A Letter from Ogmore - Dannie Abse

From this poem created by Abse the audience is able to make the link that he is talking of the theme time and how it has slowly drifted by us. From looking at time throughout these stanzas we are able to see that with the use of a few historical names such as "Hiroshima? Auschwitz?".We also see within the first two stanzas the use of repitition with the phrase, "Goodbye, 20th Century" which also shows us that the persona is talking about the past and the impact it has had to many people throughout the years with various events that have taken place.
As we continue through the poem we also see the the persona is speaking as though he is becoming part of the history and the past with the phrase, "nostalgia is becoming history". From this we see that he has this longing of a certain period within the past and is so desperate that he is beginning to try to push himself into that memory of the past that was within the 20th Century.
"A genealogy of ghosts" also links into this reference of the past, due to how it states that in time his friends and many others have began to make their ancestrial chain grow. This is a good example of linking to the poem by Larkin known as An Arundel Tomb. This poem links due to how it shows the notion of time quickly passing and the whole thought of things becoming old and ancient over this period of time. From An Arundel Tomb we get the use of medieval imagery coming through by Larkin whilst with Abse we get a more up to date time period that the audience would be much more aware of.
We also see the notion of loved ones fading due to the phrase, "Goodbye, I-must-leave-you-Dolly, goodbye Lily Marlene".  From looking at this we are able to see that we have no power with what occurs and as time continues on we begin to lose people that are close to us and this phrase shares the reference that losing loved lost ones is commen with the aging of time.
Another key phrase within Abse' poem is the questioning of the future with, "Has the Past always a future?". From this the audience is able to see a notion of Abse' beliefs or doubts throughout this poem. From this line we are able to depict that there is questioning of whatever has occured in the past, might not be certain of a future. A possibility of this would World War one and two due to how many soldiers lost their lives and ended up with no future but are now placed as being parts of the past. This is a key example from what I believe Abse is trying to say towards the audience. Another poem by Larkin that would link to this notion would be MCMXIV for its rememberance to the past of the First World War. Larkin talks of how it was within the past and I feel from the point I made from Abse, it is also representing the past towards an event like this.
Within the final stanza we see that the time has now caught up to our era and we see the drastic change that has occured from before. We see that this also links into the poem Here by Larkin due to how it talks about scenery and the imagery it portrays to the readers.