Year 10 - English
Understanding the poem 'Catrin' by Gillian Clarke
Poetry anthology (Assessment from summer 2027)
Study Hub
Study Guides
This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
In this unit, pupis explore 11 of the 15 poems from the Eduqas poetry anthology. Pupils complete two lessons about each poem: one on understanding and one on analysis. Pupils study the poems in a thematically linked order so they can complete comparative and thematic lessons during the unit.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to explain how Clarke presents internal parental conflict in her poem.
Key Notes
- 'Catrin' is a personal poem reflecting Clarke's own relationship with her daughter.
- 'Catrin' reflects the internal conflict parents face as their children grow.
- Clear comparisons can be made to 'Poppies' as both poems focus on parental conflicts.
- Whilst 'Catrin' focuses on one conflict between parent and child, the message is a timeless one.
Vocabulary To Learn
- parental: related to or characteristic of a parent or parenthood
- prevalent: widespread or commonly occurring within a particular area or at a particular time
- incubator: a medical device that provides a controlled environment to support the growth of (often) premature or ill babies
- inner conflict: psychological struggle within a person, often involving contradictory emotions or desires
- interpersonal conflict: disagreement or clash between individuals due to differing opinions, needs, or interests
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- This poem is entirely autobiographical, written about Clarke's experiences of motherhood.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain this English learning goal in two key points.
'Catrin' is a personal poem reflecting Clarke's own relationship with her daughter. 'Catrin' reflects the internal conflict parents face as their children grow.
2. Define this language term and use it in a sentence. 'parental'
related to or characteristic of a parent or parenthood.
3. Correct this common English misunderstanding.
Mistake: This poem is entirely autobiographical, written about Clarke's experiences of motherhood. Correction: This poem was written just after the birth of Clarke's fist daughter so does reflect on her experiences of motherhood but the later scenes of a older child playing out are necessarily fictional.
More Lessons In This Unit
- Analysing extended responses to the Eduqas poetry anthology Study Guide
- Analysing ideas of love and relationships in Ewing's 'Origin Story' Study Guide
- Analysing ideas of uncertainty and intensity in Kay's 'Dusting the Phone' Study Guide
- Analysing ideas of war and inevitability in Hardy's 'Drummer Hodge' Study Guide
- Analysing ideas of war and isolation in Owen's 'Disabled' Study Guide
- Analysing ideas of youth and nature in Blake's 'The Schoolboy' Study Guide
- Analysing ideas of youth and nostalgia in Heaney's 'Blackberry Picking' Study Guide
- Analysing the poem 'Catrin' by Gillian Clarke Study Guide
- Analysing the poem 'Cousin Kate' by Christina Rossetti Study Guide
- Analysing the Poem 'Kamikaze' Study Guide
- Analysing the Poem 'Remains' Study Guide
- Analysing the poem 'Sonnet 29' by Elizabeth Barrett Browning Study Guide
- Comparing ideas of identity and isolation in 'Disabled and 'Kamikaze' Study Guide
- Comparing ideas of love and identity in 'Catrin' and 'Origin Story' Study Guide
- Comparing ideas of love in 'Sonnet 29', 'Cousin Kate' and 'Dusting the Phone' Study Guide
- Comparing ideas of war in Hardy's 'Drummer Hodge' and Armitage's 'Remains' Study Guide
- Comparing ideas of youth and nature in 'The Schoolboy' and 'Blackberry Picking' Study Guide
- Developing interpretations of 'Remains' with Simon Armitage Study Guide
- Exploring and responding to the Eduqas poetry anthology Study Guide
- Planning a written response on the Eduqas poetry anthology Study Guide
- Reviewing a written response on the Eduqas poetry anthology Study Guide
- Understanding ideas of love and obsession in Kay's 'Dusting the Phone' Study Guide
- Understanding ideas of love and relationships in Ewing's 'Origin Story' Study Guide
- Understanding ideas of war and isolation in Owen's 'Disabled' Study Guide
- Understanding ideas of war in Hardy's 'Drummer Hodge' Study Guide
- Understanding ideas of youth and nature in Blake's 'The Schoolboy' Study Guide
- Understanding ideas of youth and nostalgia in Heaney's 'Blackberry Picking' Study Guide
- Understanding the poem 'Cousin Kate' by Christina Rossetti Study Guide
- Understanding the Poem 'Kamikaze' Study Guide
- Understanding the poem 'Remains' Study Guide
- Understanding the poem 'Sonnet 29' by Elizabeth Barrett Browning Study Guide
- Writing a written response on the Eduqas poetry anthology Study Guide
Browse all guides in the Year 10 English guide library.