Understanding ideas of time, family, and pessimism in Larkin's 'Afternoons'
I can explain what I think ‘Afternoons’ is about and support my opinion with evidence.
Understanding ideas of time, family, and pessimism in Larkin's 'Afternoons'
I can explain what I think ‘Afternoons’ is about and support my opinion with evidence.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- Larkin arguably presents us with a cynical view of family life in the poem.
- This cynicism could be reflective of his mother’s attitudes towards marriage, which she shared with Larkin
- The passage of time is a key theme in the poem; Larkin arguably presents time as a threat to the young parents.
- Larkin arguably presents the monotony of family life as unfulfilling and arduous.
- Larkin presents the young couples as emotionally-distant, their responsibilities have forced them apart.
Keywords
Pessimistic - seeing the worst in things or people and believing that the worst will happen
Cynicism - being distrustful of people - believing the worst about their intentions and their integrity
To stifle - to restrict or restrain something
To dilute - to make something weaker
To expose - to uncover or reveal the truth about something
Common misconception
Students often think that Larkin must have had a hostile relationship with his family because of this poem and some of his other poems.
Larkin didn't have a hostile relationship with his parents - he was just a cynical man who held quite bleak views. This doesn't mean he hated his parents - he just recognised that people are products of their own parents.
To help you plan your year 10 english lesson on: Understanding ideas of time, family, and pessimism in Larkin's 'Afternoons', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 10 english lesson on: Understanding ideas of time, family, and pessimism in Larkin's 'Afternoons', 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.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 4 english lessons from the Poetry anthology unit, dive into the full secondary english curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
Equipment
You will need access to a copy of the Eduqas poetry anthology for this lesson.
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
believing that the worst will happen
being distrustful of people's intentions
to restrict or restrain something
to make something weaker
to uncover or reveal the truth about something