Summary: "Walking Away" by C. Day-Lewis

Overview

• Written in: 1956 (published 1962)
• Publication: In the collection "The Gate"
• Nature: Autobiographical
• Dedication: To the poet's eldest son, Shaun (born 1931)

Context

• Describes an event from Shaun's childhood, around age 7.
• Involves watching Shaun's first football game at boarding school.
• Focuses on the emotional theme of separation and independence.

Themes and Symbols

• Rite of Passage: The poem signifies the child's departure both emotionally and physically from the family home.
• Father-Son Relationship: The perspective of the separation is uniquely from the father's viewpoint.
• Separation: The poem explores the bittersweet feelings of parental letting go as necessary.

Structural Features

• Stanzas: Four stanzas, each with five lines.
• Meter: No formal base meter; uses iambic and anapestic rhythms.
• Rhyme Scheme: ABA CA, providing cohesion and a sense of incompleteness reflecting the theme.
• Use of Enjambment: Enhances the poem's flow and emotional movement.

Imagery and Language

• Nature Imagery: Illustrates that painful separations are natural and inevitable.
• Semantic Field of Separation: Words like "wrenched," "drifting away," and "letting go" emphasize physical and emotional distance.
• Imagery of Growth: Leaves turning and winged seeds signify change and growth.

Emotional Resonance

• Vivid Memory: The event remains a vivid and reflective memory for the poet.
• Parental Reflection: Demonstrates a contemplative approach to the transition of childhood dependence to independence.
• Message to Son: Implies feelings of guilt and complexity in the act of letting go.

Theological Allusion

• Reference to God's act of love in giving his son, suggesting parental love is shown through letting go.

Conclusion

• The poem ultimately portrays the inevitability and bittersweet nature of a child's journey to independence, emphasizing parental love as facilitating this growth.
• Final Thought: Day-Lewis uses elegant, natural imagery and a measured tone to capture the delicate balance between love, loss, and growth.

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