Last Lesson of the Afternoon by D.H. Lawrence
🧑🏫 About the
Poet: D. H. Lawrence (1885–1930)
- Full name:
David Herbert Lawrence
- English
novelist, poet, essayist, and critic.
- Known for
works like Sons and Lovers, Women in Love, and The
Rainbow.
- His
writing often explores human emotions, industrial society’s impact, and
the conflict between the individual and society.
- He worked
as a teacher for some time, and this poem reflects his frustration with
the education system and unmotivated students.
📝 Summary of the
Poem
In
“Last Lesson of the Afternoon,” D.H. Lawrence expresses the feelings of
a tired, disillusioned schoolteacher who has lost enthusiasm for
teaching.
He is sitting through the last lesson of the day, exhausted and
frustrated with his students who seem lazy, indifferent, and unwilling to
learn.
He
compares his students to hounds that refuse to hunt—they neither chase
knowledge nor show any energy.
The teacher no longer wants to force enthusiasm or effort. He wonders
why he should waste his strength correcting careless work or fighting
indifference.
By
the end, he decides to save his own soul and energy, letting the
students bear the consequences of their laziness.
The poem portrays emotional exhaustion, disillusionment, and the
teacher’s desire to be free from meaningless effort.
🪶 Paraphrase (Stanza-wise)
Stanza
1:
The teacher compares himself to a hunter whose hounds refuse to chase. He feels
his students are unwilling to learn or make an effort, so he asks why he should
continue working hard for them.
Stanza
2:
He feels defeated by the students’ carelessness. Their exercise books are full
of dull, uninspired writing. He wonders why he should waste his strength
marking them.
Stanza
3:
He realizes that teaching them feels like fighting a losing battle — nothing is
gained, and he’s only wearing himself out.
Stanza
4:
He reflects that he has no desire to punish or force them anymore. If they
choose not to learn, they can face the results themselves.
Stanza
5:
The teacher decides to preserve his energy and peace of mind, allowing himself
to rest instead of battling apathy. He will wait quietly for the bell to end
the lesson.
💡 Themes
- Disillusionment
and frustration:
The teacher feels his hard work is wasted on uninterested students. - Conflict
between idealism and reality:
The teacher once believed in education’s value but now faces its disappointing reality. - Teacher-student
relationship:
It reflects tension, lack of connection, and the emotional toll of teaching. - Emotional
exhaustion:
The poem vividly shows mental fatigue and the desire to escape meaningless labor. - Individualism
and self-preservation:
The teacher decides to stop sacrificing himself for those who don’t care.
🎭 Tone and Mood
- Tone: Bitter,
weary, frustrated, resigned
- Mood: Hopeless,
tired, melancholic
💬 Poetic Devices
|
Device |
Example |
Explanation |
|
Metaphor |
“No hounds,
no point in hunting.” |
Students
compared to lazy hounds. |
|
Simile |
“I am sick,
and what on earth is the good of it all?” |
Expresses
emotional fatigue. |
|
Alliteration |
“lashless
patience,” “waste of my soul” |
Adds rhythm
and emphasis. |
|
Repetition |
“I will
not... I will not...” |
Shows
firmness and frustration. |
|
Imagery |
“Slovenly
work that they have offered me” |
Visual image
of untidy, careless work. |
|
Symbolism |
“The last
lesson” |
Symbolizes
not just the end of the day, but the end of the teacher’s patience and
enthusiasm. |
📖 Word Meanings
|
Word |
Meaning |
|
Hounds |
Hunting dogs
(metaphor for students) |
|
Quarry |
The hunted
animal; here, symbol for knowledge or learning |
|
Lashing
patience |
Beating down
patience; extreme tiredness |
|
Slacken |
To become
slower or weaker |
|
Slovenly |
Untidy,
careless |
|
Malice |
Ill will,
bitterness |
|
Soul |
The teacher’s
inner energy or spirit |
📚 Important
Lines & Their Meanings
- “When will
the bell ring, and end this weariness?”
→ Expresses the teacher’s longing for the class to end; he feels mentally exhausted. - “No
hounds, no point in hunting.”
→ The students’ lack of effort makes teaching meaningless. - “What is
the good of all our work and care?”
→ He questions the value of his effort when students don’t respond. - “I will
not waste my soul and strength for this.”
→ Shows his decision to stop fighting a pointless battle.
🧾 Exam-Related Questions & Answers
🌿 A. Short
Answer Questions (2–3 marks each)
Q1.
Who is the speaker in the poem “Last Lesson of the Afternoon”?
Ans. The speaker is a schoolteacher who expresses frustration and
exhaustion while teaching disinterested students during the last lesson of the
day.
Q2.
Why does the teacher feel tired and disheartened?
Ans. The teacher feels tired because his students are lazy, careless,
and unwilling to learn. His efforts seem wasted on them, making him feel
defeated and weary.
Q3.
What does the teacher compare his students to?
Ans. He compares his students to hounds that refuse to hunt, symbolizing
their lack of energy, enthusiasm, and cooperation.
Q4.
What is meant by “When will the bell ring, and end this weariness?”
Ans. The line shows the teacher’s longing for the lesson to end because
he is completely worn out and fed up with teaching inattentive students.
Q5.
What do the “exercise books” represent in the poem?
Ans. The exercise books represent the dull, careless work of the
students, which the teacher finds meaningless to correct because it shows no
effort or interest.
Q6.
What decision does the teacher make by the end of the poem?
Ans. The teacher decides not to waste his energy anymore. He will save
his soul and strength instead of forcing knowledge upon unwilling students.
Q7.
What kind of relationship does the poem show between the teacher and students?
Ans. It shows a strained relationship — the teacher is frustrated and
the students are indifferent. There is no emotional or intellectual connection
between them.
Q8.
Why does the teacher compare his work to a battle?
Ans. He compares it to a battle because teaching unwilling students
feels like fighting a losing war — exhausting and fruitless.
Q9.
What emotion dominates the poem?
Ans. The emotion of weariness, frustration, and resignation
dominates the poem.
Q10.
What does the phrase “waste of my soul and strength” mean?
Ans. It means the teacher feels that continuing to teach uninterested
students drains his inner energy and mental peace for no good result.
✍️ B. Long Answer
Questions (5–8 marks each)
Q1.
Describe the mood of the teacher in “Last Lesson of the Afternoon.”
Ans.
The teacher is exhausted, bitter, and disillusioned. He feels his hard
work is wasted because his students are inattentive and unmotivated.
He compares them to hounds that refuse to hunt, showing his disappointment.
He is emotionally drained and longs for the lesson to end. By the end, he
decides to stop wasting energy and to preserve his peace of mind.
The poem captures the emotional fatigue of an idealistic teacher defeated by
student apathy.
Q2.
How does D.H. Lawrence use imagery and metaphor in the poem?
Ans.
Lawrence uses vivid imagery and metaphors to express the teacher’s
frustration:
- “No
hounds, no point in hunting” compares students to lazy
dogs.
- “Slovenly
work” gives a visual image of careless effort.
- The battle
and hunting metaphors symbolize the struggle of teaching unwilling
learners.
These images intensify the feeling of hopelessness and highlight the teacher’s inner exhaustion.
Q3.
What does the poem reveal about D.H. Lawrence’s view of education?
Ans.
Lawrence criticizes a mechanical and lifeless education system. He shows
how both teachers and students suffer when learning becomes forced and joyless.
He believed education should awaken creativity and spirit, but in this poem, it
has become dull and meaningless.
Thus, the poem reflects Lawrence’s belief in emotional and personal
engagement in learning.
Q4.
Discuss the theme of disillusionment in “Last Lesson of the Afternoon.”
Ans.
The theme of disillusionment runs throughout the poem.
The teacher has lost faith in his students and in the value of his work. He
realizes that teaching uninterested pupils is a waste of energy.
He feels defeated, tired, and emotionally empty.
By the end, he accepts his disillusionment and decides to withdraw his effort
to save himself from further frustration.
Q5.
Why is “Last Lesson of the Afternoon” considered an autobiographical poem?
Ans.
The poem is autobiographical because D.H. Lawrence himself worked as a
teacher. He experienced the same feelings of disappointment and futility
expressed by the speaker.
The poem reflects his personal struggle with an education system that
failed to inspire creativity or genuine learning.
🎯 C. Multiple
Choice Questions (MCQs)
1.
Who is the author of “Last Lesson of the Afternoon”?
a) Robert Frost
b) D.H. Lawrence
c) W.B. Yeats
d) Walt Whitman
✅ Answer:
b) D.H. Lawrence
2.
What is the main feeling expressed in the poem?
a) Joy
b) Love
c) Frustration
d) Curiosity
✅ Answer:
c) Frustration
3.
What do the hounds symbolize?
a) The teacher’s energy
b) The students
c) The education system
d) The books
✅ Answer:
b) The students
4.
What does the teacher wait for at the end of the poem?
a) The end of school year
b) The students’ apology
c) The bell to ring
d) A promotion
✅ Answer:
c) The bell to ring
5.
What is the tone of the poem?
a) Cheerful
b) Angry
c) Bitter and weary
d) Hopeful
✅ Answer:
c) Bitter and weary
6.
What does the teacher decide to stop doing?
a) Teaching entirely
b) Forcing knowledge on unwilling students
c) Coming to school
d) Talking to his students
✅ Answer:
b) Forcing knowledge on unwilling students
🪶 D. Value-Based / Analytical Questions
Q1.
What lesson does the poem teach about the purpose of education?
Ans. It teaches that education should be based on interest,
engagement, and inner motivation, not on force or mechanical routine.
Q2.
How does the teacher’s decision at the end show emotional maturity?
Ans. Instead of continuing a meaningless struggle, the teacher chooses self-preservation
and emotional peace, showing self-awareness and maturity.
Q3.
What is ironic about the title “Last Lesson of the Afternoon”?
Ans. The title suggests the last class of the day, but
symbolically it represents the teacher’s last attempt at patience and
enthusiasm, marking the end of his spirit for teaching.
Q4.
What does the poem reveal about the emotional life of a teacher?
Ans. It reveals that teachers often feel unappreciated, exhausted,
and emotionally drained, especially when their efforts are ignored by
students.
