Starter quiz
- Philip Larkin (the poet) was born in 1922 and died in 1985. Which of the following did he witness?
- WWI
- WWII ✓
- Neither world war
-
- When did WWII occur?
- 1937-1944
- 1936-1945
- 1939-1945 ✓
- 1939-1944
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- What do you think we mean when we use the term the "post-war" era?
- before the war
- during the war
- after the war ✓
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- What might the verb "to assemble" mean?
- to rejoice and celebrate
- to disperse and separate
- to gather together ✓
- to condemn and criticise
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- What might the word "pessimistic" mean?
- being distrustful of people - believing the worst about their intentions
- seeing the worst in things or people and believing that the worst will happen ✓
- to restrict or restrain something
- to make something weaker
-
- What are the connotations of the word "expect"?
- optimism
- demand ✓
- freedom
- lack of choice ✓
- kindness
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Exit quiz
- When did Larkin write 'Afternoons'?
- in the late 1940s
- in the late 1950s ✓
- in the late 1960s
-
- What word does Larkin use to describe summer in the first line of 'Afternoons'?
- 'fading' ✓
- Which of the following is true about Larkin?
- He had a cynical outlook on family life. ✓
- He was a soldier in WWII.
- Many of his poems contain themes of death, relationships and the passage of time ✓
- He did not share a positive relationship with his family.
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- What might Larkin be exposing in 'Afternoons'?
- the achievement of parenthood
- the passage of time
- the lack of autonomy in motherhood ✓
- the freedom in marriage
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- What might 'Afternoons' be a warning about?
- the difficulties of being a child
- the lack of romance in marriage
- the passing of time ✓
-
- Match the vocabulary with its definition.
- pessimistic⇔believing that the worst will happen ✓
- cynical⇔being distrustful of people's intentions ✓
- to stifle⇔to restrict or restrain something ✓
- to dilute⇔to make something weaker ✓
- to expose⇔to uncover or reveal the truth about something ✓
Worksheet
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Presentation
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Lesson Details
Key learning points
- Larkin arguably presents us with a cynical view of family life in the poem.
- This cynicism could be reflective of his mother’s attitudes towards marriage, which she shared with Larkin
- The passage of time is a key theme in the poem; Larkin arguably presents time as a threat to the young parents.
- Larkin arguably presents the monotony of family life as unfulfilling and arduous.
- Larkin presents the young couples as emotionally-distant, their responsibilities have forced them apart.
Common misconception
Students often think that Larkin must have had a hostile relationship with his family because of this poem and some of his other poems.
Larkin didn't have a hostile relationship with his parents - he was just a cynical man who held quite bleak views. This doesn't mean he hated his parents - he just recognised that people are products of their own parents.
Keywords
Pessimistic - seeing the worst in things or people and believing that the worst will happen
Cynicism - being distrustful of people - believing the worst about their intentions and their integrity
To stifle - to restrict or restrain something
To dilute - to make something weaker
To expose - to uncover or reveal the truth about something
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