Afternoons by Philip Larkin (WJEC Eduqas GCSE English Literature)

Revision Note

Helen Cunningham

Written by: Helen Cunningham

Reviewed by: Kate Lee

What is the poem about?  

‘Afternoons’ was written by the poet Philip Larkin in 1959 and published in a collection called The Whitsun Weddings in 1964. It is a melancholic poem that reflects on the subject of marriage. The poem presents the banality of life for a group of young mothers, watching their children play in a park. The poem reflects on the transition from youth to maturity and Larkin depicts the women as caught in a tedious routine of domesticity and childcare, which has overtaken their former youth, beauty, passion and romanticism. 

Language, structure and form revision 

What happens in the poem? 

Language: 

Form: 


Structure: 

Stanza One:

  • Larkin describes a scene of mothers and children playing in a park at the end of summer; the children’s freedom contrasts with the mothers’ sense of duty 

Stanza Two:

  • The women’s husbands are at a distance, while reminders of chores (laundry) and home life are juxtaposed with wedding albums and former  courting-places, suggesting the end of romance, reinforced by a symbolic, destructive wind 

Stanza Three: 

  • Larkin contrasts a new generation of young lovers with the demands of parenthood as the mothers’  appearances have matured and they feel discontent and unfulfilled

Poems for comparison: 

  • ‘As Imperceptibly as Grief’ by Emily Dickinson: passing of time, beauty and femininity

  • ‘To Autumn’ by John Keats: passing of time, abundance and sensuality

  • ‘A Wife in London’ by Thomas Hardy: passing of time, disillusionment

  • ‘Death of a Naturalist’ by Seamus Heaney: loss of innocence, growing up

Key words 

Context: 

Post-war

Realism 

Melancholic

Irony 

Themes: 

Marriage

Passing of time

Motherhood 

Futility of existence

Poem analysis 

'Afternoons' by Philip Larkin

Summer is fading: 

The leaves fall in ones and twos 

From trees bordering 

The new recreation ground. 

In the hollows of afternoons 

Young mothers assemble 

At swing and sandpit 

Setting free their children. 


Behind them, at intervals, 

Stand husbands in skilled trades, 

An estateful of washing, 

And the albums, lettered 

Our Wedding, lying 

Near the television: 

Before them, the wind 

Is ruining their courting-places 


That are still courting-places 

(But the lovers are all in school),

And their children, so intent on

Finding more unripe acorns, 

Expect to be taken home. 

Their beauty has thickened. 

Something is pushing them 

To the side of their own lives.

Language

  • Larkin establishes the setting:  “Summer is fading” in the “hollows of the afternoon” to highlight the passage of time 

  • Larkin uses military phrases such as “Young mothers assemble” and “at intervals” to highlight the regimented nature of the women’s lives 

  • Leaves also “fall in ones and twos”, symbolic of the lack of spontaneity

  • Double meaning of “lying” suggests the “lie” of their marriages 

  • Sibilance in “swing”, “sandpit” and “setting” contrasts the children’s freedom with their parents, with the formality of husbands who “stand” and are merely “skilled”

  • Metaphor of “An estateful of washing” suggests the women’s lives are dominated by domestic drudgery

Structure

  • Larkin depicts the outward scene before focusing on the women’s inner discontent and their sense of being pushed to the side of their own lives

  • The tripartite stanza structure reflects ordered nature of women’s lives  

  • Most sentences are long, reflecting the endless monotony of existence. The shortest sentence, “Their beauty has thickened”, is unequivocal , indicating the loss of their beauty and vitality

  • Caesura is used to add poignancy

  • The final, melancholic stanza describes the fading beauty of the women, which implies a lack of optimism for the future

Form

  • 24 lines but only four sentences, with enjambment emphasising the monotony of the women’s lives

  • Free verse enables Larkin to reflect the dull authenticity of everyday life, devoid of any artificiality that might result from adhering to traditional poetic forms

  • The absence of a rhyme scheme could reflect their joyless existence

Overview of themes 

Themes 

Key quotations 

Language, form and structure 

Marriage

“And the albums, lettered

Our Wedding, lying 

Near the television:”


“Behind them, at intervals,

Stand husbands in skilled trades,”





“That are still courting-places 

(But the lovers are all in school),”

 

The juxtaposition of “albums” and “television” contrasts idealised romance with the reality of everyday life. The alliteration and enjambment suggest that the once-precious, romantic symbol of their love is now discarded; another item in this commonplace, homely, prosaic setting 


The phrase “at intervals” conveys a disconnect between the couples, suggesting distance and separation. The contrast between “husbands” and “trades” removes their individuality; they are trapped in their predefined roles


The conjunction “but” conveys the idea that courting-places are reserved for young “lovers”; younger versions of themselves 

Passing of time 

“Summer is fading:

The leaves fall in ones and twos”




“In the hollows of afternoons”








“Their beauty has thickened.”

By setting the poem in the fading afternoon of summer, Larkin highlights the passing of time, particularly the idea that the best moments of life are fleeting 

As the sun begins its descent, the women have moved beyond their youthful prime, where life now revolves around children and routine, rather than their individuality. The word “hollows” emphasises the emptiness and loneliness of their lives


This phrase denotes ageing and it is the shortest sentence of the poem. Its brevity sets it apart so it resonates more deeply with the reader

Motherhood 

“Young mothers assemble”







“At swing and sandpit 

Setting free their children”





“And their children, so intent on

Finding more unripe acorns, 

Expect to be taken home.”

The collective term “mothers” signifies a loss of individuality. The word “assemble” indicates a regimented existence and infers a sense of obligation rather than a desire to be there 

“Setting free” contrasts with the mothers’ entrapment. Sibilance reinforces the children’s joy and liberation, contrasted with the monotony of their parents’ existence 


The words “intent” and “expect” imply the children’s demanding nature, prioritising their needs over the mothers’. The full stop emphasises this and the brevity of the line lengths in the final stanza intensifies the women’s sense of confinement and dissatisfaction; “unripe acorns” is juxtaposed with the mothers’ ageing 

Futility of existence 


“An estateful of washing”






“Something is pushing them 

To the side of their own lives.”

The metaphor alludes to the overwhelming chores associated with motherhood and domesticity


Larkin directs attention to the mothers' emotions. While their children enjoy freedom on the swings, the mothers sense a force pushing them “To the side of their own lives.” The word “something” is deliberately vague, implying that the women are unaware of what is “pushing them” and have no agency 

Historical and literary context 

  • Philip Larkin, born in Hull, England, is remembered as one of Britain’s most important post-war poets

  • His poems were often melancholic; he wrote ‘Afternoons’ in 1959 and it was published in 1964

  • In 1957 Prime Minister Harold Macmillan declared Britain was in a period of prosperity, contrasting with the austerity of previous decades impacted by two World Wars:

    • Larkin describes “a new recreation ground”, reflecting the government’s investment in towns and housing in the 1950s and 1960s

    • At the time ‘Afternoons’ was written, televisions were gaining popularity as families spent more on material goods

  • Larkin was known for his use of irony:

    • Despite a healthy economy, the poem reveals an emotional austerity as the husbands stand “behind” their wives and the children “expect”’ to be taken home

    • The women are unfulfilled and being pushed to the “side of their own lives”

  • Larkin’s poetry focuses on realism, particularly on the ordinariness and mundane aspects of life, which starkly contrasts with the poets from earlier generations:

    • Romantic poetry (1800–1837) focussed on imagination, nature and emotion

    • Victorian poets (1837–1901) favoured lengthy narrative poems influenced by classicism, religion and mythology

  • During the 1950s and 1960s, married women commonly assumed the roles of housewives and mothers while fathers, often employed in “skilled trades”, had limited time to spend with their families:

    • As youth and romance fade, the women appear to lose their individual identities and they are now “mothers” with “husbands”

    • The plural presentation of the women conveys the erosion of their individuality and self, leaving their collective lives dominated by an “estateful of washing”

Comparing poems

Look at this exam-style question about ‘Afternoons’:   

How does Philip Larkin present the passing of time in the poem ‘Afternoons’?

Choose one other poem from the anthology in which the poet also writes about the passing of time. Compare the way the poet presents the passing of time in your chosen poem with the way Philip Larkin presents it in ‘Afternoons’. 

In your answer you should: 

  • compare the content and structure of the poems — what they are about and how they are organised 

  • compare how the writers create effects, using appropriate terminology where relevant 

  • compare the contexts of the poems, and how these may have influenced the ideas in them

How you could approach this question: 

Thesis/Essay introduction: Both ‘Afternoons’ and ‘As Imperceptibly as Grief’ present ideas about beauty and the passing of time but do so differently. Although both poems evoke a sense of sadness that summer is passing, Dickinson’s poem presents beauty as something almost ethereal that lives on throughout time, whereas Larkin describes the passing of time and fading beauty to convey the melancholy idea that life is monotonous.  

Similarities  

Differences

Both poems use the transition to autumn to explore the passing of time 

Larkin’s poem presents a mundane scene (families in a park) whereas Dickinson’s poem veers away from human concerns to personify abstract concepts (such as summer and nature) 

Both poems evoke a feeling of sadness and melancholy about the passing of time through a condensed style of poetry 

While Larkin’s use of simple, everyday diction conveys the stark realities of life, Dickinson’s more elevated vocabulary evokes the poignant beauty of the natural world 

Both poets consider the fleeting nature of beauty as part of their exploration of the passing of time  

Larkin presents the reader with melancholic observations about fading beauty and youth, while Dickinson lyrically presents nature’s ephemeral beauty and grace

Thesis/Essay introduction: Both ‘Afternoons’ by Philip Larkin and ‘To Autumn’ by John Keats explore the passage of time through the seasonal change from summer to autumn. Larkin's ‘Afternoons’ symbolically links the end of summer to the loss of youth, passion and beauty, portraying a melancholic view of ageing and routine. In contrast, Keats' ‘To Autumn’ presents autumn as a period of abundant harvest and celebration, highlighting the richness of the season.

Similarities  

Differences

Both ‘Afternoons’ and ‘To Autumn’ explore the passing of time through the autumn season

While Larkin symbolises autumn to convey a loss of youth and beauty, Keats personifies autumn as a time of abundance 

Both poets use nature to convey the passing of time 

Larkin’s descriptions of nature are restrained and negative (“fading”, “ruining”, “bordering”) while Keats’ descriptions are effusive and celebratory

The tripartite stanza structure of both poems is used to reflect the central theme of time passing 

Larkin uses this structure to reinforce the sadness of passing youth and freedom while Keats’ structure reinforces the bountiful beauty of the changing season

Predicted exam questions to prepare for 

  • Compare the ways poets explore the theme of love in ‘Afternoons’ and in one other poem from the anthology. 

  • Compare the way women are presented in ‘Afternoons’ and in one other poem from the anthology.  

Examiner Tips and Tricks

Always look for opportunities to compare the language techniques used in each poem as this can help you achieve higher grades. For example, in ‘Afternoons’, Philip Larkin generally uses straightforward language that often distinguishes his poems from those of other poets. Make sure you explain how his use of language is different from (or similar to) the other poet you choose to write about, and the effects that both of their language choices have. 

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Helen Cunningham

Author: Helen Cunningham

Expertise: English Content Creator

Helen graduated from the University of Oxford with a first-class degree in English Language and Literature. Now a writer and publishing consultant, Helen has worked in educational publishing for over 20 years, helping to create books for students in almost every country in the world. Helen is passionate about education as a force for positive change and loves to travel to different countries as part of her international work.

Kate Lee

Author: Kate Lee

Expertise: English and Languages Lead

Kate has over 12 years of teaching experience as a Head of English and as a private tutor. Having also worked at the exam board AQA and in educational publishing, she's been writing educational resources to support learners in their exams throughout her career. She's passionate about helping students achieve their potential by developing their literacy and exam skills.