Walking Away by Cecil Day Lewis

What does the reference to the exact time at the beginning of the poem convey?

• The speaker's inability to remember the exact day

• The speaker's desire to forget the memory

• The significance of the memory for the speaker

• The insignificance of the memory for the speaker

What does the reference to leaves just turning symbolize in the poem?

• A sense of joy and celebration

• The speaker's regret and loss

• The end of a journey

• A liminal stage and transition

What does the simile 'like a satellite wrenched from its orbit' suggest about the father's feelings?

• He is happy and content

• He feels helpless and left out

• He is indifferent and unconcerned

• He is angry and resentful

What does the metaphor 'the Gate of one who finds no path where the path should be' imply about the school?

• It is a place of joy and excitement

• It is a safe and nurturing environment

• It is a place of sadness and despair

• It is a dangerous and unpredictable setting

What does the adjective 'hesitant' convey about the son's emotions?

• Excitement and eagerness

• Fear and uncertainty

• Confidence and boldness

• Anger and frustration

What does the metaphor of 'the small the scorching ordeals which fire one's irresolute clay' suggest about the father's realization?

• The father's desire to protect his son from all challenges

• The father's acceptance of the inevitability of pain and trials

• The father's indifference towards his son's struggles

• The father's belief in shielding his son from all suffering

What does the verb 'gnaws' signify in the line 'I have had worse partings but none that so gnaws at my mind'?

• The father's anger and resentment

• The father's pain and anguish

• The father's indifference and detachment

• The father's joy and contentment

What does the speaker understand about selfhood and love in the final lines of the poem?

• Selfhood begins with letting go and love is proved in holding on

• Selfhood begins with holding on and love is proved in protecting

• Selfhood begins with walking away and love is proved in holding on

• Selfhood begins with walking away and love is proved in letting go

What does the fixed structure of the poem symbolize?

• The father's desire to control his son's life

• The inevitability of the son's independence

• The father's struggle to let go of his son's childhood

• The son's desire for freedom and adventure

What is an interesting autobiographical context related to the poem?

• The poet's father died when he was young

• The poet's mother was a famous writer

• The poet's son went to boarding school at a young age

• The poet's son was the inspiration for the poem