Imitations - Dannie Abse

From within this poem we see that Abse is portraying to the audience the similarities that he and his son both have. This poem is a key example of representing time due to how it goes on through the stanzas of the spring weather falling into winter and then coming back into spring once more. Also throughout the seasons we then see that his son is becoming to appear more like Abse and is though he is seeing a younger self due to this. We get this notion that his son is beginning to appear like him due to the phrase, "He is my chameleon" which implies to us readers that he has adapted like how is father is and is beginning to appear like him.
We also see that within the middle stanza that the relationship between him and his son isnt that close due to how he is not aware of what is occuring in his sons life. This is similar to how he was when he was a boy and how his father felt within that time. We see this within the line, "my father alive again (I, his duplicate)" which supports this notion that they are similar to past generations. They both have the same bond that each father and son have had and over the changes of the seasons we see this occur more and more until they are both very similar to each other.
Throughout this poem we get a wide use of imagery due to various metaphors and the use of an oxymoron of the words "soft diamond".
Poems that are link in well to the themes of family bonds, time and nature would be Dockery and Son, An Arundel Tomb and the common one known as Here.
An Arundel Tomb links in well to the theme of time but has a difference towards it. This poem shows us the difference that in time things do not change and as for the tomb of this couple remains there for centuries we see that the only change is the privacy of it but not the craftswork upon it. Abse poem shows the theme of time passing like Larkins' poem but shows us that within this time we see the boy becoming more and more like his father as time goes on and will result in the end to seem as though he was looking in a mirror.
The poem Here links in well due to the scenery described. Abse portrays a clear use of imagery to us readers with the creatures and nature and Larkin does this also within Here.
Finally the poem Dockery and Son links in well due to this bond between father and son. Dockery and Son states well that his son is also within the same university that Dockery use to go to, and Abse poem shows us the similarity the father and son have towards each other with the key line, "He is my chameleon".

Return to Cardiff - Dannie Abse

From within the first stanza we see that Abse is portraying to us the memories that Cardiff has to him and we see a typical teenager coming from the imagery used.
As we continue through the poem we begin to see that all of the surroundings that Abse was once familiar with have no become unnatural and have an eerie sense due to Abse feeling uncertain of them as he continues back home. We can see that Abse is recollecting the memories that he had within Cardiff and as he returns back we see that all is unclear for time has gone by alot quicker then the persona has expected making everything change a lot more.
From within this we see that things have changed through the phrases, "the mile-wide Taff now a stream" and "the castle not as in some black, gothic dream, but a decent sprawl, a joker's toy facade". From both these phrases we see that time has changed his opinions and views on these things and an example of this would be from the description as a castle. From what appears to be something dark and eerie and a common place for teenagers to hang around at night is now changed into a place where we get the impression he laughs at. We see a slight piece of humour come into the poem with "a joker's toy facade" and see that he laughs at the appearance of it now compared to how he thought of it before.
As we move on through the poem we then see a different memory of a loved one being shown and we therefore see a reoccurance from his past being shown. From the description of his grandfather being, "the white, enormous face" and "suddenly aghast with certain news" we see that his grandfather is now dead and we get the impression as though he has not returned to Cardiff ever since his grandfather was alive. This is presented to appear as a shock to the reader through the description due to the words "aghast" and "white".
As we continue through this poem we see that he continues to portray various images to the reader to show us how much time has changed the place he knew very well.
Poems that link in well to this would be Here, Dockery and Son and also Send No Money.
The poem Here by Larkin links into Abse due to how they both have the theme of nature and place and we see that Larkin and Abse both do this within these poems. Also within the poem Dockery and Son the audience can see the notion of time repeating itself and how similar the next generation is. For example within Dockery and Son we see that Larkin's friend Dockery use to go to university with him and now over time Dockery's son is within the same state. In Abse' poem we see that Abse is recalling on walking down these streets when he was younger and the key notion within the final stanza, of which we can imagine the past and the present Abse walking down the same street and passing one another. This then links onto the final poem by Larkin known as Send No Money. I found this poem to link into Return to Cardiff because it showed the key consept of time going by very quickly. Larkin shows us that he has gone by without noticing how much he has observed and watched things instead of getting on with his life and has now come to realise that he is already half way through. Within Abse' poem we see that there is a sudden shock of reality when he is returning to Cardiff and the thought of how different everything is as well as himself too. He has also changed since he has last been there not only stating that his surroundings have changed, but he has as well making him seem unfamiliar to a great deal of people.

Cricket Ball - Dannie Abse

From this poem we see that the key theme is based upon memories of the persona. This poem is about looking back at a cricket match Dannie Abse went to when he was a boy and portrays his thoughts and notions of the game whilst watching.
From the poem we see that he describes the game and how the ball curves and flies across the grounds and once hit a window pane of a hotel. After this description we then see that the persona begins to describe their desire of it rising higher than ever before. From this long stanza we are able to see that Abse is portraying to us the rise to fame and fortune and how easy it is for us to imagine this.
We see from the first stanza however, there is more freedom shown due to there being no fame towards the players of the cricket team giving us a more positive aspect to the game.
Also within this poem we see that the whole surroundings during the game are placed as being positive and show a much more enjoyable experience with the phrase, "applauding ground".
Continuing through this poem we see that Abse begins to show us the notion of life choices as the ball flies much higher suggesting the ball could be portrayed as a metaphor to the audience to indicate greater things in life are possible to anyone.
The key themes within this poem would be memory, life and sport. Larkins poem Love Songs in Age is a good example of memory due to how the music sheets provide a hint for the persona to bring the memory back. This cricket ball is a reminder for Abse and another one of Abse' poems which would link into it would be the poem Two Photographs for this also triggers off the memory.
Another poem would be For Sydney Bechet for it shows a memorable figure just like this game that Abse has informed us about. From Larkins poem we see that it shows us great passion on a specific topic, music being his, whilst for Abse we see throughout the positive passion for sport shown.

Blond Boys - Dannie Abse

From looking at the poem of Blond Boys we see that it is a memory poem and contains the theme of romance also. From within the beginning of the poem we see that the persona is completely in love with this girl known as Eva Jones but is placed as being negative due to the fact that she does not love him back.
We see how much the persona loved this girl due to various words such as "first shy love", "I held my breath" and "forever". From these words we see that the persona is a shy and shows us the various emotions the persona is feeling informing us that we can easily relate towards the poem much easier unlike Larkins. We also see that the persona hides away and is really a watcher when describing her on her impressive bike and therefore is a link to Larkin for he too observes within the poem, The Whitsun Weddings. This poem and The Whitsun Weddings both link together for they both portray the sense of love towards a persona and also the persona observing. In TWW we see that Larkin (the persona) is watching this young couple and that their is the knowledge of this being a young couple being married showing excitement towards the readers. Abse' poem links into this for the persona is also watching, but this time watching the person he loves not the people. There is also the link between the notion that the persona and the girl are young, like the couple within TWW.
Also from within Abse poem we see that they were close and their was a great bond together, similar to the poem Love Songs In Age with the mother and son bond they had together.
Within the final stanza of the poem we then see the love dying drastically as the persona is rejected and see the more jealous side towards blond boys.
Altogether we see that a key poem that links into these themes would be Wild Oats due to the thought of rejection and loss occuring within the end but also the fact of love blossoming at the beginning.
There is also the notion of the choice between two lovers. Unlike Larkin we see that it was he who had to choose between two lovers whilst with Abse he was one of the choices. Although both poems are similar with the notion of choice, we see that each poet writes about it differently, the side of being in control and power (Larkin) and the wonder of being chosen (Abse)

Two Photographs - Dannie Abse

From this poem we see that their is a straight forward view on the appearance and thoughts of two women. One being Doris, the other, Annabella. Within this poem we begin to get various images of what the women look like and how there personalities differ from each other.
From reading Two Photographs we see that Annabella is the most feminine out of the two whilst Doris is more rebellious and does what she wants to do. From the first stanza stating, "How slim she appears, how vulnerable, Pretty" we see that this supports the notion of her being the more feminine out of the two women and the quotation stating, "How portly she looks, formidable, Handsome" we see that Doris has more male features than Annabella. From within the description we also see that these two women did not like each other, but Abse loves them both just as much.
As we continue through the poem we see that there is humour shown with the word "Cheese" and "Chalk" which implies to us that Abse' love is more real to these women whilst Larkin gets what he wants and does not truly love something/one.
Throughout the stanzas we also see the use of alliteration of the letter "D" and also the use of imagery to portray us these two women from two photographs.
Various poems that will link to this would be Home Is So Sad, Selfs the Man, Reference Back and Broadcast.
Self's the Man links to this poem due to how the two women are contrasted together in the third stanza. The words of their descriptions are placed in the listing device to come across as being far more powerful. Larkins poem of Reference Back is able to be similar with Abse with how their is something that triggers of the memory before. For Larkin it was the music sheets whilst in Abse it was the two photographs.
Home Is So Sad and also Mr Bleaney link in well due to how they two women are portrayed as when time and age occur within the poem. Both poems link in due to the description of an unloved house that is messy and alone.
Finally the poem Broadcast links into Abse' poem due to the philisophical ending we see from the final stanza. They are unaware of being observed later on in life and the phrase, "I never lived" implies to us that the dead are only able to exist if the people that knew and loved them can remember them stating the form of loss within the poem.
Altogether we see various similarities between the two poets and also see the difference of Larkin placing a more negative aspect of women unlike Abse who is more positive. 

Musical Moments 2 - Dannie Abse

Musical Moments 2 (Outside a Graveyard)

From within this piece we see that death is a key theme throughout this poem. We see that time has gone  by and the thought of relief that was from the first part of Musical Moments is now gone and only lonliness and sadness remains.
From within the first poem we see the relief of having this final lesson with this teacher and shows to us as though he had little care for her or what he was doing. But when we come into the second part of this poem we see that he is mournful and respectful of her due to various lines such as, "Sorry, Miss Crouch, now that you are dismissed forever" and "so unassuming and gentle". As we continue through this poem we see the notion of memories occur due to the second stanza and then the final one brings a more joyful ending to the audience.
We see a link to Larkin with not only the notion of a memory occuring but also of Abse observing like how Larkin does within his own poems. The stanza portrays this sense of romance between Miss Crouch and music and therefore shows us the link between various pieces such as Broadcast and Love Songs in Age. These two poems link to Abse due to how they are show a strong bond the persona is feeling all by listening to music.
We then get this final stanza which portrays a positive note with how the persona can see Miss Crouch performing within a concert hall instead of sitting and listening or teaching unwilling students. We get a grim background portrayed with the use of the gargoyles and various other parts of the church but are provided with this positive image as we look up towards the sky and see this image of Miss Crouch leaving earth. From this we get a difference between the two poets from the notion of death. From both we see that when someone dies we are all sad and in mourning for their loss but the difference between them is that Larkin states that when you die that is it. Time is up for you and you can do nothing now that you are dead. Larkin is basically portraying the sense that there is nothing after you die. Abse on the other hand portrays this imagery which states to us we have our own vision of what heaven looks like due to his description of Miss Crouch. Abse is once again placed as being the positive poet due to his beliefs of their being a heaven portayed in this poem. From seeing this poem we see that their are similarities and differences to the poems and by the poets too.

Musical Moments 1 - Dannie Abse

Musical Moments 1 (The Last Piano Lesson)

From within this poem we see the boredom and dismay caused by having a regular piano lesson showing us that one of the key themes is music. From this we see that music is not enjoyed within this poem unlike Larkin who shows a more positive aspect towards music. Larkin portrays music within poems such as Love Songs in Age and Reference Back. From Love Songs in Age we see the theme of memory come up with how music brings back the good memories whilst Reference Back is to do with the relationship between a mother and son who share this strong bond with music. Although Abse links into the theme of music to Larkin, he does not portray the sense of memory or a connection towards people. Within his we find a negative impression brought out due to various words and phrases he uses. Examples of this would be "Numbly bored" and "pointless" suggest to us that for the child this is not enjoyable but is really a chore. Music is placed as being dull and boring in this piece with the continuous flow of scales and pieces that the child is use to is being played. Whilst in Broadcast we get the difference from Larkin of the shocking and gripping music piece that allows the audience to be hooked into.
We see that music is not loved in this house due to the phrase, "a coffin of music" which portrays to us that music is dead and unwanted making the connection to Larkin on the theme death. Poems that link to the theme death would be Ambulances for we associate these vehicles with being the choice of life and death towards people.
From this poem we see a different side of Abse as he portrays a negative feel to the audience instead of the more positive poems he has created before. This is also a link towards Larkin for Larkin portrays a lot of his beliefs and ideas in his poems as being negative. There is also the notion of the child being rebellious with how he does not wish to do this lesson and we see a sudden change of mood when the lesson comes to an end.

At The Concert - Dannie Abse

From within this poem we see that the first two stanzas are describing the motionless animals that Abse has seen. From this we get the impression of these animals, the sheep and the horse, to be bored and act like they are frozen in time. This then links onto his next line where he is explaining just how this women in the same row as him in the concert is frozen in time whilst listening to the music. She is absorbed in the music and listens to it as though her life depends on it. From this we are able to make the link from this poem to a Larkin poem with the theme of music. Some of Larkins poems such as Reference Back and Broadcast are about music but each have a different meaning to them. The one i find that suits to this poem the most would be Broadcast with how it explores the music that is within the concert. Although Abse is doing the same with explaining how people are fixed within this music and we see this from Larkin with how silent the room appears until the roar of applause at the end, we see that the difference to these poems is how Larkin is showing us a specific girl he feels connected to whilst Abse is trying to connect with everyone due to all the questions he is asking the audience.
From within this stanza and we see this bundle of questions thrown at us is portraying the notion that we will always have questions untill we are old and weak with his line stating on the old peoples home. From this we can also make the link to Larkin with the theme of time going past us and the thought of unanswered questions from the poem Send No Money. This link stating to us about time being limited is shown through both poets and we see that Abse is asking questions to the reader similar to how Larkin does at times. Throughout the rest of the poem we see Abse pretending to listening to this music but is really fixed on other matters and thoughts that are occuring within his head. We then get the final stanza creating an image of his cat sitting peacefully in silence but still shows a dull and boring setting to the readers. This links into the animals that appeared like statues in the beginning of the poem but this time the animal is more relaxed and at peace with time wasting by. We finally see that Abse would rather do the same and watch the tree within his garden through his window. From this we see the similarity that he does not mind time to go past him and we see the link towards him and Larkin with how he relates to the audience as being an observer in this poem, like how Larkin does in The Whitsun Weddings.

Red Balloon - Dannie Abse

From within this poem we get the impression of Abse talking in a more negative way unlike many of his usual poems. From this we see the link between Larkin with having the persona talk negatively and links into his poem of Ambulances. The link between these two poems is that they both have the notion of when something bad is occuring it makes the audience clearly feel sad and just how much society can cause us to feel this way. There is also the similarity of the notion of blood from these poems, from Larkin merely stating the name ambulances gives us the impression of something unpleasant and in pain whilst with Abse he not only repeats this word but is shown to us with the colour red within the title.
Also from this poem we see that Abse is showing the struggle Jews had within their life and how they were mocked and hurt no matter what there age. We see the struggle that Abse had and shows the strength and freedom this balloon gives to the boy with how it refuses to pop. From this we see that no matter what people say or feel about the Jews, they will always be there and cannot be taken away. They have there own life to live like anyone else, no matter what their religion or beliefs. From this we get the link to Larkin with another poem due to the notion of being different or out of place compared to other people. The poem I find that shows this would be Talking in Bed due to how the couple appear within the book. Generally we would think of a couple that would be in love and happy with eachother but this couple is different to others. Larkin portrays this notion of them not saying anything to not upset the other and so sit in silence, they keep quiet to not upset their partner and are classed out of the word with how isolation is brought into this. Larkins poem links to Red Balloon with how the persona appears to be placed as different due to being a Jew and also the thought of this red balloon being the only one around. It is bright, and eye catching making it different to everyone that sees it. From within this poem we therefore see the key themes are religion and isolation.

A Scene from Married Life - Dannie Abse

From this poem we then see a sudden difference to how Abse talks about his wife to the audience. Through this poem we see that this really is a different side to what we see from couples and therefore fits into the title well. With having the title named, "A Scene from Married Life" we see that this is one side that hardly anyone can see behind all the smiles and laughs. This poem is about an argument Abse and his wife have had and fits in well with the title due to the fact that it is one of many scenes within someones marriage.
From this poem we see that they were trying to get back at one another through the phrase, "fast barbed words that made the other squirm and fed flushed indignatiom, verbel revenge". From this we see that they were both trying to hurt each other and both wanted revenge due to this argument. Abse portrays the notion that there is no love when they are trying to fight, but merely greed for each one is trying to make the other more hurt then what they feel. It is a game of greed towards these partners. We also see a similar come into the poem through the second stanza which implies to us that their marriage is dying, "a dead bird eaten by the early worm". Abse has twisted the usual saying of the early bird catches the worm and placed into a different aspect. From this we see that the higher status (the bird) has fallen and is now being eaten by the much weaker prey of the worm. From this we get the impression that Abse has regretted his actions and now feels like this. He is the dead bird and regrets all what he has said to his wife but appears as though she has not.
Abse then goes on to talking about the sea and how dangerous and frustrated it appears. We see the notion of him comparing to his wife with the words "fussy sea" and we see that he is describing how he and his wife is through the similarities in nature. Larkin does this within various poems and a good example of this would be Here. Within that poem we see that Larkin explains the use of the scenery to tell us the true fact of human nature and how unprepared we are for anything throughout. Both poets express their opinions within nature but with different meaning. Larkin uses nature to inform us that we are never certain on what we are going to do next, while Abse coninues to be a far more personal poet to us with writing about the link he has between him and his wife through nature.
With Abse also talking about the film we get two different possible meanings that are from the poem. One would be that Abse feels as though the argument is all a natural process within any married life and like a movie, will continue on as though nothing has occured and hope for a hollywood ending. The other meaning would be the fact that it takes time to heal and like how a movie takes time to be made, Abse' marriage will take time to recover from this argument.
From within the final stanza we see the thought that what ever happens to him and his wife, they will continue to fight no matter what. With having Abse sit at his desk and can hear the children instead of his own writing, we see that no matter how much he tries to block it out, fights will always occur between the married couple. It is a natural process but has a negative side towards it.
Another poem that would link to this by Larkin would Talking In Bed for it portrays the notion of a couple not doing anything so neither one can get hurt. Both poets express the notion of a couple finding it hard to talk without hurting the other partner and therefore show us a common link.

Last Visit to 198 Cathedral Road - Dannie Abse

From this poem we are able to see that Abse is talking about a room within his parents house which appears to be dark and gloomy towards the audience. We get the sense that the theme of neglection is shown within the first and second stanza and links into the poem Home is so Sadas it describes the room that appears lonely and unwanted. Larkin and Abse both perform a view on lonliness occuring within their poems and with the use of metaphors and personification, we see just that.
Throughout this poem created by Abse we also see that he is too talking about the contrast between life and death. Throughout this poem he uses various words which portray this meaning and also comes across to the reader that the persona has a harsh and cruel voice when the poem is spoken due to these words. Examples of these words would be the contrast between the phrase, "Living room, did I say? Dying room, rather". From this contrast we see that even in places that imply a sense of warmth and happiness with having people you love within this room, there is always a notion that you can still be alone and silent. This room implies to us also the belief that no matter what we do or place within a room we will always die. This links into the notion that Larkin presents within his poems about how we live and do not realise that time is a key essence throughout our lives and we are not aware of this until we come close to death. Larkin and Abse both portray the sense of lonliness, death and isolation well within this poem by Abse, as well as Home Is So Sad by Larkin. Another poem that would link to this thought would be Mr Bleaney with how he portrays the sense of lonliness now that Mr Bleaney has moved out. Both rooms appear to be unwanted and unloved and have lost their magic with how dark and sinister they appear to the audience through the use of similies. A good one that Abse uses within his poem is the first line, "When, like a burglar".

Abse uses a great deal of personification to inform us what is in the room and how this room feels now that no one enters it. As he sits within his father chair we see that "the vase that yawned hideously the pattern that ran up the curtain... in the room that was out of breath" and we are informed in how much has been affected due to being alone. Abse states within these phrases that this room is also old like his father that sat in that chair. We also see this due to the great deal of dust that has been collected in the room over time and this poem is a great deal like Home Is So Sad by Larkin.
We also see that this poem is about saying good bye with the name of the poem having "Last Visit". This suggest to us further that he is unable to return and makes the poem appear far more mourning due to this thought.
Altogether this poem is a good example of how similar Abse and Larkin are at writing about lonliness and death.

A Winter Visit - Dannie Abse

From this poem the audience is able to see that Abse is talking about his mother and how age has affected her. From within this poem we get key words and description which enable us to portray what Abse is trying to say to the audience. From within the first stanza we see the line, "too cold, the usual peacocks do not screech and neighbouring lights come on before its dark." suggests to us how lifeless and cruel the local park appears to Abse due to the sudden change to the season. Winter is portrayed as to being cold and dark and gloomy and is shown with the description Abse has given to us with the detail of the peacocks. There is also the notion that there is little colour within this scene for winter gives just one simple colour whilst other seasons provide a wide range of colours towards the audience.
Throughout this poem we get the sense of colours becoming faded throughout due to various words such as "spring forth all the colours". This portrays a sense of welcoming and warmth that is provided from the peacocks tail once its opened but is rarely seen within the winter days due to the cold causing the colours to become lost and withered. The sense of of loss is also shown with how his mother is now "so aged and so frail" implying to us that her time of being bright and colourful within her life has come to an end. She is now withering like a flower and closing up.
From within another stanza we also see the phrase "I inhabit a white coat not a black" which informs to us that he has to act professional due to his white coat but its coming close to him having to wear the black coat for his mother is slowly dying due to her age.
From within this poem we see the connections towards Abse and Larkin through various poems. Both poets show the themes of loss, aging and time, death and love. From these themes we are able to see that some key poems that would link into A Winter Visit would be Reference Back, Love Songs in Age and Send No Money. From these poems we are able to see the links between the poems such as Reference Back to be on the bond between a parent and child and the love they share for each other. There is also the sense of loss within that poem for Larkin suggests the seperation between these two people whilst Abse is portraying the slow decay of this women which is resulting in a far greater loss.
There is also the link to the poem Love Songs in Age for it is showing the reader how time passes by without our acknowledgement. This is shown in Larkins poem due to the memories that are brought from these music sheets which show us how easily we are able to forget within time. Abse also portrays this due to the fact of how time has rapidly gone by since his mother is now old and frail and has little time left to live. Abse also portrays this to the notion of all the colours being faded once winter has come to show this sense of how time has taken over.
Finally the poem of Send No Money links into Abse work due to the notion of time once more. When Larkin wrote this he was at the age of forty and we see how quick half his life has gone by him so easily throughout this poem.
There is still that notion of each poet being different on connecting to the audience. Larkin still appears to be dull and cold towards the readers whilst Abse remains as the warming and personal poet throughout these poems so far.

The Malham Bird - Dannie Abse

From with just reading this poem by the poet Abse, the audience is able to get the impression of a memory occuring from his past with his wife. We see that the key themes within this poem are based upon memory and love due to how much he can remember about his time spent with his wife and how he enjoyed it portraying a positive approach towards the audience. We see his love for her wife the words, "Dear wife" and how close he is to her but also with how different they are due to the fact that he is a Jew whilst she is not and is seen within the last line of the stanza. He gives descriptions of the room where they stayed and of what they did which shows us that Abse is a personal poet for we get the impression that he treasures this memory in his life very much and gives him happiness to talk about it.
As we continue to look through this poem we see that the birds is based upon a religious theme with how it lives in paradise forever due to the fact it did not eat the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden. From the line, "when others singing pecked forbidden fruit" we get the thought of these birds being restricted and unable to have the full benefit of life due to this notion of their being rules. We see that the birds have however followed the rules and have benefited with making the right choice for they are being able to sing.
From within this poem we see that Abse has provided us with this positive imagery of a memory and has used a wide range of metaphors to portray that to us. On this poem we are able to make similarities and differences towards the two poets due to the themes and ideas they provide to us. A similarity to this poem would be the theme links of religion, memory and love. A key poem that fits well into The Malham Bird would be The Whitsun Weddings due to how they portray a positive approach to a couple that love each other. Although there is some negativity within Larkin's writing we do see that he is mainly describing the whole scene whilst Abse is more focused on the couple and the moment they are sharing together. This also allows us to link to the poem As Bad As A Mile due to the point about the Garden of Eden and the forbidden fruit within the tree. From this we see that both poets believe that our lives our controlled by rules and we are constantly restricted. However a differerence from these two poets would be how Larkin is more of an observer within his poems whilst Abse is able to connect much easier to his audience due to the fact that he is more personal and open within his writing.

Naturally The Foundation Will Bear Your Expenses - Larkin

From this short poem we can see that the first stanza is about Larkin trailing around the world to show his lecture notes before he is able to have it published on radio. From this we get various words which show this occuring such as "Comet", "Bombay" and "Chatto". From these words we see that he is travelling to Bombay to deliver his lecture once more and the Chatto being a publisher that he is able to have his work published after he has done this.
From the middle stanza we see it change to a negative view towards the day known as Remembrance Day. From this we get various words such as "solemn-sinister" which imply to us that the Government is putting on an act for all the men that have lost their lives and not really being sympathetic. They are showing a solemn face to the public making it sinister for they are not really feeling what families and friends of those men truly feel. It is placed as also being ironic for they are showing the public that they care and yet continue to send soldiers out to fight in wars.
From the phrase, "Had made my taxi late" and "colourless" we see that Larkin has little care towards these people dressed in black for he nearly missed his plane abroad. He finds it to be tedious and we see a very cruel attack from Larkin from the words "Wreath-rubbish".
From the final stanza we see Larkin take the thought of England to be childish and not grown up due to the fact that they still go on about fallen men all those years ago. From the line, "O When will England grow up?" we see that he is critical on how England is managed and does not like what is occuring in society.
Finaly we see Larkin change back as though nothing has occured with talking of going to the south and meeting this Professor. Throughout this poem we see the satire of academics being brought in and really the persona lacks sentiment and pity throughout this poem towards the death.

Toads Revisited - Larkin

Before Larkin wrote Toads Revisited he wrote a poem named Toads in which he described the life of working with metaphors related to toads. From this we got a very negative impression with various words such as "soil", "sickening poison" and "toad-like". From these words we see that Larkin is informing us readers that work is suffercating and causes us great sadness and pain. He then goes into this state where he fantisises and ends the poem with stating to the audience that he is no better then the people that are toad-like. He is also like this and we see brutal self critisism being shown by Larkin therefore stating to us that he is unimaginative, uncreative and unadventuous.
When he goes into his new poem of Toads Revisited we see that Larkin is still watching as he does in many poems such as The Whitsun Weddings.
Throughout the first seven stanzas we see that Larkin is showing the negative side to all the people that do not work. From the words "vague" and "Waxed-fleshed" we see that he pictures these non working people to be dumb and not alive. They are not clear, not focused and are not self aware.
From the phrase, "By being stupid or weak" we see that Larkin is portraying that if you do not work you are stupid and you are weak and he is not like them for he does work. Larkin does not wish to end up like them and choses to work so he is not classed as being that.
As we move on to the eigth stanza we see that this is Larkin's acceptance for work has enabled him to have a routine and he is addicted to work. He will not become one of them due to the fact that he is addicted to his work so will never be shown as stupid or weak. This is shown from the words "No" and "my" which suggests to us that he is addicted and also with the pro noun of "my" we see that work is desirable to him and its his own personal piece.
From the final stanza we see that personification is used with the phrase, "old toad" and from the final line we see that work helps Larkin through his life all the way until death. The phrase "old toad" is given off as being friendly and affectionate which allows the audience to see a good relationship between him and work.
Throughout this poem we have been able to see that work has enabled Larkin to remain young and focused but idealy has enabled him to have a purpose and an identity. This is a positive poem compared to many others he has done but concludes with the thought that this poem is really an answer to the poem Days.
This poem shows us that work is there to give Larkin a reason and a meaning to life and is therefore positive towards the audience.

Sunny Prestatyn - Larkin

From within this poem we are able to see the descriptive detail of an image of a girl on a poster. From this we are able to see many descriptive words which inform us a more negative side to this simple poster. From the phrase "snaggle-toothed and boss-eyed; Huge tits and a fissured crotch" we get the impression of a negative childish view similar to playground bullying. We see that this image is pornographic graffitti set about to be made as a laugh and a joke towards people. This shows that this was widely ideal for mens attentions and to catch there eye even if it was a humourous and something to snigger about. From the word "slapped up" we get the impression of women being tossed about or beaten physically. We also get the thought of a women slapping on make-up to make herself more attractive towards the men but we mainly get this negative aspect of the women being knocked about by a man. This presents degrading language towards the readers and gives us the chance to empathetic towards the vandalism that has occured. Even though from the first stanza we are given the description of a beautiful women and the notion of being welcomed we see that violence is able to easily destroy this beauty and is shown within the final stanza.
From within the final stanza we see a disturbing side towards Larkin with the word "knife" being brought into the poem. From this we see that there is a lack of respect occuring towards this image and to this women. We see that they are there to cause her pain and to let their anger out showing how violent men can be and how vulnerable women are.
From the line, "She was too good for this life" we see that this women did not deserve this sort of treatment and she is now damaged and hurt due to mens careless actions. She has been torn and not cared for leaving her to be nothing more then a wripped and unwanted pornographic piece of graffitti. From the final line "Now Fight Cancer is there" we see that another vulnerable group has been put in her place and will easily become victimised by these people once more. There is always a constant battle occuring and we have been shown the truth when the poster has been taken down and left with a blank wall. All these posters are illusions and when there is just a blank wall we see that is how our society truly is.

Essential Beauty - Larkin

From reading this poem we are able to see that it is idealy about the world of advertising and how it is placed towards us. From the first stanza we get the impression that our life should be like the advertisements with the phrase, "Of how life should be". From this we are informed that we should live like this due to the modal word and is a necessity. From various words such as, "giant", "cover" and "block" we get a negative perspective from these adverts. From the word "giant" we see that it is overwhelming and dominant to the audience. From "cover" we see that we are hidden or shut up from reality and have these adverts to overwhelm us and confuse us. Finally from "block" we also see this obscuring of the real world to have occured. This first stanza is full of colour and is portrayed with the hints of familiar food adverts that we are still aware of today such as Hovis bread and Birds custard. As we continue through this stanza we get the phrase, "High above the gutter A silver knife sinks into golden butter". From this we see the appearance of class and how the working and upper class are stated in this poem. This is a hyperbole which presents the thoughts of being excessive and artificial and in reality what ever class you are from, all of them are within the gutter for these advertisements confuse them of what is real and what is fake. We also get the notion of an illusion occuring in this poem due to how he explains the happy and loved families in this stanza. From this we see that this is how we are all meant to appear and is a key imagery throughout the poem.
As we move to the next stanza we then see the notion of being blinded from the truth being shown with key words and phrases. From "Pure coldness to our live imperfect eyes" we see that we are unable to see clearly and our judgement to be foggy. The advertisement has clouded our minds and we do not know what reality is any more. It feels inadequate to us and unrealistic.There is also the thought of there being no emotion, love or compasion from this phrase informing us that this is not reality these people are seeing. As we continue through this poem we then see that all these things that are being advertised are taking effect on the people and we see pentioners paying more for cups of tea and people smoking and not realising the effect this has upon them. From the words, "Granny Graveclothes' Tea" we see that this appears negative and as though it is preparing you for death. The quote of "dying smokers" shows us the long term effect smoking has upon people which is not shown on advertisements. Smokers are really killing themselves without knowing they are due to these adverts informing us that they are really lying to everyone in society. From the final line in the stanza stating, "Smiling, and recognising, and going dark" that really we are not aware and do not realise was is really occuring until we have died and making it seem too late. There are also many contrasts within this poem such as the real family and the fake family, the clarity change from each stanza and also the contrast to youth and age. From all these we see that Larkin is portraying to us that really we are being lied to everyday without even becoming aware until it is too late to do anything about it.

Afternoons - Larkin

From the first stanza provided by Larkin, the audience is able to see that this poem is informing us of women and their children. Throughout this poem we get the image of how women are similar towards the nature that Larkin has portrayed in this stanza. From the trees we see that women are the roots within any family and we also see a metaphor from the phrase, "Summer is fading". From this the notion of the life being sucked out of these mothers is shown and the thought of all the excitement from love and marriage is slowly fading away. From the words "young mothers" we see that this is their only identity within the sixties and how they were unable to work but to merely tend to the children within that time. Finally the last line in this stanza portrays to us that this is a rite of passage and a passing of youth that is to occur but we get the thought of a Larkin asking us a question. Who is being set free? The mothers or the children? From allowing the mothers to do this it gives us the impression of irresponsibility and abondonment.
From the next stanza we see that they are different compared to the men due to the words, "skilled trades". With Larkin stating this we see that women have to spend all their time with the children whilst the men work, leaving the men little time with the children. Women have no means to earn a living and are placed as being dependant and trapped.
From the phrase, "Our Wedding, lying" we see that individuality occur with how two people were connected and united in this time but have now slowly drifted apart. Those are their memories but are different now due to the fact that they are fading fast. They are being pushed aside to be able to work and to tend to the children. This is also a juxtaposition due to the fact that lying can be seen as being ambigious amd untrue stating that love is really an illusion within this poem.
As we move onto the final poem we see that the word "acorns" implies to us the developement of children growing up. This imagery allows us to see that the children want to be able to find themselves without their parents involvement and to become independant.
From the final four lines we are able to see that there is the notion of responsibility of the parent and how they have more freedom and youth when away from home, as do the children. We also see the use of make-up with how it is congealed upon their faces to cover things up, cover the identity and shows us that really life does not flow.
Empathy is shown in this poem although Larkin states the notion of how careless young people can be with having several children.

MCMXIV - Larkin

From this poem that Larkin has created we are able to see that it is about the enlisting of men for the First World War.
From within the first stanza we get the imagery of these young men and how they appear to look towards the enlisting. From the phrase, "The Oval or Villa Park" we see that they are not aware of what they are allowing themselves in for. They do not know what the whole consequence of war is and from this line we see that they are waiting as though it was a mere cricket or football match. They are acting brave but are secretly scared of what is to come and their mood appears to be quite and silent. They are putting on an act in front of all the other men and to them they think that is to merely be a holiday and shall be home in time for christmas, although that is not the case in 1914. We also see that it is presented as a bit of a laugh and a performance due to the final line in this stanza.
Within the second we see what it was like within that time of the war with more imagery from Larkin. We see how much things have changed due to the war such as the pubs being opened all day every day but changed due to the soldiers returning home and drinking. From this we are able to picture a traditional english country pub and we see the use of the currency within that time.
The third stanza we then get more imagery of how the countryside appears within the summer and the time of the harvest. Throughout this description we see the notion of how the upper class continue to live within their houses with little thought of the war occuring. From the line, "Shadowing Domesday lines" we get the thought of a depressing and mournful scene and how the countryside has been left unattended and unloved for now that the men have gone to fight in the war. "The place names all hazed over" begins to also shows us how cautious people became with removing signs so incase of invasion they were unable to know where they were.
From stanza four we see from, "Never such innocence, Never before or since, As changed itself to past Without a word" that a change in society has occured. Things will never be the same again due to the war and we also see the notion of how different the upper and working class are from each other. From the war ending however we begin to see the equality occur from these two classes and the notion of what the men have witness is a great deal horrific when they return back from the war. From the final lines within this stanza we then see that love and marriage was able to last a bit longer for the women felt it best that the men thought there was someone that loved and cared for them whilst they were away at war, giving them more of a reason to try and come home. Although many women might not of loved their men, they still wanted them to try and fight and return home safely showing us a different kind of love from Larkin. Finally from "a little while longer; Never such innocence again" we see that in all what ever happens we are all going to die anyway and also the notion that the war has destroyed more then what we have expected it to.

Short Poems 3; As Bad As A Mile and First Sight - Larkin

From another of Larkin's short stories we see the imagery of an apple portrayed from the poem As Bad As A Mile. We see this use of imagery from the word "core" which implies to us of not only being an apple but also the religious view of being temptation like the apple within the Garden of Eden. From this we get the impression of Larkin showing his religious views into the context once more and is portrayed with the first line mentioning this apple. As we continue onto the next line we then see the notion of a mistake occuring with the phrase, "Striking the basket, skidding across the floor". From this we get the interpretation of this showing that life is a game of chance and that within our lives failure is a common thing to happen. However due to this phrase we see that failure occurs much more then expected and from the final line in the first stanza we see that really the persona's luck is deteriorating fast from the short and simple stanza. The audience is also able to see that the rhyme within this poem is linked to each seperate poem such as all final words rhyming in the first stanza and all final words rhyming in the second stanza.
As we move onto the final stanza of this short poem we begin to see an enjambment occuring in the first line and we get the interpretation of religious views being shown once more with the word "unbitten" in the final line of the stanza. From this we get the thought of the fruit within the Garden of Eden to be forbidden and shows us that Adam and Eve were not the only ones to be restricted, but really we are all restricted in life due to various rules that we must follow every day. Temptation is a key theme within our lives that we cannot always overcome and has the clear image of that within Larkin linking this theme into the story of Adam and Eve within the Garden of Eden.

 

The final short poem that we are provided with from Larkin is known as First Sight. From this poem we can easily see it to be pleasant and cheerful unlike many of his other poems. Throughout this poem we see the continuous flow of rhymes and the image of a new born lamb opening its eyes for the first time portraying the title of First Sight.

From the first stanza we are provided with a range of positive imagery but also has negative aspects occuring from certain words that Larkin has used. The word "unwelcome" and "Nothing" implies to us readers that there is a notion to the theme of death and we see that although birth can be a joyful and wonderful experience we also see the point that it can also come across as being like death for they are both unpredictable. We also get this view on death occuring in the poem with the word "cold" for it states to us that coming into a new world will be a shock and surprise to these lambs showing us that they will always have a constant battle or struggle as they live through their lives. From within the second and final stanza we see the positive aspects shown once more with the notion of the lambs mother being close by. From this we see that they are being guided and watched over by someone that cares for them and also gives us the sense of God due to how he is known to be watching over all of us. We then see the notion  of life being unpredictable and unknown to us with the words, "immeasureable surprise" showing that life has the contrast of excitement but also worry. Larkin then ends with the final line of "Utterly unlike the snow" which implies to us that all things change except for the nature of weather. This is a hopeful phrase given towards the audience and informs to us that life continues to develop and grow making us see a different side to Larkin compared to his poems ending in the similar consequence of death.



The Large Cool Store and Take One Home For The Kiddies - Larkin

From within this poem we see that Larkin is being very negative towards the working class with various words and phrases we uses throughout his writing. From various words such as "heaps", "cheap clothes" and "Machine-embroided" we get the impression of Larkin to be stating these clothes that are within the store to be made robotically and unnatural. He is also suggesting to us of how the clothes are not placed in neat piles but in heaps making us get the negative appearance of these clothes not being well cared for even if they are cheap. He then continues to be rude towards the working class people with stating that they keep in "clusters" and are not within his society and are placed in "that world". Larkin has excluded them from his class and clearly states that he does not want to be with the groups of the working class. We however begin to see the more common sympathetic side of Larkin as we get to the final stanza.
From the phrase, "our young unreal wishes" we get the impression of these working class people wanting a life like Larkins but are never able to get it. We are then gettting the similar connection that we are use to once more with Larkin and the thought of empathy being brought back into the poem once again. From the line How seperate and unearthly love is" we see more empathy and the notion that the working class buy these items and shows us that their love is different. They are never able to get their desires of true love and romance due to the fact they are working class but in general we are all the same when it comes to love. This is also able to link into various poems on love such as Talking in Bed, Love Songs in Age and An Arundel Tomb.

 

From the very short and simple poem known as Take One Home For The Kiddies we see that this poem is about the life of pets. Throughout this poem we can see how quickly it is when having the pet and how quickly time goes by when you see the pet die. We also get the thought that the parents are either doing this to stop their children from nagging them with buying the pet or they are doing this to show that nothing lasts forever and a pet is a good example of this. From the ending lines in each stanza of which the children talk we see that really this is all a game to them and are eager when the next one starts. From the first line of, "Mam, get us one of them to keep" we are implied of how fun it is to look and care for a pet and the enjoyment it is to have one. From the second line of, "Mam, we're playing funerals now" we see that they are not aware of what has occured and find all of life to be a game. Time has passed and the animal has now died but the children find it all a game for they do not understand society for they are just children.

An Arundel Tomb - Larkin

From the first stanza in this poem the audience is able to pick up the description that Larkin has provided to us. Some of the key words that are within this stanza are "blurred", "vaguely" and "stiffened" which all enable us to create the image. From the word "blurred" we get the impression of erosion taking place and a memory to have occured there but also the sense that it is natural and now apart of the furniture. From the word "stiffened" we are able to imply that this has the theme of knights and the status of nobility being mentioned within this poem. Finally from the word "vaguely" we also see the theme of erosion take place once more and the fact that during the years the sharpness of this statue has aged, causing the stone to wither.
From within the second stanza there is one particular line which stands out compared to the others. From the line, "a sharp tender shock" we see that there is the use of alliteration but also an oxymoron occuring in the piece. This provides the reader a surprising or alarming thought to come across them for this shows us the emotional or empathetic side of Larkin to be shown. We are able to see that Larkin is able to feel emotion but cannot express it and this is one poem that can show this easily as well as other poems like The Whitsun Weddings and Faith Healer.
The third stanza provides us with a great deal of analysis about the tomb itself. From the first line we can see that the couple had no conception that after many centuries their tomb would still be visited by many people. From the next few lines we then see more alliteration which implies to us that anyone is able to go and see this tomb but within the time of this tomb being created we see that it was a private tomb for close family and friends to visit.
Finally within the last lines of the third stanza we see from the line "A sculpture's sweet commissioned grace" that this was a happy accident or whim. This shows to us readers that in that time it had little significance but for us it has far more meaning and depth into it. We then finally see that the family had Latin writing around the tomb to show off to their servants and other people of their power and influence.
From the rest of the poem we see that various links to it being a long time ago due to words that associate servants and workers and the coat of arms each house had within that era. The only question we have towards this poem is that we are unaware if the couple had any love for each other. From the sculpture we instantly think they loved each other greatly but will never be known and is left with the fact at the end of the poem stating that, "What will survive of us is love".

Send No Money - Larkin

From within the first stanza of this image we are able to see that the persona is in the mind of a child and is personifying time. From the words, "Impendent belly" we see that it is hanging and appears unpleasant to the audience. We then see the persona wanting to know what is his life to be like in the future due to the phrase, "Tell me the truth". As we continue through the stanza we then see that from various phrases such as, "itching to have a bash" and "wanting", we see that Larkin is the only one wanting to sit and watch all what is to happen in the future, whilst other children of his age are just going around living their lives and not caring on what is to come. This is Larkins desire.
Throughout the whole of the second stanza the audience sees how Larkin waits excitedly to be told of the future and we see him begin to think and observe. This clearly portrays to us that Larkin is suggesting to us readers that we will get the answers more easily if we just sit and watch. From this stanza we are able to make the links of him being an observer to The Whitsun Weddings, Dockery and Son, Ambulances, Self's the Man and Mr Bleaney, for in each of these poems we see that Larkin or the persona are observing or some elements of observing are taken place.
From within the last stanza we see the sudden reality that Larkin has watched over people's lives and come to realise he is now forty with the first line. We are also provided with another personification, this time being of death with the words, "bestial visor". From the lines, "What does it prove? Sod all. In this way I spent youth" we see various different thoughts placed within these lines. From the question that Larkin has been asked we see that he begins to doubt whether he should of sat and watched all those people's lives go by, or should he of got involved and lived his life. From the words, "Sod all" we see that really Larkin is no better off either way and from the final piece of these lines we see that he is unsure and holds a negative impact towards the audience. This poem is however about something that Larkin brought and felt it was a waste of his time and money. Due to this poem we see that this poem is therefore not against youth but the theme of jealousy brought in due to the fact that they have lost it. Poems that also link into the thought of regret and lost- youth would be Dockery and Son, Home Is So Sad, Wild Oats, Love Songs in Age and many others that portray this sense.

Short Poems 2; Nothing To Be Said and Water - Larkin

From Nothing To Be Said we see that from within the title Larkin is stating that due to the fact we cannot change what will happen to us, there is nothing that we can say to make it better. As we continue in to the stanza we see that there is unpleasant and cold images being placed into the poem with the words, "stone" and "vague as weeds". Throughout this stanza we are provided with a grotesque setting that shows a cold and cruel landscape which is where people keep close to their families and their lives. From the final line in this stanza, "Life is slowly dying" we see that repitition is used to make it appear more realistic to the reader that death cannot be changed.
As we move onto the middle stanza we then see that from the word "building" we get a positive and negative aspect shown from Larkin. The positive being that we are able to adapt and change and grow in our surroundings to make things easier or better for our own lives. The negative side to this is that no matter where you live to keep you safe, the only thing that can harm you is death or the notion of constantly thinking of protecting yourself from death.
Throughout the rest of the stanza we see that memories and dreams are being brought in with the final three lines in this stanza.
As we move to the final stanza we then see two different thoughts occuring within the final three lines. From the lines, "And saying so to some Means nothing; others it leaves Nothing to be said" we are able to get two different perspectives. The thoughts would be that some people do not think about death and continue to live their lives, whilst others are too scared to think about death and try to not think about it. Overall what ever we do in life, we will all die in the end.

The next short poem of Larkin's known as Water holds a very religious side to it. From the words "church" and "different clothing" the audience is able to see the effort and love people have for religion and how they respect due to the fact they have certain clothes to just go to church. We also get the image of water due to the words "fording", "sousing" and "drench". This gives us a further impression of the poem becoming more intense. Also the word "sousing" implies of being drunken which suggests to us that people are easily able to become greedy of life's natural items that we have, like water. From the final stanza we are able to make the notion of new beginnings due to the line, "raise in the east". From the final two lines we see that there is a hopeful image portrayed to us with "any-angled light" to show that anyone, even the readers, could be awaken. Finally there is the word "congregate" informing us of everyone coming together all to go to church for.

Short Poems; Ignorance and Days - Larkin

From within this first short poem known as Ignorance we are able to see that Larkin states his own beliefs using various types of language.
In the first stanza from the phrase, "never to be sure Of what is true or right or real" we see clearly that this is Larkin's own doubts on what is to occur in the future. It suggests to us readers that we will never be able to fully know what is to occur within our future for it alwats changes with every decision we make. We are also to see that we are able to imagine or create what we want for our future and get that confused with reality.
Throughout the second stanza Larkin is mainly being an observer with explaining various objects and shapes.
As we lead on to the last stanza we then see a similar theme that Larkin is commonly known for. We get the theme of death being portrayed to the readers and gives us the idea that Larkin is really an agnostic. The word "flesh" provides the audience with an unpleasant image with the use of the "sh" sound and gives us the sense of death due to the fact that it appears to not be living.

From within the poem Days we are able to see that Larkin provides us with a question on the very first line of his poem. From the question, "What are days for?" the audience is able to feel connected to the piece instantly for they are being asked of a specific question related to the poem. To my own response I say that it is to be lived in and to be able to make a change or difference for the better. This poem is made to appear simple due to there being short, sharp sentences presented to the audience. From the word "time" we are easily to see that Larkin is portraying to us that we are surrounded by time continuously and we revolve around it our whole life. Within the final stanza we get the lines, "Ah, solving that question Brings the priest and the doctor" which implies to us readers that these two people are of great importance throughout our lives. A priest and a doctor both see life at the beginning and at the end which implies to us that the second time we see them would be at death. This line suggests to us readers that all our days are up and that life is coming to an end. We are then ended on a positive note with "Running over the fields" for it appears heavenly and peaceful suggesting that there is life after death. From this poem we are able to see that Larkin is telling us that we go through life without knowing that time is rushing past us very quickly, and we are not aware of this until it is too late.

Faith Healing - Larkin

From within the first stanza of this poem we are able to see a clear description of the faith healer. From the word "glasses" we are able to inform that he has a professional expression but appears also business like too. His "silver hair" also links into the fact of him being experienced and also wise but also links towards the glasses of acting professional. From the line, "Persuade them onwards to his voice and hands" we see that it is sinister for he is hearding them like sheep and likes to rush them forward. Although the faith healer appears to be professional we see that he has little care or time for these women within the next two lines of the poem where they are given a certain time of his love. From seeing that he has an american voice we then also get the impression that he is forceful and aggressive for he does not ask the people that come for his help but rather shouts at them. This is typically media friendly being shown towards the audience due to his line. From him "scarcely pausing" we see that he is not interested in these women, he is only there to perform. We see from this that really he is not listening, this is all for profit and business and doing this all for himself. We then finally see that he wants to be above God with the words, "Directing God" for he states himself to be above him due to the amount of power he has. From within this first stanza the audience is able to clearly see that this faith healer is a con, a fake or a charlatan.
From within the second stanza the audience is then able to see that there is the representation of herding once more due to the word, "Sheepishly". The women, that are stated to be around middle age, are unable to control themselves and are portrayed as being weak and pathetic. From the phrase, "To reawake at kindness" we see that these women dont get any kindness or love when they are at home, the only time the get kindness is when they go see the faith healer. This then states to us that the women are alone and are vulnerable for they are desperate for love and care. From the next line on wards we see that there is some thoughts of being genuine in the poem for it shows belief to the women. Finally within this stanza we see religious words such as, "rejoice" and "joy arrives" telling us that the women are true believers and have true faith in this healer.
Finally within the final stanza we see that it is the persona talking to us with the phrase "What's wrong!". The audience then sees alliteration due to the words, "flowered frocks" which implies to us that the old women are lonely and that this point in the ladies lives are now wrong. We then get a large piece which implies to the audience different meanings that Larkin is suggesting to us. From the piece, "In everyone there sleeps A sense of life lived according to love" we see that it is idealised and shows us an image of what we want our lives to turn out. From the next piece stating, "To some it means the difference they could make By loving others" we are able to see that it gives a sense of purpose of loving over people. Being able to make a difference like a nurse or doctor is better for some people then how other people take it. The final piece states, "but across most it sweeps As all they might have done had they been loved". From this the audience is able to see the link to regret and that there is disapointment in their lives. They have not loved enough and questions if this is for not just the lonely women, but for all of us. Throughout the rest of the stanza we see that the faith healer is unable to cure or help with anything, and with the metaphor of the landscape the audience is able to see that it is illustrating the weather. Finally the word "ache" implies to the audience that it is the body thawing out due to the landscape description provided but also gives the sense of the ache being the need for love and desire. Throughout this poem we have seen that the writer has shown pity for the women have placed a great deal of trust and the desire into believing they can be cured by this healer when really it is all a performance.

The Importance of Elsewhere - Larkin

From the first stanza of this poem we are able to see that Larkin is talking about how uncomfortable it is to be in somewhere you do not know very well. From looking at the phrase, "strangeness made sense" we are able to see that not being able to fit in makes sense and that the rejection you get from the people you live there makes the persona feel more welcome. This here is a paradox within the first stanza telling us that the feeling of being different in Ireland is able to make him feel normal. Although the persona feels uncertain, lost and cut off from it all he is able to feel normal. From the phrase, "made me welcome" we also see that the difference made him feel welcome and he liked being abroad. He was not classed as being anti-social due to the fact that he is from abroad. This stanza is positive for he his connected but also isolated in his on way.
As we continue to the next stanza we see that it is a description of Ireland itself. This however shows us a negative image but it is stated that this is positive to him. It is unwelcoming due to the "draughty streets" and has the thought of being old and forgotten with the phrase, "Archaic smell of dockland". Alliteration is also used within this stanza and it ends with the sense of isolation being brought into the poem due to the word, "dwindling".
From within the final stanza we then see that this is from his description with how he has used "me" in the poem. From this we are able to learn that he is not able to be his true self for people have expectations of him in his usual surroundings. However when he is abroad all that is gone and he has escaped all of that. He is unable to be anti-social back at home due to the fact that people know him whilst being abroad allows him to have this excuse of being seperate to everyone else.
This poem is able to link to various other poems by Larkin all due to the theme of isolation. Some examples of these poems would be, Here, Dockery and Son, Self's the Man and Mr Bleaney. There is also the link towards one of Abse poems which is Leaving Cardiff.

A study of Reading Habits - Larkin

From within this poem created by Larkin we see that it is the persona talking through the different stages of aging. From within the first stanza we are able to see that this is a part of the persona's childhood when he was younger and what books did for him during that time. We are able to see that books helped him escape the bullies and thugs by the phrase "dirty dogs". We also see that the books made him imagine that he was within the books as one of the characters, preferably as the hero of the novel. This is shown with the phrase, "Cured most things" for it showed that he was able to escape and be free within these books.
As we move on to the middle stanza we see that this is a description of the persona's teenage years but still has that hold of being childlike. We can see from the word "lark" that people still bully and make fun of him and also the appearance of this childlike theme with the phrase, "Me and my coat and fangs". This portrays to the reader that he is still acting like a child for he is dressing up and acting like a young school boy. From this we do not get a very serious image portrayed to us. Throughout the rest of the stanza however we get a change of imagery to it being very light-hearted and exciting images towards the reader. From this we see the change in the persona to be moving on to a different genre of books. He has moved onto the more romantic/erotic side which allow him to give himself more thrills unlike the other books he use to read when he was younger.
When we move on to the final stanza we then see a key phrase in the first line stating, "Don't read much now" which implies to us the sudden change aging has occured upon the persona. For the persona, the books have not changed but he has in general. They have lost their magic for him and instead of relating himself to the hero in the book he is portraying himself to being the coward. His imagination and ability to get make into these books is no longer there. From within this poem by Larkin we can see that there are a range of negative aspects on age, loneliness and the loss of imagination and escape. Poems that are able to relate to this would be Wild Oats, Broadcast and finally Love Songs in Age.