Walking Away By C. Day-Lewis

Cecil Day-Lewis (1904-72) is best known for being Great Britain’s Poet Laureate from 1968 until his death and for being the father of renowned actor Daniel Day-Lewis. However, one of his most memorable poems, “Walking Away”, is about Sean, Day-Lewis’s son from his first marriage. Sean was born in 1931 and “Walking Away” was written in 1956, the year before Daniel Day-Lewis (son of Cecil’s second wife, the actress Jill Balcon) was born.

Basic Critical Essay How does C-Day Lewis present loss/relationships/nature in this poem?

Plan Paragraph 1: Introduction TARTS Paragraph 2: time/changes – connotations of Autumn, new school year Paragraph 3: the unnatural state of separation Paragraph 4: vulnerability of his son Paragraph 5: the use of nature – lifecycle Paragraph 6: conclusion TARTS plus personal response Plan

TOPIC SENTENCES

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Time/changes The poet begins with his recollection of the moment he felt the relationship with his son change. He recalls that it was Autumn and the beginning of the school year. The poet makes clear his feelings of loss through his reference to time in the first stanza. The poet highlights the importance of his relationship with his son by reflecting on a distant memory. Through his refenece to Autumn, the poet underlines his feelings about the day his son went off to school.