walking away

• it's eighteen years ago- a sunny day with leaves just turning 


  • specific temporal deixis shows importance of the day
  • pathetic falacy alluding to change and developement through seasonal change
• like a satellite wrenched from its orbit, drifting away 


  • contrast between drifting and wrenched shows fathers reluctance in comparison to son being ready to embrace independence
  • similie introduces semantic field of space: thematically links to exploration and developement
• like a winged seed loosened from its parent stem


  • natural imagery: seed part of plants reproductive system, son starting his own family?
  • emphasises son as uncontrollable entity- father no longer has control over his sons actions
• the small, the scorching ordeals which fire ones irresolute clay


  • clay symbolic of sons socialisation within home and institutions such as school and the justice system
  • images humans as a malleable thing, changed by the environment they are subjected to through their childhood: painful events can be permanent and leave painful marks
  • alternative approach: pain needed to grow
• i have had worse partings but none that so gnaws at my mind 


  • father finds seperation from his son painful and causes him to reflect upon it. it's ambiguous wether he experiences regret or not
  • gnaws is animalistic imagery which shows uncontrollable nature of sadness
• love is proved in letting go 


  • conclusion centres around acceptance and aknowledgement that just becuase son is growing doesnt mean their love is dissapearing, just changing
• structure

  • ABACA rhyming scheme: stable structure contrasts to theme of change, could also reflect stability of paternal love
  • repition of "away" in each stanza mirrors growing distance between father and son
  • direct adress "you" places reader in sons role, engaging reader + making them reflect on their own family
• form

  • lyrical: range of adverbs+ adjectives creates vivid image of his pain and reflection