Afternoons

Question 1

Themes

Answer 1

Nature
Time 
Love and Relationships
Places
Death/Grief/Loss

Question 2

Themes of Nature

Answer 2

He recalls the ideas of “summer fading” and the new natural aspects of autumn arriving and comparing them to young children and their ability to love. He also talks about how Nature could protect them as their parents don’t.

Question 3

Quotes about Nature

Answer 3

• “Summer is fading”
• “The leaves fall in ones and twos”
• “Trees bordering the new recreation ground”
• “Unripe acorns”

Question 4

Themes of Time

Answer 4

He compares the changing of seasons to the ageing of children and how they grow up to find lovers and loose their innocence.

Question 5

Quotes about Time

Answer 5

• “Summer is fading”
• “Setting free their children”
• “And albums lettered Our Wedding lying near the television
• “(But the lovers are all in school)”
• “so intent on finding more unripe acorns”

Question 6

Themes of Love

Answer 6

He talks about how parents (specifically working class) are allowing their children to loose their innocence so young, even when in school still. He also makes references to the devaluing of marriage and how love is taken for granted more in the modern day

Question 7

Quotes about Love

Answer 7

• “Fall in ones and twos”
• “Young mothers assemble”
• “Behind them, at intervals stand husbands in skilled trades”
• “An estateful of washing”
• “And the albums lettered Our Wedding lying nest to the television”
• “Ruining their courting places”
• “But the lovers are all in school”
• “Finding more unripe acorns”
• “Expect to be taken home”
• “Their beauty has thickened”
• “Something is pushing them o the side of their own lives”

Question 8

Themes of Places

Answer 8

References a park and is set in autumn time.

Question 9

Quotes about Places

Answer 9

• “The new recreation ground”
• “At swing and sandpit setting free their children”
• “The wind is ruining their courting places”
• “That are still courting places”

Question 10

Themes of Death

Answer 10

Larkin focuses on the ageing of everyday people, as time moves on. He talks about the ageing of young mothers as their own children grow up, and the cyclical nature of life as it continues on and on.

Question 11

Quotes about Death

Answer 11

• “summer is fading”
• “the hollows of afternoons”
• “young mothers”
• “setting free their children”
• “courting places” childish
• “something is pushing them to the side f their own lives

Question 12

Context

Answer 12

Larkin was an influential 20th century poet who focused on celebrating the ordinary and making in depth observations about everyday life. His tone is seen to be somewhat melancholic but he is writing about what seems to be unimportant and boring, but celebrating it

Question 13

Structure

Answer 13

“Our wedding” lying near the television, enjombment to show how it is not as important

Question 14

Structure

Answer 14

“Our wedding” lying near the television, enjombment to show how it is not as important