Partings - Walking away / When We Two parted

Question 1

Umbrella sentence

Answer 1

Whilst ‘Walking Away’ deals with a father’s pain at parting from his son, ‘When We Two parted’ describes the pain of a romantic parting.

Question 2

TS1

Answer 2

In both poems, the speakers recall memories of the pain of parting, which still haunts them.

Question 3

TS2

Answer 3

Both poets use vivid imagery to describe their feelings about parting from loved ones.

Question 4

TS3

Answer 4

However, whilst Byron’s speaker still feels distress, Day-Lewis’ speaker becomes philosophical about the parting.

Question 5

‘eighteen years ago…I can see/you walking away’ - Walking away

Answer 5

L= present tense even though in past – memory still vivid and painful. Structure: line break separates pronouns - emphasizes son parting from father. Direct address to son – suggests feelings unresolved in speaker.

Question 6

‘Pale grew thy cheek and cold/Colder thy kiss’ - When We Two parted

Answer 6

L = the comparative adjective intensifies her emotionally cold feelings for him, suggesting that her love for him has died.

Question 7

‘Gnaws at my mind still’ - Walking away

Answer 7

L = powerful verb suggests ongoing pain and guilt at leaving his parting from his son. Caesura emphasizes impact of parting.
R = sympathy for father’s pain.
C = Day=Lewis dedicated the poem to his son Sean; he divorced Sean’s mother and left the family home.
D = on a deeper level, about his guilt at leaving the family, not just leaving his son at boarding school.

Question 8

‘A knell to mine ear…long, long shall I rue thee’ - When We Two parted

Answer 8

L = metaphor. Hearing her name is like a death knell, reminding him of the death of their relationship.
L= repetition and assonance of ‘long’ emphasizes long-lasting nature of his regret at loving her.

Question 9

‘eddying…like a winged seed loosed from its parent stem’ - Walking away

‘pathos of a half-fledged thing’ - Walking away

‘like a satellite wrenched from its orbit’ - Walking away

Answer 9

L = simile. A seed (child) must become independent from its parent if it is to grow. Verb ‘eddying’ suggests child is vulnerable; no clear direction. Must find its own path.

L= emotive metaphor. Son = vulnerable. Not ready to become independent.
R = pity for him.

L = simile. Verb = painful. Not ready for parting. Son’s life’s revolved around him.

Question 10

‘I hear thy name spoken/And share in its shame’ - When We Two parted

Answer 10

L  = alliteration and hissing sibilance emphasizes his shame at hearing her name and in having an affair with her. 
C = Subject of poem = Frances Webster, a married woman with whom Byron had an affair. Despite the fact Byron had many affairs, as a woman in a patriarchal society, she is judged more harshly for her behaviour.

Question 11

‘What God alone could perfectly show…love is proved in the letting go’ - When We Two parted

Answer 11

C/L = Christian reference to God, who let his son Jesus go and be crucified for the good of mankind.
Speaker acknowledges his imperfection, but also the necessity of proving his love for his son by letting him go, and become independent.

Question 12

Structure

‘Drifting away/ behind a scatter of boys’ - Walking away

‘silence and tears’ - When We Two parted

Answer 12

– enjambment across line break emphasizes son’s growing independence as he moves away from his father but also his father’s desire to hold on to him (there is no end stopped line)

• repeated at beginning and ending of poem. Structurally, this emphasizes his inability to move on from their parting emotionally.