Year 10 - English
Analysing ideas of time and loss of innocence in Larkin's 'Afternoons'
Poetry anthology (Assessment until summer 2026)
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
In this unit, pupis explore 14 of the 18 poems from the Eduqas poetry anthology. Pupils complete two lessons about each poem: one on understanding and one on analysis. Pupils study the poems in a thematically linked order so they can complete comparative and thematic lessons during the unit.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to analyse how Larkin presents the themes of a loss of innocence and the passage of time in 'Afternoons'.
Key Notes
- Larkin presents the young couples as having lost their youthfulness as a result of having children.
- Larkin arguably presents the responsibility of having a child as burdensome in the poem.
- The title could reflect that these couples are in the 'afternoon' of their lives, creating a pitiful tone.
- Larkin uses contrasting tones in the first stanza, perhaps to reflect the expectation vs the reality of having a child.
- Larkin's ominous and, at times, foreboding tone could represent time creeping up on the young couples.
Vocabulary To Learn
- cynical: being distrustful of people - believing the worst about their intentions and their integrity
- burdensome: undesirably restrictive
- tone: how the writer conveys their attitude towards their subject matter
- foreboding: giving the sense that something bad is going to happen
- autonomy: a person's freedom and independence
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Students often want to be told the 'right' answer in English and think there is a right answer for every question.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain this English learning goal in two key points.
Larkin presents the young couples as having lost their youthfulness as a result of having children. Larkin arguably presents the responsibility of having a child as burdensome in the poem.
2. Define this language term and use it in a sentence. 'cynical'
being distrustful of people - believing the worst about their intentions and their integrity.
3. Correct this common English misunderstanding.
Mistake: Students often want to be told the 'right' answer in English and think there is a right answer for every question. Correction: There are no 'right' answers in this lesson - this lesson asks students to consider different possibilities and interpretations and to make up their own minds about the poem.
More Lessons In This Unit
- Analysing 'Cozy Apologia' by Rita Dove Study Guide
- Analysing 'Valentine' by Carol Ann Duffy Study Guide
- Analysing Brooke's presentation of England and patriotism in 'The Soldier' Study Guide
- Analysing Hardy's presentation of the consequences of war in 'A Wife in London' Study Guide
- Analysing how Armitage presents the effects of war in 'The Manhunt' Study Guide
- Analysing how Browning presents love in 'Sonnet 43' Study Guide
- Analysing how Byron presents the woman in 'She Walks in Beauty' Study Guide
- Analysing how Hughes presents the power of nature in 'Hawk Roosting' Study Guide
- Analysing how Owen presents the realities of war in 'Dulce et Decorum Est' Study Guide
- Analysing how Sheers presents the brutality and legacy of war in 'Mametz Wood' Study Guide
- Analysing ideas of community and faith in Dharker's 'Living Space' Study Guide
- Analysing ideas of power and conflict in Blake's 'London' Study Guide
- Analysing model answers on poetry from the Eduqas anthology Study Guide
- Analysing the concept of power in Shelley's 'Ozymandias' Study Guide
- Comparing how poets explore relationships in the Eduqas anthology Study Guide
- Comparing how poets explore the experience of war in the Eduqas anthology Study Guide
- Considering the context of Sheers' 'Mametz Wood' and the futility of war Study Guide
- Critical attitudes to powerful institutions in 'London' and 'Ozymandias' Study Guide
- Developing interpretations of 'The Manhunt' with Simon Armitage Study Guide
- Exploring the Eduqas poetry anthology Study Guide
- Planning a written response on poetry from the Eduqas anthology Study Guide
- Understanding 'Cozy Apologia' by Rita Dove Study Guide
- Understanding 'Valentine' by Carol Ann Duffy Study Guide
- Understanding how Armitage presents the effects of war in 'The Manhunt' Study Guide
- Understanding how Hardy presents the consequences of war in 'A Wife in London' Study Guide
- Understanding how Hughes presents the power of nature in 'Hawk Roosting' Study Guide
- Understanding how the woman is presented in Byron's 'She Walks in Beauty' Study Guide
- Understanding ideas of community and resilience in Dharker's 'Living Space' Study Guide
- Understanding ideas of patriotism and optimism in Brooke's 'The Soldier' Study Guide
- Understanding ideas of power and corruption in Blake's 'London' Study Guide
- Understanding ideas of time, family, and pessimism in Larkin's 'Afternoons' Study Guide
- Understanding the connections between Romanticism and Shelley's 'Ozymandias' Study Guide
- Understanding the presentation of love in Browning's 'Sonnet 43' Study Guide
- Understanding the realities of war in Owen's 'Dulce et Decorum Est' Study Guide
- Writing excellent comparative essays on poetry from the Eduqas anthology Study Guide
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