Written by Gillian Clarke, ‘Catrin’ is a poem which conveys the intense yet tremendously loving relationship between a mother and her child. The poem seems to display a rather personal relationship between Gillian Clarke and her existing daughter Catrin. However, the name ‘Catrin’ is only mentioned in the title which noticeably puts it into paramount importance however allows the poem to be universal. The fact that no names are mentioned at all throughout the poem may convey the idea that the scenario described may be common amongst mothers and their children; this stresses the poem being universal and relatable to anyone. The poem conveys love to be an extremely powerful emotion and one in which arguments will be present; as she ultimately conveys love as a permanent emotion.

The poem strongly stresses the idea of unconditional love. This bonded and unchanging love is the most common amongst children and their parents, and is clearly accentuated in this poem. While the first stanza describes the birth of the child, set in the past; the second stanza is a jump from that stage to a point where the child has now become a teenager. We can tell this by contrasting the first line ‘’I can remember you, child’’ with ‘’Still I am fighting/ You off, as you stand there.’’ This juxtaposition between the two verses and the huge leap leaves the reader wondering what may have happened in between. However, the main idea emphasised is that the love is unchanging no matter how many