Welsh Valley Cinema,1930s

Themes

Escapism, ideals, memories, reality, class

 

Content

Abse's poem is based upon a past memory of a trip to a cinema amongst the slums of Wales. It is here that the division between reality and fantasy is at its most stark as Wales was suffering great economic hardship during the 1930s and the cinema provided the perfect diversion. However, did people leave the cinema feeling better or worse than when they entered?

 

Analysis

• The opening juxtaposition of the "The Palace" and " the slums" clearly contrasts the world of reality with the regal world inside of the cinema, where everything is made brighter and more vibrant. It is ironic how poor people desire to see films based upon a wealth that they can never have.
• The use of the word "pit" is also a reference to the mines that were littered across Wales and it has been suggested that the cinema in question is located in Haverford West. These mining pits were dank and dirty and restricted in terms of movement and fresh air, thus often leading to problems with the lungs as we see later on in the poem. These people that are scorned and looked down upon in class are shoved in a dark hole so that the superior classes do not have to look at the vermin that walk the streets of Wales. The idea of the "unseen shaft of darkness" reinforces the lack of light and hope but how can you 'see' darkness? Perhaps it is that the hole where the projector points through is of a different level of darkness.
• "I remember it" makes it clear to the reader that this a memory and one that the speaker remembers in great clarity. The sound of the movie starting takes "wing gladly", like a majestic bird soaring free and leaving its worries behind. The cinema represents a "thrill" which leaves the audience in excited and agitated states, as though they are children at a "fairground". This may be because the speaker is actually a child themselves and the closest thing they can liken the experience to is the chaos and lights of a "fairground". The world of the cinema is one of "gaudy-bright" lights and glamour- a beacon shining against the dull monochromes of life.
• Abse then includes a reference to "asthma" and "wheezing" which could be interpreted as occurring due to the cinema taking the audience's breath away or that the general health of the audience is poor. These references to harsh-sounding  conditions of the lung are recurrent throughout the poem, connoting the constant smoking of the working class and perhaps linking to how films glamorised cigarettes yet failed to tell the audience of the consequences, thus leaving those in poverty with ill health.
• In the second stanza, the alliteration of "played with panache" gives the poem an almost song-like and melodious quality, apt as the stanza focuses on the beauty of the sound the speaker is hearing. The song mentioned by the speaker provides the poem with context and shows how people latched onto popular musicians and items of the time. However, this "dream" subsequently sinks "underground"-out of reach of the audience and unattainable. Like a "dream", it is only a short diversion from reality before the gross poverty of the working-class is hinted at again- "shoeless feet".
• The events that occur in the film are viewed as a "miracle", with this religious imagery linking to "mecca" ( a holy city in Saudi Arabia visited by millions of Muslims every year). The audience are devoted to the feeling of escapism and worship the cinema as a shrine to what they could have. The stereotypical story of "the girl next door" falling in love with the handsome guy is sarcastically emphasised as being something that would never happen and the irony of an actress who has wealth and glamour playing a "poor ragged Goldilocks" cannot be missed- links to fairy tales and fantasy, blunt statement. The fact that her tears are "glycerine" shows that the audience are not fooled by the fake nature of the emotion as they know the hardships of life and it leaves a bitter sweet taste in their mouth. This is further reinforced when the speaker appears bitter about the differences in appearance between him and "Cary Grant" ( a famous actor renowned for his good looks and "elegance")- "No holes in his socks". The actors in films portrayed a world of perfection which the audience knew they could never achieve.
• The film then comes to "THE END", dramatically announcing in capital letters that the diversion is over and that the audience must return to their depressing lives. Even though the films always end on an "upbeat" note (mocking), this feeling of warmth immediately disappears when the persona leaves the cinema. The hyperbolic "damned Fall" comes as the speaker must leave the fantasy world and the majestic "Palace" behind- almost like the biblical fall of Adam and Eve. They become "glum" and "silent", like a child moping and their lives yet again become regimented- "trooping". The "trauma of paradox" clearly highlights the difference between the vibrant world of the cinema and the dark "dreary" streets of reality and "trauma" suggest that this realisation causes physical pain-the speaker has been lied to for the last few hours of their life. Reality seems to be purposefully cruel ("malice") yet this cruelty is "familiar"-people have become used to it. The neologism of the "gas-lamped street" presents the persona as child-like or not yet fully connected with reality whilst the "striking of the small Town's clocks" brings back the concept of time and with it, the realisation that all we have done is let inevitable death creep ever closer-pessimistic.
• The lack of a consistent rhyme scheme presents the disparity between fantasy and reality while enjambment and caesura show the control that the media has over people- they are sucked in by the ideals of perfection and beauty and subconsciously base their lives around these unrealistic expectations despite knowing that it is all fake. When leaving a film viewing, the realisation that the film was not your life is depressing and hard-hitting.

Links to Larkin

Theme- 'Essential Beauty'-In Larkin's poem, beauty is unattainable and used to cover up the grim reality of "graves" and "slums" which people do not want to see. People are so easily deceived by advertising because they want to believe in an ideal world and thus, buy the advertised products to achieve this, just as people visit the cinema for a diversion from reality. However, both in this poem and Abse's, the fall back to reality and the idea of death is sudden and saddening.

'Love Songs in Age'- music, hope and disappointment are inexplicably linked. Love, as glorified by films and music, fails to live up to its promises and only accentuates our level of misery. It is a  "glare" of  "brilliance", filled with vibrancy and beauty and though it hurts people to look directly, they become imprisoned by the sensory stimulation.

'For Sidney Bechet'- the link between music and sadness, with particular relevance to memories. A person's passion for music will help them recollect an event and the feelings they had- this can be overwhelming though.

'Sunny Prestatyn'- Both Larkin and Abse understand that fantasies cannot last and that there will inevitably be a hard fall back to reality. However, people's reaction to deception is much more violent in Larkin's poem while it is only a hint of bitterness that we get from Abse's poem- can symbols of happiness be barriers to our happiness?

'Afternoons'- A look at how the working-class are easily led along to believe one thing and then meet with disappointment when it is not true- "hollows"-emptiness

'Reference Back'- music can provide a distraction from "unsatisfactory" life for a time and builds bridges between people and worlds

'Home is So Sad'- As Larkin states, home is a "joyous shot at how things ought to be/Long fallen wide". The return from the cinema is a lot like the realisation that home is not what you wanted it to be, though it does have the redeeming quality of familiarity.

 

Tone

The tone of this poem is largely pessimistic towards the end, despite being reverent when describing the lights and sound of the film showing: 'Home is So Sad', 'For Sidney Bechet','Ambulances'.

 

Technique- Abse uses a lot of sensory imagery to give a sense of the area being described as a whole and to take the reader there, such as that in 'Here'  whilst also using religious imagery to provide an atmosphere of worship-'Water'.

Alliteration also appears to give the poem a melodious quality, like "much-mentioned" in 'Love Songs in Age'  and "natural noise" in 'For Sidney Bechet' while Abse uses juxtaposition to contrast reality and fantasy, as mirrored in 'Sunny Prestatyn'.