Rhealyn R.

dela Cruz
Marjorie Angel Andres
12 - Diamond

Last Lesson of the Afternoon

When will the bell 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 more can I endure to bear the brunt
Of the books that lie out on the desks: a full three score
Of several insults of blotted pages and scrawl
Of slovenly work that they have offered me.
I am sick and tired more than any thrall
Upon the wood stacks working weariedly.

And shall I take

The last dear fuel and heap it on my soul
Till I rouse my will like a fire to consume
Their dross of indifference, and burn the scroll
Of their insults in punishment? - I will not!
I will not waste myself to embers for them,
Not all for them shall the fires of my life be hot,
For myself a heap of ashes of weariness, till sleep
Shall have raked the embers clear: I will keep
Some of my strength for myself, for if I should sell
It all for them, I should hate them -
- I will sit and wait for the bell.

Literary Criticism
1. Structure
The Last Lesson of the Afternoon by David Herbert Lawrence (1885-1930) expresses a
mood of bitter desperation and disappointment at the lack of gratitude for a teacher’s work. The poet,
who also happens a teacher, compares his students to hounds because they hate chasing knowledge. The
teacher tried hard to motivate the students to learn, but he could not inspire them to learn. He feels that
his teaching and the learning of the students are both useless because he can no longer haul them and
urge them. The poet describes very strongly what he feels and the inner turmoil he suffers. Finally, he
thinks he won’t waste his soul and strength in teaching those students who show so much indifference to
the study.

2. Point of view
By reading the poem, I find that it was written from a first-person point of view because
the writer used the pronouns “I” and “my” which is used to take the place of a noun which is him.

3. Mood
The poem portrays a pensive mood for the readers just like us. You can understand that the
teacher is in no mood or tired to teach his students. He feels that they are a dull set with no mood for
learning. Moreover, being the last hour of the afternoon, he is eagerly waiting for the bell to ring just like
the students. He also rules over the fact that even if he puts in his best efforts and energy to teach the
students, they will not show any signs of progress.

4. Symbolism
You can easily identify that the author uses metaphors in this poem such as “tugged the
leach” that probably means that the children were defiant and does not pay attention to a single thing
that the poor teacher was trying to say, and the “pack of unruly hounds” that is probably indicated that
the children were very wild and violent, thus behaving like unruly hounds. You can also see that the author
use the alliteration of “of” in the second, third, and fourth line of the second paragraph that probably
means that the teacher could not bear any more nonsense from the students and was sick and tired of the
whole thing. The writer also uses the pun sick to describe the frustrated teacher. This could mean that
the teacher was literally ill or just could not put up any longer. There is also this “last dear fuel of life”
that was probably written to show that the teacher had little strength and energy left to teach the
student. The other metaphor “kindle my will to a flame” probably means to force himself to continue.

5. Theme
The poem shows the anger and bitter desperation at the thanklessness of a teachers work.
The teacher is tired of his students that are not interested in the quest or “hunt” for knowledge that he
wants to give them.