Afternoons Flashcards
What is it about
Young mothers are described, watching their children as they play on the swings
Who is the poet
Philip Larkin
‘Summer is fading’
Seasons changing. The best (summer) is gone- youth.
Happiness is coming to an end.
‘Young mothers assemble’
Not actually old, suggest it’s a ritual. They have to attend. Not meet which would suggest they want to be there.
‘Our wedding, lying near the television’
Emptiness in domestic life. Had a romantic wedding, but it’s now shut in album. Not really looked at, but on display.
‘Expect to be taken home’
There to serve their children. Suggests children make demands on their mothers, they have no choice
‘Something is pushing them to the side of their own lives’
Lack of control over their own lives- just there to serve others.
What are the three different stanzas about
1) mothers assemble
2) how their lives have changed
3) they’re getting old
