Poems About Belief

Ignorance

Content

An abstract poem which explores our beliefs and knowledge.

Analysis

• The word "ignorance" means a lack of knowledge, pig-headedness, stupidity or obliviousness. Larkin's poem questions whether we are all ignorant and of an uncaring nature and how uncertain people actually are throughout their lives.
• The word "strange" is repeated to emphasise how odd it is that we claim to have so much knowledge yet actually "know nothing" and how complex the truth can be to understand. There are many different answers to questions, whether they be "true or right or real" and people are never certain "of what is true" as humans are constantly questioning themselves. However, this also highlights Larkin's uncertainty regarding the future and he wants people to question their beliefs.
• Tentative phrasing appears at the end of the first stanza  (e.g. "it does seem so") to imply that people have to offer opinions or beliefs even when they know nothing, suggesting an element of stubbornness and pride. Larkin wishes to know the answers and states that "someone must know", however, this is perhaps just a lie people tell themselves to make themselves feel better or safer in the belief that the knowledge is out there.
• Processes and objects are personified as adept at "finding what they need"- they are living reminders that we cannot understand everything. Alternatively, the "their" that Larkin refers to may be every other person looking for answers and simply learning to survive. The "spread of seed" is perhaps a reference to the spread of ideas or reproduction and people are willing to "change" what they believe as they are influenced by outside forces.
• We "wear" our "knowledge" as a barrier to make ourselves feel secure and the "decisions" of our "flesh" (our actions)  make it seem like we know what we are doing. When people have strong beliefs, they flaunt them yet they are "imprecisions"- we base our lives so fully on things we often cannot prove.
• Larkin creates a paradox in the last stanza in that we have "knowledge" but "no idea why". In the end, when death nears, we cannot fully understand death itself and why we had to create beliefs of no substance. As life draws to a close, we have no use for beliefs as the one truth is death . Therefore, Larkin may have meant to convey the idea that belief is futile as everyone claims to know something when they are in fact ignorant. People have learnt to survive by enclosing themselves in obliviousness and Larkin wishes to question this.
• Beliefs are not truths but ideas we hold onto for security. They are easily subject to the influence of others. Larkin was ignorant of other's beliefs because they were not concrete. The last line highlights his view that there is no life after death, despite what others believe and Larkin questions whether people make the right life decisions.

Days

Content

'Days' is a philosophical poem about time and the meaning of life which concludes that the only answer to life is death.

Analysis

• People's lives are governed and restricted by days of the year. Days are eternal, mundane and over-looked but at the same time, they offer us the chance for creating memories and happiness. They are a way of passing the time until death, as is a response to the opening question of the poem.
• As Larkin states, days are "where we live". "Time and time over" the days are repeated and we are stuck in a constant cycle without any control. Days are personified as real living things which act as kidnappers of life and structure the way we go through daily routines.  However, at the end of the first stanza, the question arises of "Where can we live but days?". This is paradoxical as it would seem that the answer is nowhere- if days are life, we cannot "live" anywhere else. The only other alternative would seem to be death. This then is perhaps why the "priest and the doctor" come running as a person would be suicidal if they were trying to challenge beliefs and live outside of normal time or they would be considered insane. However, these two people also represent contrasting views-science and religion. Whilst the priest believes in afterlife and could offer prayers for a blessed life outside of days, the doctor would try to prolong the number of days you stay on earth. It is the thought behind the question and not the answer to the question itself that Larkin is emphasising.
• The fact that the two men come "running over the fields" implies freedom and the natural cycle.
• The poem is deliberately simple with no rhyme, simple language, simple answers and short sentences in order to have a sharp impact on the reader. It is almost childish in some ways, thus exploring a complex matter in a way that makes it seem less important. Larkin wishes to make us question even the simple things we know (or that we think we know). He tests all that we believe as routine and leaves us think this over.
• Within the poem, there may be one or two voices. One interpretation could be that there is a questioner and the speaker who are having a conversation- this may even be a psychological review to test a person's sanity. Alternately, there may be just one voice who is questioning what they know about life. Days are a form of time and the way through which we organise our lives- without them, we would be lost.
• The poem itself is particularly puzzling in that no clear answers are offered- it could be suggesting that we should live to the full while we have it or that death is the only solution to the endless days we have to endure.

Academic links: http://poetry-fromthehart.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/days-philip-larkin.html


Nothing To Be Said

Content/Theme
A pessimistic poem about how death draws ever closer with every passing day, despite that which we do to deter it.

Analysis

• Larkin starts the poem by describing different groups of people or places: "nations vague as weed" (an unflattering description of those developing countries), "nomads among stones" ( unattached and without a home), "small-statured... tribes" ( isolated with stunted growth) and "cobble-close families" (those people tied down in family life). No matter how different each of these groups are, they are all slowly dying. This paradox highlights that anything we do with our lives simply brings us one step closer to death. Alliteration could also appear to suggest the whispers of time and death that always surround us.
• There are various different "ways of slow dying" that people use to pass the time, whether this be surrounding themselves with "benediction" or "measuring love and money". This juxtaposition of ideas presents both at materialistic and commercial. "The days spent hunting pig" are typical of the upper-class of the time and their differing ways of passing the days.
• The "Hours giving...birth" imply that even those bringing new life into the world are just slowly dying and that though people may try to convince themselves that this new life signals hope, there is no way out of death. The phrase could alternatively be related to the superior profession of a doctor to emphasise that everyone, from every place, class and profession on Earth will die.
• However, when people are told this, they are divided up into two groups. To "some" it "means nothing"- they do not care about death and want to simply take life as it is. To others, "it leaves nothing to be said"- this sums up everything that can be said and its traumatic nature robs the people of any words. There is no escape and they take this to heart.
• The point Larkin is trying to make is that we spend our whole lives viewing other people differently and trying to prove that we are alive when actually we are just drawing closer to death, step by side. The fact that the poem title refers to the second type of people implies that Larkin himself belonged to that group and in many ways, feared death. 

Water

Content/ Theme
In many ways, this poem is a flippant musing on religion and Larkin's criticism of its ways. As an atheist, or more precisely, an agnostic, Larkin had no religion but did recognise that others found comfort in it. Larkin himself was unsure whether to believe in religion or not and therefore, this poem shows his uncertainties.


Analysis

• "Water" is pure, simple, cleansing and life-giving. It is a necessity of life, which is why so many religions use it as a symbol.
• Larkin starts by dismissively suggesting that he could "construct" a religion- a mocking view that suggests that religion is a mere fabrication and man-made concept that has little basis in the truth. Larkin wishes people to question their religious beliefs. He states that he would "make use of water" as it is transparent and has no hidden motives.
• Numerous traditions of namely the Christian religion are mentioned, such as "going to church" and congregations, perhaps linking to the idea that many religions 'borrow' from one another and are ultimately the same. As the poem progresses, different uses of water are suggested. The "fording" makes reference to crossing a stream or river, implying that religion can be difficult whilst the "dry, different clothes" are hugely critical in that they relate to the stiff and artificial clothes people wear as their Sunday best. Religion has become too overcomplicated by things that are not needed and Larkin wishes to wash these things away. Moreover, the alliteration creates a sense of dullness and makes the reader dwell on the line as unlike the rest of the poem, there is not the gentle, lazy rhythm to mimic a river.
• The imagery of water becomes more intense as the reader follows the stanzas, leading to a "furious devout drench"-Larkin is angry at the state of religion and wishes it to be cleansed thoroughly. It needs to return to the basics- the death of overcomplicated religions would be a good thing.
• The last stanza focuses on raising a "glass of water" in the "east" as may religions originate from the East and this is where the sun rises to begin a new day. However, it could be interpreted as a mocking gesture, laughing at the absurdity of religion with a "cheers". Where this glass is lifted, "any-angled light would congregate", a simple idea that includes both science and religion. While science often seems to contradict religion, the word "congregate" suggests that religion and science could co-exist peacefully-a positive and optimistic end note.
• The poem as a whole has no rhyme scheme and enjambment to keep it simple with no exaggeration.
• The first person voice is used to make the persona appear god-like and egotistical.
• Larkin manages to question religion in just 13 lines, making the poem whimsical in many ways yet at the heart of the poem is a paradox. Larkin seems to criticise religion  yet at the same time suggests creating a religion himself and acknowledges that religion cannot be dismissed for it brings comfort to many. He wants religion to remain, just in a purer form.

Academic link: http://theviewfromoutside.com/2012/09/17/written-analysis-of-a-poem-water-by-philip-larkin/


First Sight

Content/Theme
An optimistic poem concerning the passage of the time and the changing of seasons, as based around lambs taking their first steps into the world.

Analysis

• 'First Sight' refers literally to the lambs' first sight of the world as they are born. It is a hopeful and positive time.
• The lambs are symbolic of youth and innocence and have many opportunities ahead of them. Though they are "stumbling" and lost, they will gradually learn the necessary skills and find their way. However, they are born into winter (the season of death), which Larkin describes using negative imagery. The oxymoron of "sunless glare" emphasises that the cold is chilling to the bone and that there is no sun to warm the lambs as they adapt. They are born into a harsh and unforgiving season- "unwelcome".
• Despite this initial bleakness, there is a sense of anticipation in the second stanza as the lambs "wait" for something that they perhaps can sense will come. "Earth's immeasurable surprise" is the changing of the seasons from, in this case, winter to spring. Whilst the lambs may not be able to "grasp" what is to come, a surprise has positive connotations and suggests that they will soon receive a gift. "Utterly unlike the snow", spring brings with it light and hope.
• As a whole, the poem is oddly positive and hopeful for Larkin, with the depressively bleak winter landscape being contrasted with the prospect of forthcoming winter that is to unfold. Larkin is suggesting that though life may appear bad at times, there is always hope and things are not as bad as they seem.
• The rhyme scheme of ABABACC is somewhat melodious and the rhyme at the end suggests optimism and serenity.
• Despite this, many would like to think that there elements of pessimism in the poem and that the surprise is death. After all, lambs are bred to be eaten and surprises are not always welcome. The image of the ewe "caked" in mud/snow is strongly negative and suggests that the lambs too will be soiled by their harsh lives, however, I would take the poem at face value.

Academic link: http://www.uni-koeln.de/phil-fak/englisch/larkin.html


Links
Days, Nothing To Be Said- occupy our time to distract us, all drawing closer to death
Days, Toads Revisited- better to do something with your time
Ignorance, First Sight- lack of knowledge about what is to come, contrast- can be a positive, hopeful future
Ignorance, Water- overcomplicating life, wanting something to believe in

Overall
Larkin understood that people wanted security in their beliefs yet he forces them to question this. He himself was uncertain about what he believed in and was searching for answers just like so many others, hoping for a positive future like that in 'First Sight'. He knew that beliefs could be comforting but he did not want to believe in something fake, overcomplicated or untrue.

Wild Oats

Themes
Unattainable beauty, failed love, promiscuity



Content and Voice
The poems describes a particular period of Larkin's life during which he was close to marrying a colleague from work when he in fact desired the friend and the relationship failed . The voice used appears flippant and dismissive but also low in confidence. Larkin was able to laugh at his own expense and personal experiences.


Analysis

• The title 'Wild Oats' comes from a common euphemism for sex: "sow your wild oats". It was an encouragement for men to sleep around prior to getting married whilst women were told to remain chaste. This is ironic in that Larkin details only a rather mild flirtation instead of any promiscuity.
• Two stereotypical images of women appear in the poem- the "bosomy English rose" and "her friend in specs". Larkin reduces the women to stereotypes and objectifies them. Whilst the "English rose" (based on Jane Exall) was exceedingly pretty, pale and what would be thought to be typically more attractive, the friend (Ruth Bowman) is described in an unflattering manner. However, the friend is easier to "talk to" and makes Larkin more comfortable while the symbolic"rose" represents unattainable beauty and sexuality and for this reason, Larkin started a relationship with the attainable friend instead-ironic. This raises the debate of love vs lust as it appears that the feelings faces "sparked" were based entirely on appearance and Larkin seems to aim for women above his level.
• Over time, Larkin's relationship with the friend progresses but is cut off when he is given back the "ten-guinea ring", suggesting a broken engagement. Love is reduced to an exchange of items that are ultimately given back. The relationship also seems distant and Larkin cannot help but think of the two times he met "beautiful". These meetings are particularly memorable for Larkin and most likely allude to the lunch dates Larkin shared with Jane in Leicester and Shrewsbury. However, his uncertainly and low self confidence are displayed when he believes that both times she was trying "not to laugh". He cannot help but think that a women like her will be mocking him.
• Either way, it is clear to see why the "seven" year engagement between Larkin and Ruth Bowman ended if Larkin was so distracted by communicating with Jane. In the end, an "agreement" is reached, suggesting a mutual business contract and alluding to the idea that there were no feelings present in the relationship, only lust. Larkin acknowledges that he does not have the right character traits for the relationship and is "selfish, withdrawn, and easily bored".
• The colloquial language used throughout the poem and the flippant tone highlight that Larkin was dismissive of his relationship with Ruth. He merely states that it was "useful to get that learnt" and to move on with his life, implying that the relationship was just an education-purely learning, not feeling.
• Even though the poem is a reflection on the past, Larkin still has "two snaps" of Jane in his wallet which are described as "unlucky charms". This sarcastic and trivial end note reaches the conclusion that the persona is still single because he kept the photos and it could be argued that this is a portrayal of the fact that nothing will ever match up to Larkin's high standards of the "English rose"-the unrealised fantasy outlives the real affair. Yet, the light-hearted conclusion is discredited by the last word "perhaps", implying that there is a darker, more serious reason for Larkin's lonely existence. The poem ends, like so many others, on a miserable and depressing note and suggests that love can never match its expectations.
• Imagery appears in 'Wild Oats' when describing the women as a "rose" as roses are  often viewed as fragile but beautiful and sensual also. Larkin uses very little rhyme in the poem (e.g. "out" and "doubt) and few poetic techniques so as to create a personal and intimate conversational piece. Enjambment also appears to show the rush of feelings when describing Jane Exall.

Links to other poems
Love Songs in Age- love unable to live up to its reputation
The Arundel Tomb-contrast-a love that survives decades
Self's The Man- selfishness


Academic links: http://www.allinfo.org.uk/levelup/wildoats.htm, http://www.markedbyteachers.com/as-and-a-level/english/english-literature/poetry/comparative-essays/wild-oats-afternoons-a-comparitive-essay.html

Love Songs in Age

 

Themes

How the experience of love changes with age, how love fails to deliver and ultimately disappoints

 

Content and Voice

The poem uses a third-person narrative voice to convey sympathy and distance. The poem pictures a women, possibly Larkin's mother, who rediscovers the music of her past after becoming a widow.

 

Analysis

• The vague reference to "she" makes the poem universally applicable, speaking to people in general.
• The fact that the songs "kept so little space" diminishes the memories and makes them insignificant as the memories of love occupy such a small space. Each song she rediscovers stores another memory and with each listed item, more everyday happenings are revealed.
• "One bleached from lying in a sunny place" reminds the reader of a holiday or other relaxing time- light marked the song
• "One marked in circles by a vase of water" could be a reference to flowers that her husband gave her being placed in a vase- symbol of love.
• "One mended" in a "tidy fit" suggests organisation but also chaos as the house must have needed constant quick cleaning when children were around. Nowadays, the women's bones must be more brittle, making it harder to do such things with ease.
• The song "coloured, by her daughter" is a reminder of happy family life and all it entailed. Each of the albums reminds the widow of a special part of that past time and the various effects of nature but also that problems or inconveniences mattered so little then.
• "They had waited" personifies the songs as living embodiments of love waiting to be rediscovered. However, this can only happen in "widowhood", when passion in life is gone, as indicated by the caesura that marks the passage of time and the pause that occurs when her husband dies. The memories are fading as even the songs are tired-looking.
• The fact that the songs were found when "looking for something else" suggest that they were discovered accidentally-serendipity (happy chance) or fate.
• The oxymoron of "frank submissive chord" could allude to love being confusing and interpreted differently by different people. Youth was considered to be "unfailing"-forever lasting and spring imagery (" spring-woken tree") suggests an invigorating and fresh life that was just beginning.
• This second stanza also becomes more melodious and like a ballad, mocking the effect that love has on people.
• When we are young, we have “That certainty of time laid up in store”, the belief that we have so much time to do everything in life but only in age do we realise how limited we are and then nostalgia sweeps by.
• Love is a "glare"- sharp, bright, intense but painful and damaging also. It is a cliché and "much-mentioned" idea that is over-exaggerated as "brilliance". The idea that it "broke out" suggests freedom and liberty when in fact, it is a trap. Love promises to "solve" and "satisfy" and at the time, appears to be the answer to everything. It is a solution that is a lie as we have unrealistic expectations for it. The loss of vibrancy may make the widow "cry" but putting back the songs also shows the women trying to forgot how love could not satisfy all in the end. "It had not done so then, and could not now." People are foolish to believe in love and that which it offers, as Larkin clearly points out with the cadence of the last line. Love promises but fails to deliver, although the poem may also be suggesting that we should love as much as we can in youth.
• Enjambment is used by Larkin to represent the flowing nature of the music and that love cannot stop anything, especially death.
• Youthful love: "brilliance", sudden, abrupt, all-consuming, fresh, exciting, foolish, deluded, invincible.
• Love in old age: serious, lame, tired, hopeless, tarnished, worn, old, steady, a dying dream, all about commitment, hopeless.

 

Links to other poems

The Arundel Tomb- love as a self-protective illusion, real or not?

Talking in Bed- the breakdown and worn nature of love with age

Afternoons-disillusionment

 

Academic links:

http://www.allinfo.org.uk/levelup/lovesongs.htm

 

An Arundel Tomb

Themes
The passage of time, a reflection on death and love as an eternal ideal that transcends time or as a distorted interpretation of history.

Content
The poem centres around a medieval tomb of the Earl and Countess of Arundel which Larkin himself visited at the Chichester Cathedral. The tomb features effigies of the couple holding hands and Larkin questions whether this love was really a truth or a lie.

Analysis

• The poem starts with the phrase "side by side", implying a restful and intimate scene that places the two people on equal standing, as emphasised by the alliteration. However, the faces are "blurred" and distorted by time, making the people anonymous and unrecognisable-faceless symbols, universal.
• Larkin again uses the pun "lie" as is present in so many of his other poems in the collection to mean lying down or lying to deceive. The "proper habits" of the people set in stone are no longer remembered as the substance and meaning of their lives is a thing of no consequence to visitors.
• That the Earl wears "jointed armour" implies chivalry and heroism and even the "absurd" detail of the dogs represents companionship and loyalty.
• The "plainness" of the design (a reference to art of the time) is contrasted to the "sharp tender shock" that the couple are holding hands-they are the embodiment of eternal love. The oxymoron of "sharp tender" is meant to show a shocking but pleasant surprise at finding that the couple decided to be portrayed this way but also to contrast to the cold nature often assigned to a warrior wearing armour.
• Yet again, "lie" is used as a pun but with further sarcasm to hint that it is tiresome for this lie of love to have gone on for so long and that the tomb wasn't intended to be a monument for love. The couple are imprisoned in their marriage and the lie. The "faithfulness" is suggested to be simply an act that "friends would see" to make them envy them or just for friends to appreciate.
• "Sweet commissioned" is another example of an oxymoron to show that the effigies were only created because it was the sculptor's job and wouldn't have been done out of feeling at the time. It appears that the couple simply wanted their "Latin names" to be remembered and that perhaps it was all a ruse to earn fame after death.
• The fourth stanza starts to put emphasis on the passing of time and the "supine stationary voyage" that the couple embark on-lying unmoving as people come to see all they represent ( a type of life after death). The old world  and its tenants have disappeared and the Latin language is a symbol of the past that it is unreadable for many. This perhaps is the meaning of "to look, not read" or it could additionally mean that it is the image, not the names that matter- they are a symbol of all we hope for. The particulars are ignored in favour of a sheer visual impression and the oxymoron "soundless damage" is the erosion of the stone by time and nature. Few  people remain to see the tomb as what it really is rather than as an historical artefact. The tomb shifts from a token of their memory to a monolith of their age.
• "Rigidly", forever linked, the effigies face the "lengths and breadths of time"- lasting and enduring this test.
• The "light" and "snow" are symbols of purity meant to cleanse as further highlighted by the identities of the couple "washing" away- the elements are removing the lie or reducing the scene to its simplest form. The "birdcalls" also represent new life to be contrasted with the "bone-riddled ground", however, the couple remain "helpless"-stuck in one place with no protection ("unarmorial")
• "The endless altered people" are changed by the stark display of love they view but this is also a reference to the loss of religion. The alliteration of "smoke in slow suspended skeins" refers to modern industrial life blurring the truth.
• In the end, it is only the "attitude", not the individuals that remain. People enjoy the notion of love as pure and permanent and ultimately, the effigies' erosion over time has made the scene they portray false. Their "final blazon" is the ending line: "What will survive of us is love". Whilst this may seem an optimistic end to a poem that has been querying love, it is tarnished by the word "almost". The love is "almost true" but not fully- Larkin is unsure whether to fully embrace the scene and that which it symbolises. The poem may be interpreted as a testament to love, in that it will conquer even death as Larkin was able to be more positive about other's experiences or, many think, more likely, it is bleakly realistic as the tomb is a delusion that people want to see but actually means nothing at all- a touching lie.
• It is interesting to note that the title of the poem is the tomb's name yet the poem itself talks about the people themselves more personally.
• Enjambment appears to show the lasting nature of the effigies.
• Equivocation-an almost truth but not the whole truth- the basis of the poem. The poem talks about what sentimentality looks like the morning after.

Links to other poems
Talking in Bed- breakdown/erosion of love
Self's the Man-selfishness
The Whitsun Weddings- the journey of marriage

Academic links:http://www.poetryfoundation.org/learning/guide/237912

Toads Revisited

Themes:
Work life and boredom.

Content
'Toads Revisited' is a follow-up poem to 'Toads' (published in 1954), which depicts work as a trap that a person needs courage to leave behind. In comparison, the second poem offers a more mature approach and comments that life would be tedious and miserable if one had nothing to do and did not work.
 
Analysis

• "Toads" are repulsive and unpleasant creatures which are an analogy/ metaphor for work and its poisonous influence on life. In the original poem, these creatures "squat" on the life of the persona, suggesting that they took up residence where they were not wanted and a toad also existed inside the persona-a fatal character flaw (fear) that prevented them from leaving work.
• 'Toads Revisited' starts with the speaker "walking around in the park" on what is supposedly a day off work. To the persona, this "should" be a restful and joyous time, however, the word "should" implies that that is not the reality of the situation. Whilst the " lake" and "sunshine" are serene examples of nature and the other outside noises are simply "blurred" so as not to intrude on the speaker's peace, "it doesn't suit" them. The surroundings are not "bad" but are also not interesting enough to warrant vast amounts of time spent there.
• The poem then goes on to describe the men that the persona would hate to be- the men that "you meet of an afternoon" who are all the same with nothing to do:

- "palsied old step takers"- the elderly/infirm with twitches who are drawing close to death.
-"hare-eyed clerks with the jitters"-terrified clerks on the verge of a nervous breakdown, perhaps due to the sudden freedom or the pressures of work.
-"waxed-flesh out patients"-sickly-looking patients who have been released from the hospital for a time
"characters in long coats deep in the litter baskets"- the homeless of the area, desperately searching for food without a way to earn money to buy it.

• Larkin describes each of these groups of men as "dodging" work-purposefully making no contribution to society. However, this disdain and view of them as "stupid" and "weak" is both snobbish and ironic as the people have a valid reason for being unemployed as each are closer to death than the persona. Whilst they live their lives watching events and people pass by ("the children going home"), this is because there is no other alternative for them. Some are too ill to work or have no way through which to find a job.
• The line "think of being them" is repeated to emphasise the incredulity and disgust of the persona in regards to the people they have seen. The condescending tone suggests repulsion and horror at the thought of becoming one of these men, thus contrasting to 'Toads', in which the persona envies those not having to work.
• The groups of men are then highlighted as having "failures"(being useless and unable to do anything) and having "nowhere to go". The men appear lost and miserable without a purpose/activity to occupy their time and in the case of this poem, the fear is of having no work to do and feeling unneeded.
• The epiphany of the poem comes towards the end when the speaker comments "give me my in-tray" and "loaf-haired secretary". This is comical in relation to the fashion of the time but also contradicts many of Larkin's other poems within this collection as for once, the persona doesn't want to be alone in nature. A job, is it suggested, fills your life with a purpose and human interaction. The grass isn't greener on the other side.
• As the year comes to a close, the last two lines imply that ultimately though, work is a death sentence. The toad work gives the persona an "arm" down "Cemetery Road" and helps them along to death, pushing them quickly in that direction. On the other hand, it could be implying that work helps brighten your life until death and makes it bearable as work is better than the alternative and keeps your mind away from the grim thoughts of death that stroll in the park. Everyone is heading one way but doesn't need to be reminded of it all the time.
• In terms of the rhyme within the poem, eye-rhymes appear to give a sense of disconnection from the rest of the world whilst also serving to highlight those lines where full-rhymes appear, such as the last two lines of the poem.
• Pathetic fallacy of the "sun by clouds covered" also underlines that a life without work is a life without excitement or light.

Links to other poems
The Whitsun Weddings- social conventions e.g. to work, to marry
Afternoons-looking down on those not working
Here-mocking those of a lower class

Academic links: http://www.allinfo.org.uk/levelup/toadsrevisited.htm

Afternoons

Themes:
The passage of time, marriage and families, social class.

Content
The poem is based around Larkin's view of young mothers watching their children at the playground and how their lives have changed since having children.

Theme analysis
The passage of time

• As the title suggests, the poem highlights the inevitability of change and the erosion of memories as afternoons signal the day drawing to a close- not yet old but no longer young, in a state of decline.
• The poem connects the idea of seasons with the passage of time through pathetic fallacy. "Summer is fading" and with it, beauty and vibrancy are disappearing. The emotive verb "fading" connotes the feeling of loss whilst also linking to the youth of the mothers beginning to wither.
• Much of the imagery is centred around decline ("the leaves fall", the "hollows of the afternoon"), however, this is compared to the "new recreation ground" and "unripe acorns" which highlight the contrast between the two. "Hollows" suggest an emptiness that is present in all afternoons.
• Pathetic fallacy and personification also appear with the statement "the wind is ruining their courting-places"- past memories of love are being blown away by a physical presence, symbolising destruction and removal, with wind offering a chilling shock that wakes people up to reality.
• The mothers themselves have faded into the past in the respect that the "lovers are all in school" now, suggesting that love is something immature and not an adult notion. The younger generation have taken over the mantle of love.
• Many of the verbs end in "ing", hinting at change creeping over the mothers.

Marriage and families

• Inevitably, Larkin suggests, marriage leads to motherhood  and loss of identity as the "young mothers" live a regimented life with little time for pleasure of their own. The fact that they "assemble" has formal connotations which present it as routine but also as an important event- the only time the mothers can gossip with one another instead of looking after their children.
• The alliteration of "swing and sandpit" emphasises the dull repetition of their lives.
• "An estateful of washing" (neologism-made-up word) constitutes life for the mothers-unpleasant and not enriching. The household chores are their only work, aside from looking after their children and their relationship has changed and been neglected like the places where they dated.
• The marriage videos are now "lying" discarded, with "lying" perhaps having a double meaning. A lie of love and happiness or just that marriage has been pushed aside and reduced?
• Larkin appears somewhat sympathetic in the last two lines, commenting that "someone is pushing them to the side of their own lives"- the mothers are just spectators in their own lives, the children are the main stars. These women are no longer so important as their lives have been superseded by their children at so young an age. They live only to serve their children, as these children "expect"- a command which traps the women.
• Ultimately, this family life leads to the passing of youth as shown in the metaphor, "their beauty has thickened". This may imply signs of age or also pregnancy if the children haven't been born so long back.

Social Class

• The women of this poem are working-class. Larkin seems to suggest that getting pregnant young and whiling away the hours looking after children is typical of working-class women.-patronising.
• The children themselves are depicted as tyrants and animals who are set "free" to wreak havoc at the park. They are unrefined and wild, though the mothers also want to escape their entrapment like their children can sometimes.
• In terms of the fathers, these rarely get involved with domestic events and simply "stand" by, however, Larkin paints them at least in a better light by saying that they are "skilled"- they have a profession and trade (misogynistic)

Their is no rhyme within the poem, perhaps because Larkin wants to deliver a clear and simple message.

Connections with other texts

Self's The Man- the restrictions of marriage ( reversed for gender)
Dockery and Son- family life and its identification of change
The Whitsun Weddings- the mockery that is marriage
Take One Home For the Kiddies- children as controlling nuisances
Talking In Bed- breakdown of relationships

Academic links:http://www.philiplarkin.com/afternoons/

Self's The Man

Themes:

Marriage, sexism, selfishness.


Content
Larkin contrasts the single speaker to the married man Arnold and how Arnold's life differs to that of bachelorhood.  Whilst marriage is heavily criticised, it is clear that the speaker has thought about it and remains unsure at the end if he could stand it.

Voice and tone

The persona created is child-like, flippant and immature in some respects as colloquial language is used to hide their worries, however, they are also misogynistic, boastful of their selfishness and cynical. Due to being unattached romantically, they are overly sarcastic about the institution of marriage, deeming it to represent "wasting...life".

The tone adopted is fairly casual, with colloquial words such as "oh" and "nippers" appearing to show the lack of respect the persona has towards anything regarding marriage. This could also make the persona less likeable due to them appearing immature though it has been suggested that the upfront persona hides none of the dull realities of marriage and doesn't mask their selfishness, thus making them easier to connect to.

Structure

The poem consists of eight stanzas each with four lines. The AABB rhyme scheme may represent the monotonous nature of marriage or the change of opinion that occurs throughout the poem as the speaker considers whether bachelor life or marriage is more selfish.

Moving into the sixth stanza, the use of "but" signifies the role reversal that occurs as the speaker and their opposite switch. The persona questions whether Arnold is selfish also and "was out for his own ends", thus making them the same. The change of pace, as quickened by the caesura, reflects the uncertainty of the persona as they are unsure what to believe but suggest that seemingly selfless acts can be selfishly undertaken-Arnold chose to trap his wife. Is every choice selfish?

Theme Analysis

Marriage:

Marriage is seen as entrapment which ultimately leads to madness or an untimely death ( the "van" could represent that used by mental health institutions or an ambulance ). It is not based around love but on the necessity of having a wife and stopping her from "getting away", implying that Arnold had no choice and was forced by social conventions to marry. The persona suggests that marriage is a dull hardship and a second job which becomes tiresome and annoying- a man has "no time" for himself. This cynical view of marriage presents it as something repulsive, though the speaker is in doubt as to whether it was a "mistake", as shown through the word "if". Moreover, this view is tinted as Arnold's marriage may be relatively happy but the speaker wants to make it seem unappealing.

Sexism
The view of women is negative and degrading- "women" and "she" objectify the women, making her anonymous and only known for her role and actions. Women, it is implied, only nag their husbands and selfishly take the "money he gets", however, the persona sees necessary items as a waste of money, perhaps because he has no idea of family life with children. The use of the imperative "get" makes women seem interfering and controlling and it is implied that they drain the energy from their husbands.


Selfishness
The title itself suggests that selfishness is a trait that all people have. Whilst Arnold is originally viewed as selfless for giving his life over to marriage, the speaker later changes this view and states that it was Arnold's own selfish choice to keep a women, thus placing the persona and Arnold on the same standing. However, the speaker arrogantly comments that he knows better than Arnold what he can "stand" and that Arnold was more selfish for letting himself into something he couldn't handle. The poem concludes after the hyphen (showing a pause in thought) with the words "I suppose I can", indicating uncertainty. The persona's cocky façade vanishes and self-doubt appears to end the poem intriguingly, leaving the issue unresolved. Who is most selfish? And is loneliness just as hard or worse to live with than married life?


Connections with other poems
Whitsun Weddings- marriage as a "funeral" for freedom, social conventions, isolated onlooker.
Dockery and Son- loss of freedom to important life choices, choice or pressure to marry and settle down?
Talking in Bed-the strain and hardship of relationships




Academic links: http://www.allinfo.org.uk/levelup/self.htm

Dockery and Son

Dockery and Son

Themes: Youth and age, the fleeting nature of time, relationships, isolation, parenthood.

• The title 'Dockery and Son' implies a business which is both familial and mundane whilst also acting as a status symbol. It is inevitable that the middle-aged protagonist should compare their life to that of others as we all do.
• Like many of Larkin's poems, it starts with a specific, real instance before moving to a more general contemplation. The persona here is a "visitant" to the "Dean" and has returned to the place of his youth.
• The idea of a person "junior" to  the speaker having a child at the University serves as a shock and a reminder of the passage of time, as do the "chimes" of the "bell".
• From the offset, a sombre mood is evoked by the words "death-suited". This suggests that Larkin believes death to be just around the corner or perhaps it is that Dockery has died and the death-suit is an actual mourning suit, as supported by the past reference "was". It could even convey the rupture of the past and the withdrawal of events into memories.
• Returning to the University, there is a sense of emptiness and alienation. The speaker has 'outgrown' his miscreant days of the past, during which days were spent giving "our version" of the drunk "incidents last night.
• Enjambment serves to emphasise the disconnection from the past and how life flies by, whether you want it to or not.
• Passage of time: The caesura after "locked" provides an ominous pause to emphasise that the speaker's past is closed off to him and cannot be revisited. Youth cannot be reclaimed and the persona feels disconnected from his former life as a student.
• The railway lines are symbolic of the fact that human lives may interweave and diverge but will ultimately, terminate.
• Isolation: Larkin is closed off and "ignored" by the rest of the world. The alliteration of "canal and clouds and colleges" connects every aspect of life to imply that it is all interchangeable and blurs into one. Larkin's unwillingness to obey social conventions has made him an outsider and he believes that all of life is monotonous.
• "How much...How little..."- Larkin wonders whether Dockery has improved his life, making Larkin's life somehow lesser, however, there is uncertainty as to how to voice this as Larkin does not want to appear to pine for parenthood.
• The "unhindered" moon above is eternal, thus serveing to highlight the transiency of human life and its insignificance in relation to nature. The "awful pie" is also representative of the disparaging view that Larkin held towards mass-produced consumer-driven urban life.
• "To have no son, no wife, no house or land still seemed quite natural" and it itself, summarises Larkin's life. The repetition of "no" stresses the emptiness and hollowness as Larkin realises "how much had gone of life"-life has flown by without his knowing.
• Relationships: Yet, whilst the speaker still has nothing, somehow, Dockery appeared to know what he wanted at such a young age whilst others lacked direction.
• Larkin satirises the "innate assumption" that "adding meant increase" and replaces the idea with that of "dilution". He is convinced that society imposes rules concerning what people should want and that parenthood doesn't actually bring comfort but the reduction of life. Your life is replaced by your child's; your hopes and wants abandoned to create a family- parenthood is restricting and permanent.
• In the eyes of Larkin, the only certainty in life is death- "life is first boredom, then death". People see what little they truly have so late on and only age brings this recognition.
• "Whether or not we use it, it goes"- the manner in which one chooses to live their life is both unimportant and uncontrollable. Regardless of how we use our lives, we are all headed to the same point-the "end of age" (death). Larkin highly criticises the structure of life e.g. marriage, birth then death yet creates a more mundane life than those he has scorned.

Connections to other poems

• Whitsun Weddings- relationships, pressure to follow social conventions, change
• Ambulances-the inevitability of death

Academic links:http://www.allinfo.org.uk/levelup/dockery.htm

Talking in Bed

Talking in Bed

 

 Talking in bed ought to be easiest,

Lying together there goes back so far,

An emblem of two people being honest.

 

Yet more and more time passes silently.

 Outside, the wind's incomplete unrest

Builds and disperses clouds in the sky,

 

And dark towns heap up on the horizon.

None of this cares for us. Nothing shows why

 At this unique distance from isolation

 

 It becomes still more difficult to find

 Words at once true and kind,

 Or not untrue and not unkind.

 

 

Theme: Relationships

 

• The poem concerns a failing relationship between two people who find it difficult to communicate with one another.
• The title "Talking in Bed" suggests a familiar and intimate long-term relationship, whereby a couple are less passionate but close emotionally and comfortable with one another.
• The poem begins with the assertion that "talking in bed ought to be easiest" but the statement is weakened by the modal verb "ought"/should, thus implying that it isn't easy at all.
• The word "lying" is ambiguous as it could have two different meanings (a pun)-sleeping/lying in bed or telling lies over a period of time to a partner. The fact that this "goes back so far" would appear to mean that the silence in bed is a regular and common occurrence.
• As "more and more time passes silently" (alliteration for emphasis), the situation becomes more awkward and tense and "words are difficult to find". The couple have to think hard about conversation topics and cannot even think of something neutral to say ("not untrue and not unkind"). They cannot be "honest" with one another.
• "The wind's incomplete unrest" gives a sense of human stagnation in comparison to nature because as nature moves on, the two people in bed are still stuck at a loss for words-proximity but loneliness-the couple are isolated together. It also reminds the reader of complete and painful silence or awkward small talk concerning the weather.
• Aspects of the modern world do appear in the form of "dark towns", however, "none of this cares for us"- the couple are completely on their own, separated by silence, and no longer even interested in the relationship themselves. A "dark" end may be "on the horizon" for the two people. Larkin could be implying that the modern world has not taught people the value of human communication and that modern life does not bring satisfactory fulfilment to human lives.
• The sense of broken communication and isolation is shown through the poem's structure with a rhyming scheme of ABA, CAC, DCD,EEE to show the absence of continuity and the broken discourse of the couple- augments the hesitancy and uncertainty of the poem.
• As a whole, the poem seems to be ironic in that the word "talking" appears in the title yet no dialogue is present in the poem and the poem focuses around the inability to talk in bed.
• Overall, the poem offers a bleak outlook on modern relationships by suggesting that relationships inevitably come to an end as people run out of things to say and white lies to offer. Larkin clearly believed that love didn't last and was simply a disappointment-apt for a misanthropist.
• Academic links: http://www.philiplarkin.com/talking-in-bed/:



Take One Home For the Kiddies

Ambulances

Ambulances

Theme: The inevitability and unpredictable nature of death.

'Ambulances' is a morose and morbid poem which reminds the reader that everyone is mortal and will realistically die some time in  the future, no matter their social class or standing. The poem is a portrait of Larkin's fear and contemplation of death and as stated, "all streets in time are visited".

From the start, the ambulances are described as "closed like confessionals", thus implying some level of judgement on a person's life but also suggesting that inside is a private and intimate moment during which paramedics see a person in their rawest form. "None of the glances" aimed at ambulances are returned as despite people being grimly curious, death is a secret that they do not yet know.
The fact that the ambulances appear at noon is an example of pathetic fallacy in that this a particularly busy time which could be seen as a transition period or contrastingly, as an unnatural time for someone to die as they are jerked away from life abruptly.
The vibrancy of life is also shown by the "children strewn on steps" and women shopping, however, this may be an example of Larkin's misogynistic side appearing to criticise women for leaving their children unattended. These daily normalities are subsequently contrasted with the alliteration of the "wild white face", thus putting greater emphasis upon the distressing scene and juxtaposing the white of the face and the red of the blankets. This frantic and half-crazed person is quickly "stowed" away so as not to spoil the idyllic view of family life and the complacency people luxuriate in. "It" is also dehumanised as the departure of life leaves them as just another object.

"The solving emptiness that lies just under all we do" alludes to the idea that people feel dulled by the knowledge of their own fragility and the meaningless of life. By offering words of sympathy, they are pitying the anonymous dying person but are also being selfish as they are thankful that it was not them being taken away. Therefore, the poem could be suggesting that people have grown insensitive to the tragedy of others.
Whilst the "blend of families and fashions" that make up a person's life are reminisced on, the fabric that holds that person's life together begins to "loosen" and enjambment is used to show the inevitability of death and the rhythm it holds within our lives. Ultimately, the poem makes it clear that despite the vibrancy of our lives, everyone will die "unreachable inside a room", distanced from human interaction and comfort. Death ( as symbolised by the ambulances) "dulls to a distance all we are" until the fabric disappears and the person is forgotten.
'Ambulances' as a whole shows Death as the great equaliser but also as something that people want to stay out of sight so as not to remind them of their weaknesses. It highlights the uncertainty and chaos of human life.

Academic Criticism and analysis: http://www.eliteskills.com/analysis_poetry/Ambulances_by_Philip_Larkin_analysis.php,
http://www.philiplarkin.com/ambulances/, http://www.leavingcertsolutions.com/mall/leavingcertsolutions/pdf/English_Larkin_Ambulances.pdf

Here

                              Here

• Themes: Modern consumerism and destruction, solitary Nature.
• Like in 'The Whitsun Weddings', a constant sense of motion is suggested through words such as "swerving", implying that the speaker is on a train and is watching as switching views of modernity and nature clash.
• Caesura may  be used to show halts or momentary pauses as the train changes direction and enjambment highlights the movement of the train. 
• The exact destination of "here" is undefined as the poem takes the reader to various locations, however, it could represent the end of the journey or may not even be a specific, physical location.
• Larkin appears to be highly critical of the urban population, finding more beauty and appeal in the natural world than the human world. Whilst the "piled gold clouds" create a soothing and beautiful image, as the train nears the town, "gull-marked mud" and "stealing flat-faced trolleys" appear to ruin the image. The word "sneaking" suggests to the reader that even the trams are suspicious and shady and people's only "desires" in life seem to be to buy "cheap" items as replacements for any real dreams they might harbour.
• The people that are seen are described as " raw" and "simple"- demeaning descriptions which seem to suggest that the working class lack intelligence and are unrefined. Larkin further criticises them for their "mortgaged" houses, showing that they are tied down and in effect, are all part of the "slave museum".
• Half- rhymes such as "shadows" and "meadows" partly connect modern life and nature but highlight that as one expands, the other disappears- the fields become "thin and thistled" (strained from having to fight modern expansion).
• The contrast between the human world and nature is also starkly shown as the cramped towns and "barge-crowded water" give way to the secret delights of nature. The phrase "luminously-peopled air ascends" relates to the horrible air polluted by people disappearing and "unfenced existence" beginning to reign. The sibilance of "silence stands" and "skies and scarecrows" show how soothing and peaceful nature can be, however, Larkin ends on the profound note that freedom and true happiness are "out of reach". This could be interpreted to mean that people have become too caught up in the complexities of modern life and can never go back to a simple existence. It has also been suggested that 'Here' is a poem about finding solace in solitude (as a misanthropist would e.g. "loneliness clarifies") or even that the journey represents that taken by wind, which is eventually lost to the ocean.

 Academic analysis and criticism: https://francescoloybell.wordpress.com/2014/05/18/analysis-of-here-by-philip-larkin/