Walking Away By Cecil Day-lewis

Question 1

What is the poem about?

Answer 1

A father remembers watching his son play his first game of football
Father worries about the son
Memory of the day still deeply affects the father years after
Comes to realise it is just the natural process

Question 2

“A sunny day with leaves just turning”

Answer 2

Pathetic fallacy-summer to autumn to reflect the son growing up and moving onwards

Question 3

“Like a satellite

Wrenched from its orbit, go drifting away”

Answer 3

Enjambment puts the unexpected word “wrenched” at the start of the line, emphasises it
Reflects the father sudden feel of pain and separation
“Satellite” emphasises the father isn’t the centre of the sons life anymore

Question 4

“Half-fledged thing set free

Into a wilderness”

Answer 4

Bird metaphor- father fears for his son

“Wilderness” suggest hostile place

Question 5

“Gnaws at my mind still”

Answer 5

“Gnaws” animalistic and vicious-father is still affected

Question 6

“Love is proved by letting go”

Answer 6

Conclusion, understands the pain

Question 7

Form of the poem

Answer 7

First person narrator -emphasises that it is personal experience
Use of enjambment and caesura contributes to the rhyme of the poem, natural speech
Regular ABACA rhyme scheme-steadiness of parental love

Question 8

Structure of poem

Answer 8

First two stanzas=memories
Final two stanzas=reflects on the memory ,still pains him
Final two lines=conclusion

Question 9

Natural imagery in the poem

Answer 9

Presents the father’s growing understanding that his son walking away from him is natural
Sees his son as vulnerable

Question 10

Language about pain in the poem

Answer 10

“Wrenched”,”scorching”,”gnaws”

Show how the process is traumatic for the father as well as the son