Understanding the poem ‘Walking Away’ by Cecil Day-Lewis
I can explain how Cecil Day-Lewis conveys the significance of a past parting between the speaker and their child.
Understanding the poem ‘Walking Away’ by Cecil Day-Lewis
I can explain how Cecil Day-Lewis conveys the significance of a past parting between the speaker and their child.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Lesson details
Key learning 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.
- 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.
Keywords
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 misconception
Some pupils may think the parent and child never spoke or saw each other again after this moment in the poem.
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.
To help you plan your year 10 english lesson on: Understanding the poem ‘Walking Away’ by Cecil Day-Lewis, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 10 english lesson on: Understanding the poem ‘Walking Away’ by Cecil Day-Lewis, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
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The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
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Explore more key stage 4 english lessons from the 'Love and Relationships' unit, dive into the full secondary english curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
Equipment
You will need access to the poem 'Walking Away' by Cecil Day-Lewis. This can be found in the AQA Love and Relationships Poetry Anthology.
Content guidance
- Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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