Wild Oats - Larkin

Wild Oats is the story of meeting two girls and the occuring relationship between one that soon sadly died away. From this poem we see the persona talk of first meeting the girls and all the activities they did whilst they were together. But within the final stanza we then begin to piece the story a great deal more with finding out what the persona's real thoughts are on the two girls. From reading this poem the audience gets the impression of the persona only choosing the girl in glasses for she was second best. He was not able to get the best for she mocked him and is seen from the second stanza within the line, "She was trying Both times (so I thought) not to laugh." From within the third stanza we see also that he doesnt want to bother with the whole commitement side of relationships and shuts away from that and is seen within that final stanza. This perfect women that he has pictured in his mind is all an illusion of what he hopes love is for him but when it comes to actually getting it, it seems that he rushes out to escape it for something better. From this we see that the persona is really doomed to be alone forever. Finally within the final line stating "Unlucky charms, perhaps" we see that the items of the second girl have been unlucky for him due to the fact that he was never truly dedicated to his relationship with the girl in glasses. She was really a stepping stone to gain this idealised version of the perfect women. But the perfect women was out of his reach and will always remain as an illusion to him.