Walking away

• "Eighteen years ago, almost to the day"
• "Like a satellite wrenched from its orbit"
• "That hesitant figure"
• "Like a winged seed loosened from its parent's stem"
• "Love is proven in letting go"
• published in 1962 by Cecil Day Lewis
• About his 7 year old son's first day at school
• The poem uses vivid imagery to convey the emotions of both the child and parent during this difficult time.
• It also touches on themes of identity, growth and independence.
• The poem explores the theme of separation, loss and love.
• "The small, the scorching Ordeals which fire one's irresolute clay"
• "A sunny day with the leaves just turning"
• Who is the poet of "Walking Away"?

  1. Day-Lewis
• What is the main theme of the poem "Walking Away"?

  The struggle of letting go
• When was C. Day-Lewis born?

  April 1904
• When did C. Day-Lewis die?

  1972
• Where was C. Day-Lewis born?

  In Ireland
• What position did C. Day-Lewis hold at Oxford?

  Professor of Poetry
• In what year was "Walking Away" published?

  1962
• What collection includes the poem "Walking Away"?

  The Gate
• How does the poet describe the moment of his son going to school?

  As a significant moment in his life
• What does the poem "Walking Away" primarily explore?

  The parent-child relationship
• What metaphor is used to describe the son drifting away?

  Like a satellite wrenched from its orbit
• What does the poet compare his son’s walking away to?

  A half fledged thing set free
• What does the poet struggle to understand about nature?

  How nature gives and takes
• What does the poet imply about love in the poem?

  Love is proved in the letting go
• What structural feature reflects the father's control over his son?

  The ordered quintets of five lines
• What rhyme scheme is used in "Walking Away"?

  ABAC
• How does enjambment function in the poem?

  It signifies a shift in the relationship
• What does the use of caesura in the poem indicate?

  The father's loss of control
• What does the ending of the poem suggest about the father's acceptance?

  He learns to accept the lack of control
• What is the significance of the final lines of the poem?

  They highlight the importance of letting go
• What imagery is used to convey danger in the poem?

  The satellite wrenched from its orbit
• What does the poet mean by "selfhood begins with a walking away"?

  Independence starts when letting go
• How does the poem "Walking Away" compare to "Before You Were Mine"?

  Both explore sacrificial parental love
• What is a key theme in both "Walking Away" and "Mother Any Distance"?

  How relationships change over time
• What is the significance of the title "Walking Away"?

  It reflects the theme of letting go
• How does the poem impact the poet emotionally?

  It evokes feelings of nostalgia and loss
• What role does nature play in the poem's themes?

  It symbolizes growth and independence
• How does the father's emotional journey unfold in the poem?

  He struggles with letting go of his son