Walking Away

• Imagery

  • Pathetic fallacy (" leaves just turning ")
  • Natural imagery (" winged seed ", " irresolute clay ")
  • Spatial imagery ( "wrenched from its orbit" , "drifting away" )
• "hesitant figure"


  Refers to the speaker's son, despite the poem being addressed to him

  Son is unsure of letting go
• Structure

  • Consistent ABACA rhyming scheme --> contrasting the theme of change and individual development (Evidence: "day/[...]turning,/[...]play/[...]satellite/[...]away")
• "And love is proved in letting go"


  Resolution - acknowledges that love changes rather than disappearing and his love can be expressed by allowing his child to leave
• "like a satellite/ Wrenched from its orbit, go drifting away"

  • 'satellite', 'orbit' - semantic field of space links to exploration and development --> child becomes independent
  • 'wrenched', 'drifting' - contrast in verbs suggests father is reluctant but son is ready to be independent
• "a half-fledged thing set free"

  • Metaphor - comparing his son to a young bird
  • Nature imagery - father implies son is too young to leave
• "Like a winged seed loosened from its parent stem"


  natural imagery & personification - 'seeds' = plant's reproductive system --> starting a new family