walking away

‘Wrenched from its orbit , go drifting away’

• contrast of “wrenched” and “drifting” may suggest father is reluctant to let his son go, but the son is ready to embrace independence

• emphasise the powerlessness that is being experienced by Day-Lewis at this point

• ‘wrenched’ - finds it painful, the enjambment emphasises how sudden and painful his son becoming independent was for the narrator.

‘winged seed loosened from its parent stem’

• natural imagery → seeds are part of the plant’s reproductive system and therefore it could be relating to the son starting a new family.

• intensifies the image of an uncontrollable entity - the father no longer has control over his son and his behaviour.

‘eddying away’

• changes the portrayal of the son as ready to gain independence, as he’s now “hesitant” and “eddying” away, which highlights his realised vulnerability

• natural imagery reflects the movement of the winds and currents, suggesting that the son is uncertain and has a lack of control over his destination, reinforcing that the son is naturally drawn to becoming more independent and drifting further from his dad.

‘saying what God alone could perfectly show’

• concludes with religious reference which implies that the conclusion the speaker has reached was inevitable

• religious imagery references how in the bible god sent Jesus, his son, to earth and in many ways let go of his son the same way the narrator does. However, after God lets go of Jesus, Jesus is crucified. It is stated that God did this to show humans that he loves them. That “God alone” could do this shows how hard it is for the narrator to let go of his son.

form- distance within family relationship

• first person perspective ‘i can see you walking away’- intimate monologue to convey parent’s feeling as they reflect on the growing distance

• direct address to the child - the listener is silent which highlights the distance between them

• ABACA rhyme scheme which reflects on stable tone- rhyme scheme presents as clam despite painful memory, perhaps implying the stoic nature

structure - complex relationship

• past-tense verbs to indicate the moment the speaker beings his reflection’ ‘since I watched you play’ - presents the way a memory can create a bond

• 2nd stanza about their child’s first day but uses present tense verbs - present tense continuous verbs like ‘walking’ ‘drifting’ emphasise the continuous nature of separation → poem moves chronologically through the process of reflection

the speaker’s reflection across the four stanzas to depict the progression of the speaker’s thoughts, beginning with a nostalgic memory and ending w/ a conclusion about the inevitability of separation