Catrin

Hi chaps,

I've been reading through some of your essays and think we need a bit of a reminder about Catrin!

Structure: The poem is split into two stanzas; the first is the build-up to Catrin's birth, and the second is Catrin's childhood. The break in the stanzas represents the cutting of the umbilical cord. By beginning the poem with 'I', it establishes the speaker as an individual, and the poem tracks how she changes with Catrin's presence, and the struggle to let her be independent. The enjambment in stanza one reflects the lack of control that the speaker has  over the contractions and birth. It creates a sense of confusion and disrupts the rhythm of the poem. In particular, the lines "We want, we shouted, / To be two, to be ourselves." are structured to echo the shallow breathing and shortness of speech experienced during the contractions.

Techniques: 

Metaphors - "the red rope of love", "a square environmental blank", "the glass tank clouded with feelings", "the heart's pool".

Alliteration - "window watching", "taking turn", "first fierce", "red rope", "coloured the clean" etc. (There's loads!) Think about the effects of these sounds.

Questions for you to consider:

• What is the tone of the poem?
• What is the effect of the imagery?
• Are there any interesting language choices?