Afternoons Flashcards
Who was Afternoons by?
Philip Larkin
When was Afternoons written?
1950s
What are some context points about Philip Larkin?
- English poet, novelist and librarian
- Home schooled until he was 8 by his mother
- Had few friends or close relationship in early life
- Unsuccessful in love
- Known for being solitary
- Wrote of everyday life and had a cynical view
- Gender roles were more defined in the 60s
- His poems were cynical and miserable
What is significant about the title of Afternoons?
The pluralisation of Afternoons suggests everyday is the same, creating monotony. Afternoons is after the peak of the day, suggests the people in the poem are past their prime
“Summer is…
…fading”
“the leaves…
…fall in ones and twos”
“trees bordering…
…the new recreation ground”
“hollows of…
…afternoons Young mothers assemble”
“Setting free…
…their children”
“Behind them…
…at intervals, Stand husbands in skilled trades”
“An estateful…
…of washing”
“Our Wedding…
…lying”
“Before them…
…the wind is ruining their courting places”
“(lovers are…
…all in school)”
“unripe…
…acorns”
“Expect…
…to be taken home.”
“Their beauty…
…has thickened”
“Something is…
…pushing them to the side of their own lives.”
What is the significance of the structure of Afternoons?
Regular stanzas suggests everyday life is always the same
What is Afternoons about?
Larkin writes about the monotonous lives of young mothers, deriding normal everyday life and criticising how marriage and children can have negative impacts on women
