Objectives

• Identify and explain the two time frames in 'Catrin' and what each reveals about the mother–daughter relationship.
• Analyse how Clarke uses the extended metaphor of the 'rope of love' to present simultaneous love and conflict.
• Trace how the imagery of the delivery room is echoed in the present-day skating argument in stanza two.
• Explain how Clarke's use of enjambment and caesura enacts the tension between holding on and letting go.
• Write a fully evidenced exam-style paragraph that embeds a quotation, names a technique, and links to a theme in 'Catrin'.

The sequence

1. Lesson 1: What the Rope Holds: Close Reading 'Catrin'

   55 min · ch. 1

   Do now

   Read 'Catrin' silently one time. Without referencing any sources, create a simple timeline on your page and include at least three events from the poem. After that, write one sentence responding to the question: does the speaker love her daughter, fear for her, or both? Use one word from the poem to support your answer.

   Teacher input

   Model a close reading of lines 7–13 ("I wrote our struggle…" to "…the rope of love"), projecting the stanza. Think aloud: "Clarke refers to the umbilical cord as a rope — this choice suggests both connection and potential harm. She avoids terms like cord or tie, opting for rope instead, which conveys effort, tension, and the idea of two people pulling against each other. By adding 'of love,' she captures both violence and tenderness in just three words. Pay attention to the line break after 'rope' — Clarke makes us pause and feel the harshness before we encounter the softness that follows." Show students how to transform this into a single analytical sentence using the Point–Evidence–Effect structure.

   Independent task

   Working from the second stanza (from 'I remember' to the end of the poem), students will annotate their own copy by pinpointing two moments where Clarke reflects the delivery-room tension in the current skating argument. For each moment, they must: (a) quote the exact word or phrase, (b) identify the technique Clarke is using, and (c) write two sentences explaining how that technique enhances the theme of love and conflict. Students will submit their annotated copy with the three elements clearly labeled for each quotation.

   Exit ticket

   In exactly two sentences, explain why Clarke uses the word 'confrontation' in the second stanza rather than a softer word like 'request' or 'question' — what does that word choice tell us about how she sees the mother–daughter dynamic at this moment in the poem?

2. Lesson 2: Writing the Relationship: Exam-Style Response to 'Catrin'

   55 min · ch. 1

   Do now

   Without re-reading the poem, jot down from memory: one quote from the first stanza, one quote from the second stanza, and the theme you believe links them. After that, exchange with the person next to you and verify if their two quotes are present in the poem — fix any misquoted words.

   Teacher input

   Project the exam question: 'How does Clarke present the relationship between mother and daughter in "Catrin"?'

   Model the opening two sentences of a high-band paragraph using the phrase 'I can / Let her go' (end of the poem): 'Clarke's final hesitation — "I can / Let her go" — is interrupted by a line break that captures the mother's uncertainty on the page, making the reader pause mid-permission just as she does. This structural choice turns what could be a straightforward act of consent into a vivid portrayal of the poem's central conflict: the mother's love is deeply intertwined with her reluctance to let go.'

   Independent task

   Students need to write a complete exam-style response consisting of three to four paragraphs, roughly 300–400 words, to the question: "How does Clarke present the relationship between mother and daughter in 'Catrin'?" Each paragraph should include at least one embedded quotation, identify the technique Clarke employs, and explain how that technique enhances the portrayal of their relationship. Students are required to discuss both stanzas and incorporate the terms 'tension' or 'conflict' at least once, referencing a specific moment in the poem. Responses should be submitted at the end of the lesson and will be assessed based on the rubric provided at the beginning.

   Exit ticket

   Write one sentence that completes this stem without using the words 'shows' or 'describes': 'In "Catrin", Clarke uses ___ to present the mother–daughter relationship as ___.' Your sentence must contain a named technique and a specific quotation from the poem.

Activities

Assessment

• Do-Now timeline (Lesson 1): checking whether students can distinguish the poem's two time frames before any teaching.
• Pair annotation check during Rope Metaphor Unpacking: teacher circulates to confirm students are naming techniques, not just paraphrasing.
• Exit Ticket (Lesson 1): looking for the specific word 'confrontation' and a plausible explanation of Clarke's deliberate diction choice rather than a general comment about conflict.
• Do-Now memory quotation check (Lesson 2): revealing whether students have retained accurate wording from the poem or are misquoting — a key exam skill.
• Exit Ticket (Lesson 2): checking that students can name a technique and embed a quotation in a single grammatical sentence without using the vague verbs 'shows' or 'describes'.

Standards covered

Common Core 11 12

• RL.11-12.1 — Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
• RL.11-12.4 — Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyse the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone.
• RL.11-12.5 — Analyse how an author's choices concerning how to structure specific parts of a text contribute to its overall structure and meaning.
• W.11-12.9 — Draw evidence from literary texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

AP Literature

• Literary Argumentation (LAN-1) — Explain the function of word choice, imagery, and extended metaphor in conveying meaning.
• Figurative Language (FIG-1) — Analyse how Clarke's 'rope of love' metaphor and its recurrence across stanzas develops the poem's central tension.
• Structure and Form (STR-1) — Explain how enjambment and caesura in 'Catrin' contribute to the speaker's emotional state and the poem's thematic concerns.
• Character and Narration (NAR-1) — Analyse how the first-person speaker's shifting perspective across two time frames shapes the reader's understanding of the mother–daughter relationship.

AQA

• AO1 — Read, understand and respond to texts, maintaining a critical style and developing an informed personal response, using textual references including quotations to support and illustrate interpretations.
• AO2 — Analyse the language, form and structure used by Clarke to create meanings and effects, using relevant subject terminology such as metaphor, enjambment and caesura.
• AO3 — Show understanding of the relationships between 'Catrin' and its contexts, including Clarke's position within the Welsh poetry in English tradition and the 1970s confessional mode.

Edexcel

• AO1 — Articulate informed, personal and creative responses to 'Catrin', using associated concepts and terminology and coherent, accurate written expression.
• AO2 — Analyse ways in which meanings are shaped in 'Catrin', with particular attention to Clarke's use of extended metaphor, structural echo across stanzas, and the effects of line breaks.
• AO4 — Explore connections across literary texts, including connections between 'Catrin' and other poems presenting parent–child relationships.