Understanding 'Walking Away'
I can explain how Cecil Day-Lewis conveys the significance of a past parting between the speaker and their child.
Understanding 'Walking Away'
I can explain how Cecil Day-Lewis conveys the significance of a past parting between the speaker and their child.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- The speaker, a father, reminisces on the moment their child left to go to school after his first football match.
- The speaker feels apprehensive about this parting, worrying the son is not ready.
- The moment of separation was not the worst the speaker has experienced, but was the most impactful.
- The speaker acknowledges and accepts that letting a child experience independence is a crucial part of parenting.
- The poem is semi-autobiographical and Day-Lewis originally dedicated it to his eldest son, Sean.
Common misconception
The parent and child never spoke or saw each other again after this moment.
The separation described in the poem isn't just physical but rather emotional. Day-Lewis describes a moment where the speaker feels like they lost a part of their son because he had grown up and gained his independence.
Keywords
Reminisces - recalls past events or experiences, often with nostalgia or sentimentality
Insecurities - feelings of doubt, uncertainty, or inadequacy about oneself or one's abilities
Pathetic fallacy - using descriptions of natural elements to emphasise a particular mood or emotion
Independent clause - contains a subject and verb, expressing a complete thought that can stand alone as a sentence
Dependent clause - contains a subject and verb but cannot stand alone as a sentence
Equipment
AQA Love and Relationships poetry anthology for GCSE.
Content guidance
- Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).
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