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Year 10 - English

Understanding the poem 'Walking Away' by Cecil Day-Lewis

'Love and Relationships'

Unit Summary

In this unit, pupis explore 12 of the 15 poems from the 'Love and Relationships' anthology. Pupils complete two lessons about each poem: one on understanding and one on analysis. Pupils study the poems in four groups, and they pause after each group to compare how those poems present common themes.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to explain how Cecil Day-Lewis conveys the significance of a past parting between the speaker and their child.

Key Notes

  • The speaker, a father, reminisces on the moment their child left to go to school after his first football match.
  • The speaker feels apprehensive about this parting, worrying the son is not ready.
  • The moment of separation was not the worst the speaker has experienced, but was the most impactful.
  • The speaker acknowledges and accepts that letting a child experience independence is a crucial part of parenting.
  • The poem is semi-autobiographical and Day-Lewis originally dedicated it to his eldest son, Sean.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • reminisces: recalls past events or experiences, often with nostalgia or sentimentality
  • insecurities: feelings of doubt, uncertainty, or inadequacy about oneself or one's abilities
  • pathetic fallacy: using descriptions of natural elements to emphasise a particular mood or emotion
  • independent clause: contains a subject and verb, expressing a complete thought that can stand alone as a sentence
  • dependent clause: contains a subject and verb but cannot stand alone as a sentence

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • Some pupils may think the parent and child never spoke or saw each other again after this moment in the poem.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

1. Explain this English learning goal in two key points.

The speaker, a father, reminisces on the moment their child left to go to school after his first football match. The speaker feels apprehensive about this parting, worrying the son is not ready.

2. Define this language term and use it in a sentence. 'reminisces'

recalls past events or experiences, often with nostalgia or sentimentality.

3. Correct this common English misunderstanding.

Mistake: Some pupils may think the parent and child never spoke or saw each other again after this moment in the poem. Correction: The separation described in the poem isn't just physical but rather emotional. Day-Lewis describes a moment where the speaker feels like they lost a part of their son because he had grown up and gained his independence.

More Lessons In This Unit

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