Understanding the poem 'Catrin' by Gillian Clarke
I can explain how Clarke presents internal parental conflict in her poem.
Understanding the poem 'Catrin' by Gillian Clarke
I can explain how Clarke presents internal parental conflict in her poem.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Lesson details
Key learning 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.
- 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.
Keywords
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 misconception
This poem is entirely autobiographical, written about Clarke's experiences of motherhood.
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.
To help you plan your year 11 english lesson on: Understanding the poem 'Catrin' by Gillian Clarke, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 11 english lesson on: Understanding the poem 'Catrin' by Gillian Clarke, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
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The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
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Explore more key stage 4 english lessons from the Conflict poetry continued unit, dive into the full secondary english curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
Equipment
You need access to a copy of ‘Catrin’ by Gillian Clarke for this lesson. You can find this in the Edexcel Poetry Anthology (we will be using the ‘Conflict’ cluster).
Content guidance
- Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Starter quiz
6 Questions
Exit quiz
6 Questions
conflict within someone's mind
conflict with at least one other person
conflict caused by outside circumstances