha Brave lmao how’d u do
Nice mr bruff
I need an Ebook please
+huzy iby buy one then!
mrbruff I'm waiting for the free one when u get 50k subscribers
+huzy iby you'll have to be quick!
this is really helpful thank you
I can tell some teachers are commenting on this right now
Is it plagorising if I copy everything he says in my GCSE’s
Well, if you can remember then do it
The ‘warm ice’ could represent the fact that even though his grandfather has passed away (his hands are cold) the memory of him is still very much alive through speaker’s memory.
Great video- are you going to be doing aqa short stories? Also when can we expect history boys videos if at all?
+MJC-Craft yes and yes
Legend u are a legend
Thank you!
I used this in the exam but put fdor context reflect his own experiences and relationships would I lose marks for this ?
+Unknownchild Wicled you'll be fine
mrbruff okay thank you for your reply
"standing on the shoulders of giants" is actually a motto of GOOGLE SCHOLAR. (am I the only one who spotted that ? -_^
22/5 15/5
send us the books now
I'm not gonna pass ;(((((((((
10:12
I love you
why is this 15 mins long i don't have time