afternoons by philip larkin - lornshill...

‘Afternoons’ by

Philip Larkin

Pupil Unit

Includes Formative Assessment Strategies

Selected Poems for Higher English – Pupil Unit ‘Afternoons’ By Philip Larkin

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Critical Essay: Poetry

‘Afternoons’

by

Philip Larkin

By the end of this Unit you will be able to write Critical Essays on the poem ‘Afternoons’. You will be able to write relevantly about the central concern(s)/theme(s) of the poem and be able to support your views by reference to appropriate poetic techniques. You will learn about/revise the following techniques:

Tone

Word Choice Structure

Symbolism


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You will be able to adapt your knowledge of the central concerns/themes of the poem and the techniques used to answer questions which ask you to choose a poem…

‘…which you feel is particularly relevant to a teenage audience.’

‘… in which … a seemingly unimportant incident acquires increased significance by the end of the poem.’

‘… which reflects on the idea of change.’

‘… on the subject of love.’

‘…in which the poet explores the significance of the passage of time.’

Activities in this unit are designed to be performed in classroom

conditions involving discussion, peer assessment and written

assignment. The teacher will facilitate the lessons and discussions

giving appropriate advice and modelling when appropriate.


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Philip Larkin (1922 - 1985)

Philip Larkin was educated at St John's College, Oxford. By profession, he was a University Librarian. Winner of the Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry in 1965, he was also honorary D.Litt of Belfast University. At the time of his death, he was Poet Laureate. His particular strength lay in great technical mastery and control. His attitudes have often been condemned, but, as ever, the reader must form her/his own opinions of Larkin's poetry.

Characteristics of Larkin' s Poetry

Larkin's poems show a similarity of themes, techniques and attitudes.

Themes

Seemingly the trivia of life as suggested by the titles - but, in his poems, Larkin is seriously concerned with the failures, frustrations and emptiness of people's lives.

Detachment

Larkin does not become emotionally involved. He experiences or observes, he reflects and he comments. In all his poetry, he shows little emotion and often appears to be completely detached from his subject.

Techniques

o His poems, generally, are similarly structured: he begins with an

observation or description of an experience; moves on to reflect on this description and finally makes a statement which can be universally applied.

o Larkin's poems are written in stanzas and have a regular pattern of rhyme.

o Larkin likes and has a great command of the traditional metrical forms

(rhythm). He frequently makes use of iambic pentameter (the common rhythm) which allows him to make use of a conversational style in much of his poetry.

o Some of the expressions in his poetry seem to be 'unpoetical' but are used

by Larkin for particular, and to good, effect.

o Another feature of his poetry is economy of language: he is able to convey a wealth of ideas through a single word or well-chosen phrase (connotation).


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‘Afternoons’

Philip Larkin

Summer is fading: The leaves fall in ones and twos From trees bordering The new recreation ground. In the hollows of afternoons Young mothers assemble At swing and sandpit Setting free their children.

Behind them, at intervals, Stand husbands in skilled trades, An estateful of washing, And the albums, lettered Our Wedding, lying Near the television: Before them, the wind Is ruining their courting-places

That are still courting-places (But the lovers are all in school), And their children, so intent on Finding more unripe acorns, Expect to be taken home. Their beauty has thickened. Something is pushing them To the side of their own lives.

http://plagiarist.com/poetry/poets/446/


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The central concern(s)/theme(s) of ‘Afternoons’

At beginning of poem, what does Larkin observe – describe what he sees.

List the chores which the young mothers must complete in a day and explain what Larkin is saying about their lives.

Finally, try to figure out the message of Larkin’s poem – what is he actually saying about marriage/motherhood?


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Focus of Close Analysis

‘the scene set by Larkin and how Larkin has conveyed the

ordinariness of the scene through word choice and symbolism.’


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The task we are going to concentrate on as we examine Larkin’s poem is:

Choose a poem in which a chance encounter or seemingly unimportant incident acquires increased significance by the end of the poem.

Show how the poet's development of the encounter or incident leads you to a deeper understanding of the poem's theme.

(Higher English 2004)

Pupil ‘Afternoons’ by Philip Larkin

First we are going to examine the scene set by Larkin and how Larkin has conveyed the ordinariness of the scene through word choice and symbolism. Larkin often begins his poems with a description of a scene he has observed

and ‘Afternoons’ is no exception. His description of mothers and children in a playground is dreary and uneventful (seemingly unimportant incident) and this is made clear to us in his lexical choice and use of symbolism.

Working with a partner, complete the table below. Model your responses on the two that have been done for you.

Context/ Understanding

Evidence/Quote Analysis/ Evaluation/ Personal Response

The title of the poem suggests that it will deal with something fairly ordinary.

‘Afternoons’ Note use of plural – many afternoons – not just one. Routine/monotonous/dreary

First line of poem sets scene at end of summer/ continued in leaves falling from trees to show beginning of autumn.

‘Summer is fading.’

Seasons of year often used as symbols of stages in life – suggestion that mothers are growing older. Use of ‘fading’ – growing dimmer/less beautiful/ vanishing – like the mother’s beauty. Connected to first line of poem.

Larkin sets the poem in a very ordinary playground – newly built

‘The new recreation ground’ Hint Comment on the connotations of ‘re-creation’.


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Larkin observes the mothers allowing their children to play on the playground equipment – very ordinary scene

‘In the hollows of afternoons Young mothers assemble At swing and sandpit Setting free their children.’

Hint

Comment [cc1]: ‘hollow’ ‘assemble’ ‘setting free’ – comment on word choice. Why has poet used enjambment?


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Mini-essay Task

Describe the scene set by Larkin and explain how he has conveyed the ordinariness of the scene through word choice and symbolism.

Mini Essay Your teacher will model how you should use the information from one of the rows of the table to suit a “line of thought” and how you should link the information ensuring that whenever a statement is made there should be analytical and evaluative comment made

The following can be done in pairs, each pair taking one or two rows from the table:

Write your paragraphs and swap with another pair or group. The other group should consider whether anything else can be added. Use your notes from the template to help you. Your mini-essay should show understanding (context), reference to the text

(quote) and evaluative response (analysis and personal comment). Examine the model below to see how you can structure and link your ideas in your response to the task above:-

Topic Sentence

Larkin often begins his poems with a description of a scene he has observed and ‘Afternoons’ is no exception. His description of mothers and children in a playground is dreary and uneventful – a very ordinary scene.


The first line of poem sets the scene at the end of summer and the onset of autumn is continued in the description of the leaves dropping from the trees:

Evidence/Quote ‘Summer is fading.’

Analysis/ Evaluation/ Personal Response

Autumn is a dreary season – all signs of life vanish and frequently it is wet and miserable. Often poets use the seasons of the year as symbols of stages in life and Larkin is suggesting that the mothers are growing older, that time is passing for them. His use of ‘fading’ implies that the mothers’ beauty, like the season, is vanishing. The first line of the poem is connected to the title…


… which suggests that the poem will deal with something fairly ordinary:

Evidence/Quote ‘Afternoons’ Analysis/ Evaluation/ Personal Response

While Larkin describes the scene in a playground on one afternoon, the use of the plural in the title makes it clear to us that this scene will be repeated many times: it is routine, monotonous and unexciting.


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Identify 2 areas where you have done well and write them in the stars.

Complete the sentence…

‘I need to improve…

Peer Assessment

How did you get on? Working with a partner, use the checklist below to assess whether or not you have included all necessary information in your mini-essay. If you have used all the information from your table and the model which your teacher provided, you should have very little to improve in your mini-essay.

Context/ Understanding Evidence/Quote Analysis Evaluation PR

‘line of thought’

‘Afternoons’

‘Summer is fading.’

‘The new recreation ground’

‘In the hollows of afternoons Young mothers assemble At swing and sandpit Setting free their children.’

Technical Accuracy

Topic Sentence

Full stops/capital letters used properly

Varied sentence structure

Quotes set out properly

Spelling correct

Linkage used eg In addition/furthermore/moreover/yet etc


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‘The effect of the passage of time on the mothers’ lives and how Larkin has conveyed this through word

choice, tone and structure’


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Now we are going to examine the effect of the passage of time on the mothers’ lives and how Larkin has conveyed this through word choice and tone Larkin often reflects on what lies behind the scene he has

observed/described and ‘Afternoons’ is no exception. He goes on to consider how the passage of time has affected the lives of the young mothers. He reflects that time is not kind to the young mothers: their lives are boring, uneventful, humdrum and devoid of all emotional engagement.

Working with a partner, complete the table below. Model your responses on the two that have been done for you.



Larkin reflects on the lives of the young mothers and suggest that these are uneventful – husbands are tradesmen

‘Behind them, at intervals, Stand husbands in skilled trades,’

Larkin is quite disparaging about their husbands – these are not professionals – they are ‘skilled’ – very boring/dull yet also steady; use of ‘at intervals’ suggests a distance between the women and their men – possible emotional distance. These are effects of passage of time.

Ordinary, humdrum tasks now fill/have taken over the lives of young mothers

‘An estateful of washing’ In one word (economy of language) - ‘estateful’ – the amount of washing (ordinary household tasks) that has to be dealt with is conveyed – very dull/boring/mundane – that is how Larkin sees their lives; wc also conveys Larkin’s disdain – estate – dull, uneventful place to live.


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Larkin suggests that the romance has gone out of the young mothers’ lives by showing that the Wedding Albums are not regarded with great importance/looked after carefully; televion, he suggests, is of similar importance to these women.

‘the albums, lettered Our Wedding, lying Near the television’

Hint

Time and the weather are changing the places these young mothers knew – another generation is ready to follow in their footsteps

‘Before them, the wind Is ruining their courting-places

That are still courting-places (But the lovers are all in school),’

Hint

Their children’s demands disrupt their lives

‘And their children, so intent on Finding more unripe acorns, Expect to be taken home.’

Hint

The mothers are no longer young

‘Their beauty has thickened.’ Hint

Larkin strucures these verses to show passage of time

‘Behind them…: Before them…’

Hint

Comment [cc2]: How does Larkin convey the passage of time and its effects in these lines? Think about connotations of Wedding Album and television. Think about juxtaposition of ideas.

Comment [cc3]: How does Larkin convey the passage of time and its effects in these lines? Think about wc ‘lovers’ and use of parenthesis.

Comment [cc4]: How does Larkin convey the passage of time and its effects in these lines? Look at wc ‘unripe acorns’ and ‘expect’.

Comment [cc5]: How does Larkin convey the passage of time and its effects in these lines? Look at WC – ‘thickened’ – connotations?

Comment [cc6]: How does Larkin convey the passage of time and its effects in these lines? Look at use of punctuation.


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Mini-essay Task Explain the effect of the passage of time on the mothers’ lives and how Larkin has conveyed this through word choice and tone

Mini-Essay Your teacher will model how you should use the information from one of the rows of the table to suit a “line of thought” and how you should link the information ensuring that whenever a statement is made there should be analytical and evaluative comment made.



(quote) and evaluative response (analysis and personal comment). Examine the model below to see how you can structure and link your ideas in your response to the task above:-

Topic Sentence Larkin refects on what actually happens in the lives of the young mothers and how the passage of time affects their lives.


He imagines that these young women have husbands in steady but uninspiring jobs:

Evidence/Quote ‘Behind them, at intervals, Stand husbands in skilled trades,’

Analysis/Evaluation/ Personal Response

Larkin is quite disparaging about their husbands who are not professionals but ‘skilled’. His tone suggests that this is very boring and dull. The use of commas to isolate ‘at intervals’ suggests not only a physical distance between the women and their men but also an emotional distance. This, Larkin considers, is what time does to relationships – renders them meaningless and unrewarding.


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Peer Assessment




‘Behind them, at intervals, Stand husbands in skilled trades,’

‘An estateful of washing’

‘the albums, lettered Our Wedding, lying Near the television’

‘Before them, the wind Is ruining their courting-places

That are still courting-places (But the lovers are all in school),’

‘And their children, so intent on Finding more unripe acorns, Expect to be taken home.’

‘Their beauty has thickened.’


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Identify 2 areas where you have done well and

write them in the stars.



Technical Accuracy

Topic Sentence




Spelling correct

Linkage used eg In addition/furthermore/moreover/yet etc


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‘How Larkin conveys in the last two lines of the poem that young women effectively become

bystanders, onlookers into their own lives, subjugated to the needs/demands of others. ’


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Finally, we are going to examine ‘How Larkin conveys in the last two lines of the poem that young women effectively become bystanders, onlookers into their own lives, subjugated to the needs/demands of others. ’ Larkin often ends his poem with a statement which can be applied not only

to the situation in the poem but to all our lives and ‘Afternoons’ is no exception. He comes to the conclusion that the young mothers have lost control of their lives and have no other purpose but to serve the needs of their families. This is quite a depressing message.

Working with a partner, complete the table below.

Model your responses on the two that have been done for you.



Larkin often ends his poem with a statement which can be applied not only to the situation in the poem but to all our lives and ‘Afternoons’ is no exception. He comes to the conclusion that the young mothers have lost control of their lives and have no other purpose but to serve the needs of their families.

‘Something is pushing them To the side of their own lives.’

Hint

Comment [cc7]: Comment on the word choice. What does Larkin conclude? What is you PR to this idea?


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Mini-essay Task

How does Larkin convey in the last two lines of the poem that young women effectively become bystanders, onlookers into their own lives, subjugated to the needs/demands of others.

Mini-Essay Your teacher will model how you should use the information from one of the rows of the table to suit a “line of thought” and how you should link the information ensuring that whenever a statement is made there should be analytical and evaluative comment made.



(quote) and evaluative response (analysis and personal comment). Look back at the models in previous sections to see how you can structure and link your ideas in your response to the task above.


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Identify 2 areas where you have done well and write

them in the stars.

Peer Assessment




‘Something is pushing them To the side of their own lives.’

Technical Accuracy

Topic Sentence




Spelling correct

Linkage used eg In addition/furthermore/ moreover/yet etc

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