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New Oxford Modern English
David Horsburgh, Nicholas Horsburgh, Claire Horsburgh, Oxford Un
Last Lesson of the Afternoon
About
David Herbert Lawrence (1885-1930) was an author, poet and painter. He is better known for his
novels than his poetry. However, his poetry is of very high quality too.
'Last lesson of the Afternoon‘ ( 1912) was written by Lawrence at the time he was teaching in Croydon (near London). Lawrence became disillusioned with the work. In England at this time, the government had made education compulsory. Many pupils had no desire to learn, but were still forced to attend school. He felt their time at school was futile; and his time, too, trying to teach them, was a waste. So he abandoned teaching and became a full-time author.
When will the hell ring, and end this weariness?
How long have they tugged the leash, and strained apart,
My pack of unruly hounds! I cannot start
Them again on a quarry of knowledge they hate to hunt,
I can haul them and urge them no more.
No longer now can I endure the burnt
Of the books that lie out on the desks; a full threescore
Of several insults of blotted pages, and set-aw!
Of slovenly work that they have offered me.
I am sick, and what on earth is the good of it all?
What good to them or me, I cannot see!
So, shall I take
My last dear fuel of life to heap on my soul
And kindle my will to a flame that shall consume
Their dross of indifference; and take the toll
Of their insults in punishment?— I will not!—
I will not waste my soul and my strength for this.
What do i care for all that they do amiss!
What is the point of this teaching of mine, and of this
Learning of theirs? it all goes down the same abyss.
What does it matter to me, if they can write
A description of a dog, or if they can't?
What Is the point? To us both, it is all my aunt!
And yet I'm supposed to care, with all my might.
I do not, and will not; they won't and they don't; and that's all!
I shall keep my strength for myself; they can keep theirs as well.
Why should we heat our heads against the wall
Of each other? I shall sit and wait for the hell.
Available Answers
- 1.
Which idea does the poem begin and end with?
- 2.
What metaphor does the poet use in the first stanza of the poem? With which words is this metaphor sustained?
- 3.
Why does the poet think of this pupils as a pack of unruly hounds?
- 4.
What is the 'insult' that the poet refers to in stanza 3?
- 5.
In stanza 3, the poet seems angry. Why?
- 6.
In stanza 4, the poet (remember he is a teacher) uses the word 'abyss'. What does he want to show about his own situations by the use of this word?
7 more answer(s) available.