WorksheetsAfternoons
Total questions: 16
Worksheet time: 18mins
What does the narrator of Afternoons suggest about marriage? Choose all that apply.
It takes away a woman's independence
It takes away a woman's identity
It limits a woman's life
Life becomes monotonous and repetitive
The poet that wrote 'Afternoons' had a _____ view of relationships, marriage and children.
positive
idealistic
negative
cynical
Complete the quote from 'Afternoons': 'young mothers assemble... Setting _______ their children'
free
loose
fire to
What is the structure of the poem?
three equal stanza's showing the repetitive nature of the women's lives.
3 stanza's representing the three stages of life (youth, adulthood, old age).
3 different length stanzas representing the ever changing lives of these women,
Complete the quote from 'Afternoons': 'estateful of _______'
children
chores
washing
husbands
Complete the quote from 'Afternoons': '_______ is fading'
Summer
Spring
Autumn
Winter
Why do you think Larkin set the poem when "summer is fading"? (Select TWO correct answers).
Summer was his favourite season.
It may suggest that the women have already peaked (hit their prime) and are now on the way down in life.
Summer makes it more believable that the children would be playing outside.
The change in season (summer to autumn) could represent the change in the lives of the women in the poem.
"Husbands in skilled trades / An estateful of washing" are two lines from the poem used to describe men and women. What could Larkin be commenting on here? (Choose TWO correct answers).
Life and death.
The class status of the people in the poem (e.g. working class).
The traditional roles of men and women in 1950s Britain.
The nature of romance during this era.
The last two lines state: "Something is pushing them / to the side of their own lives." What do you think the "something" could be?
The idea that they're getting older
Time itself
Having children
All of the above - Larkin is being ambiguous
Write two or three sentences (a thesis statement) responding to the following question. Use your best vocabulary.
How does Larkin present the effect of time in his poem?
What are some of the themes (main ideas) the poem "Afternoons" explores? (Select TWO correct answers).
Ageing / passing of time
The happiness of marriage
The routine and repetitive lives of the women
The importance of money and wealth
