Walking Away

Walking Away:

Subject:

• In this poem the speaker, a parent, remembers the first time their child showed signs of independence.
• The speaker describes how the child, like a 'half fledged thing' began to find his or her own feet.
• Images from nature, referring to birds leaving the nest and 'a winged seed loosened from its parent stem' show how this seperation occurs in other species too.
• He concludes that 'love is proved in the letting go', showing that separation is an inevitable part of a loving relationship between parent and child.

Themes:

• Parental Love - the parent's love for his child is shown in the pain he feels when he realises he has to let the child go - 'love is proved in the letting go'.
• Seperation…