Send No Money

Themes
Illusion and reality, disappointment, time, regret, aging.

Content
The poem is based upon a young boy asking personified "Time" to advise him on how to live his life. Instead of becoming an active participant, the persona simply observes the lives of others, however in the end, this cannot stop his own aging-"Time" has tricked him.

Analysis

• Though the title may at first seem disparate from the rest of the poem, there are different interpretations of it.  The phrase 'Send No Money' was often used in adverts trying to cheat people out of their money by raising interest rates and thus, highlights how advertising can be deceptive. The imperative title may also be taken to mean that the persona needs no help or assistance as they are making their own way in the world.
• From the start, didactic "Time" is personified to become a real entity with a "fobbed/Impendent belly"-time is always approaching and looms over everyone, not aesthetically pleasing. Larkin could also be implying that the persona is standing under an advertisement regarding time and looking for answers amongst a bed of deceit.
• The persona eagerly demands that "Time" "tell " him "the truth" and "teach". There is no desire on the part of the persona to become actively involved in life and instead, they want to stand on the side lines. They believe that they know what they are doing and separate themselves from the "other boys" who wish to "have a bash". These boys want danger but exhilaration also and the sense of actually being alive.
• "Time" is a frightening and condescending entity who observes from above-"he patted my head","booming Boy". He can be heard easily and is always present but untouchable.
• The idea that the persona has "no green" in his eye suggests that he is not envious of those participating in life at the time as he only naively wishes to learn. The persona happily sits back as instructed to "watch the hail of occurrence clobber life out". Time is seen as a beating which increases in ferocity with every passing event, however, the persona gullibly believes that by simply taking a "look" and thanking "Time" for his advice, they can stay outside of the effects of time itself-child-like and simplistic.
• By the start of the third stanza, "half life is over" as the persona has lived half of their life and must now meet "full face on" what has happened to them. The alliteration of "full face" emphasises the hard-hitting impact of what the persona sees- they too have been beaten up by time. Their "bestial visor" (animalistic mask) of a face is horrendous to the eye and unrecognisable-their aged self cannot comprehend the "bent in" (damaged) visage. They have been tricked by "Time" and have wasted a large part of their life to prove "Sod all". This cynical and bitter tone is still demanding answers which they have not gained through life and is reflecting on how the illusion of life, like advertisements, didn't live up to reality.
• In the final two lines, the alliteration of the harsh 't' sound augments the bitter feelings of the persona and links all the words describing truth together. Larkin makes the poem take on a more philosophical aspect in stating that "truth" is "trite"(banal,insignificant), "untransferable" and a "Truss-advertisement". A "truss" is a form of medical implement used to hold organs in, thus linking reality and advertising and raising the question of whether reality stops advertisement from going too far or whether reality is held in by advertisement. The persona regrets that loss of time and was misguided into trying to search for truth when there isn't any. By rhyming "truth"and "youth", Larkin is suggesting that only in youth do we believe that we can find truth and that everything is a form of deception in the end.
• The rhyme scheme of ABCDEFEF shows how people believe there to be so many possibilities within life in youth but come to discover that life is monotonous and normal as they age.

Links to other poems
'Sunny Prestatyn' and 'Essential Beauty'- advertising as deception and an attempt to hold in reality which ultimately fails.
'Ignorance'-people never really know the truth
'Dockery and Son'-how you spend your life
'The Large Cool Store'-life as a let down
'Days- nowhere to live outside of days
'Mr Bleaney'-having little to show of life


Academic Link:http://www.allinfo.org.uk/levelup/sendnomoney.htm