Philip Larkin and Carol Ann Duffy

Mr Bleaney (Larkin) Themes: Alienation/isolation Society

"He was at the bodies" - ambiguous phrase - death - work Poorly maintained room - "flowered curtains thin and frayed" Triplets - builds up dense imagery. Relates to bleak and sad atmosphere.

Prayer (Duffy) Themes: The Meaning of Life

'Prayer' is one of Carol Ann Duffy's most popular and widely-studied poems, and packs an impressive emotional punch in just fourteen lines. But how does Duffy create such a powerful poem out of some very ordinary things - practising piano scales, or the BBC Shipping Forecast? We're going to offer some notes towards an analysis of 'Prayer', which can be read here. In summary, 'Prayer' locates the mystical or numinous experiences and feelings to be found in our everyday lives, especially at times when we feel despair or emptiness: the musical sound of the wind through the trees, someone practising musical scales on a piano, or the name of a lost child. A man hearing the sound of a train chugging across the landscape is suddenly reminded, unexpectedly, of his childhood, and his Latin lessons (the repetition of Latin vocabulary lessons, such as learning how to conjugate the verb, often has its own rhythm: e.g. in the famous example of 'love', amo, amas, amat). The suggestion is that, although such moments fall short of actual religious experience (Latin is associated with Christianity thanks to the Latin mass, but the memory here is of learning the language, not necessarily in the context of Catholicism), they verge on the spiritual even though they are grounded in more secular and everyday routines and situations. 'Prayer' is a Shakespearean sonnet (also known as an English sonnet), as we can tell from its iambic pentameter rhythm and its rhyme scheme: ababcdcdefefgg. However, note the a rhyme and the g rhyme are, in fact, the same: prayer/stare/prayer/Finisterre (with 'Finisterre' not simply rhyming with, but repeating, 'stare'). 'Finisterre' rhymes with 'prayer', the word that not only ends the previous line also provides the poem with its title, as well as the final word of the poem's opening line. In other words, that rhyming couplet takes us back to the previous line of the poem but also the very beginning of the poem. This is significant not least because the word Duffy chooses to end the poem - Finisterre - is literally about ends: 'Finisterre' means 'the ends of the earth'. But in a sense, as T. S. Eliot had it in 'East Coker', 'In my end is my beginning'. Prayers are repeated calls, things we return to, things we iterate and reiterate, just as the Shipping Forecast is repeated at regular intervals every night on BBC radio. Why 'Finisterre' and the Shipping Forecast? Many people of a certain generation will recognise the names of the Shipping Forecast areas which Duffy mentions in that final line. But even those who recognise them as such would probably have difficulty pinpointing them on a map. We know them as names, names associated with the Shipping Forecast and the radio's daily routine - like a nightly prayer - of pronouncing these mysterious shibboleths: North Utzera, South Utzera, Dogger, German Bight, and so on. But the specific regions they denote are unknown to most who hear the names. Like a Latin mass in the pre-Reformation age, the names have a mysterious sound - impenetrable yet, we trust, filled with their own significance. This is why it's so apt that Duffy chooses to end her poem with 'Finisterre', given its Latin origin. Like the man recalling his Latin lessons at school, the name is half-remembered, veiling its own meaning, yet carrying a powerful sense of importance and familiarity, despite - perhaps even because of - its enigmatic qualities. Mind you, the name 'Finisterre' is now out of date: Finisterre ceased to exist under that name in 2002, when it was renamed after the Captain of Charles Darwin's ship HMS Beagle, Robert FitzRoy, in honour of his role as founder of the MET Office. (Curiously, given the subject of Duffy's poem, FitzRoy was a very strong Christian who opposed his shipmate Darwin's theory of natural selection, and later spoke out against evolution. No 'secular' prayers for him.) We wonder too whether Duffy had in mind, in that final couplet, the contrast of outside/inside which Philip Larkin had so memorably captured in 'Talking in Bed': 'Outside, the wind's incomplete unrest ...' he wrote, moving away from the two lovers isolated in bed together and panning outwards to consider the wider world beyond this scene. Duffy turns this on its head, moving from the world outside to the comforting sound of the radio indoors. 'Prayer' is one of Carol Ann Duffy's most moving poems, and a great way into her work. There's much to analyse and discuss in terms of her use of the sonnet form, her exploration of 'faith' and prayer in an increasingly non-religious age, and her choice of motifs and symbols - many of which focus on ideas of memory and remembrance.

The Windows (Duffy) Themes: Family life/domesticity Sense of place/journeys

5 Quatrains - idealised image Observer - larkinesque "How do you learn it?" - Double Meaning - Society has taught us to want it. Comment on class. People would have been taught to live like that. Envious. "Steaming casseroles and red wine" - idealised image. "Crimson curtains now against dark hours." - Crimson sexual colour passion curtains shut out all bad things. "a lover." caesura - emotional - has to stop.

Afternoons (Larkin) Themes: Family life/domesticity Presentation of Women

As the title suggests, the poem highlights the inevitability of change and the erosion of memories as afternoons signal the day drawing to a close- not yet old but no longer young, in a state of decline. The poem connects the idea of seasons with the passage of time through pathetic fallacy. "Summer is fading" and with it, beauty and vibrancy are disappearing. The emotive verb "fading" connotes the feeling of loss whilst also linking to the youth of the mothers beginning to wither. Much of the imagery is centred around decline ("the leaves fall", the "hollows of the afternoon"), however, this is compared to the "new recreation ground" and "unripe acorns" which highlight the contrast between the two. "Hollows" suggest an emptiness that is present in all afternoons. Pathetic fallacy and personification also appear with the statement "the wind is ruining their courting-places"- past memories of love are being blown away by a physical presence, symbolising destruction and removal, with wind offering a chilling shock that wakes people up to reality. The mothers themselves have faded into the past in the respect that the "lovers are all in school" now, suggesting that love is something immature and not an adult notion. The younger generation have taken over the mantle of love. Many of the verbs end in "ing", hinting at change creeping over the mothers. Marriage and families Inevitably, Larkin suggests, marriage leads to motherhood and loss of identity as the "young mothers" live a regimented life with little time for pleasure of their own. The fact that they "assemble" has formal connotations which present it as routine but also as an important event- the only time the mothers can gossip with one another instead of looking after their children. The alliteration of "swing and sandpit" emphasises the dull repetition of their lives. "An estateful of washing" (neologism-made-up word) constitutes life for the mothers-unpleasant and not enriching. The household chores are their only work, aside from looking after their children and their relationship has changed and been neglected like the places where they dated. The marriage videos are now "lying" discarded, with "lying" perhaps having a double meaning. A lie of love and happiness or just that marriage has been pushed aside and reduced? Larkin appears somewhat sympathetic in the last two lines, commenting that "someone is pushing them to the side of their own lives"- the mothers are just spectators in their own lives, the children are the main stars. These women are no longer so important as their lives have been superseded by their children at so young an age. They live only to serve their children, as these children "expect"- a command which traps the women. Ultimately, this family life leads to the passing of youth as shown in the metaphor, "their beauty has thickened". This may imply signs of age or also pregnancy if the children haven't been born so long back. Social Class The women of this poem are working-class. Larkin seems to suggest that getting pregnant young and whiling away the hours looking after children is typical of working-class women.-patronising. The children themselves are depicted as tyrants and animals who are set "free" to wreak havoc at the park. They are unrefined and wild, though the mothers also want to escape their entrapment like their children can sometimes. In terms of the fathers, these rarely get involved with domestic events and simply "stand" by, however, Larkin paints them at least in a better light by saying that they are "skilled"- they have a profession and trade (misogynistic) Their is no rhyme within the poem, perhaps because Larkin wants to deliver a clear and simple message.

Mean Time (Duffy) Themes: Regret/Disappointment

Carol Ann Duffy's poem 'Mean Time' is about loss of love and the different ways in which time brings about change or loss of life itself. The poem is very personal and autobiographical to Duffy's life as are most of her poems. 'Mean Time' is based on mourning your lost love and how regrets seem meaningless when one day you get up and realise its not just time which has passed you by, but time has stolen your life too, and in the end it will only be the mourning that you regret. The idea of time and how it is finite is one of the main themes in the poem. The title 'Mean Time' could be emphasising a few points one of which is how time can be 'mean' when one needs a ...show more content... The stanza is ended by stating that it's 'our mistakes' she is recognising that her partner is not all to blame and they need to share mistakes, this shows the first sign of putting her life back together. The poem moves on and tells us how she wants just 'one hour' to be lifted so she 'would never have said' the words she did. This sets the tone for the whole poem; regret and longing. It makes the reader feel that she has wasted enough time of her life on this one man, its time to move on. However one moment she is regretting spending too much time mourning her lost love, now she is stepping over old territory again, which makes the poem a bit cliché, so the sympathy for the woman is now lost. One of the last important themes of 'Mean Time' is conveyed in the final stanza, this is how time is finite 'we will be dead' because death is rapidly approaching everyone, which highlights the fact that mourning is pointless. This is where the reader can relate to Duffy because they can share their 'mistakes' too because the events in the poem can happen to all most anybody. I believe that Duffy's conclusion is do not let your heart take control of your life, you need to no when to move on.

Self's the Man (Larkin) Themes: Family life/domesticity Presentation of Women

Content Larkin contrasts the single speaker to the married man Arnold and how Arnold's life differs to that of bachelorhood. Whilst marriage is heavily criticised, it is clear that the speaker has thought about it and remains unsure at the end if he could stand it. Voice and tone The persona created is child-like, flippant and immature in some respects as colloquial language is used to hide their worries, however, they are also misogynistic, boastful of their selfishness and cynical. Due to being unattached romantically, they are overly sarcastic about the institution of marriage, deeming it to represent "wasting...life". The tone adopted is fairly casual, with colloquial words such as "oh" and "nippers" appearing to show the lack of respect the persona has towards anything regarding marriage. This could also make the persona less likeable due to them appearing immature though it has been suggested that the upfront persona hides none of the dull realities of marriage and doesn't mask their selfishness, thus making them easier to connect to. Structure The poem consists of eight stanzas each with four lines. The AABB rhyme scheme may represent the monotonous nature of marriage or the change of opinion that occurs throughout the poem as the speaker considers whether bachelor life or marriage is more selfish. Moving into the sixth stanza, the use of "but" signifies the role reversal that occurs as the speaker and their opposite switch. The persona questions whether Arnold is selfish also and "was out for his own ends", thus making them the same. The change of pace, as quickened by the caesura, reflects the uncertainty of the persona as they are unsure what to believe but suggest that seemingly selfless acts can be selfishly undertaken-Arnold chose to trap his wife. Is every choice selfish? Theme Analysis Marriage: Marriage is seen as entrapment which ultimately leads to madness or an untimely death ( the "van" could represent that used by mental health institutions or an ambulance ). It is not based around love but on the necessity of having a wife and stopping her from "getting away", implying that Arnold had no choice and was forced by social conventions to marry. The persona suggests that marriage is a dull hardship and a second job which becomes tiresome and annoying- a man has "no time" for himself. This cynical view of marriage presents it as something repulsive, though the speaker is in doubt as to whether it was a "mistake", as shown through the word "if". Moreover, this view is tinted as Arnold's marriage may be relatively happy but the speaker wants to make it seem unappealing. Sexism The view of women is negative and degrading- "women" and "she" objectify the women, making her anonymous and only known for her role and actions. Women, it is implied, only nag their husbands and selfishly take the "money he gets", however, the persona sees necessary items as a waste of money, perhaps because he has no idea of family life with children. The use of the imperative "get" makes women seem interfering and controlling and it is implied that they drain the energy from their husbands. Selfishness The title itself suggests that selfishness is a trait that all people have. Whilst Arnold is originally viewed as selfless for giving his life over to marriage, the speaker later changes this view and states that it was Arnold's own selfish choice to keep a women, thus placing the persona and Arnold on the same standing. However, the speaker arrogantly comments that he knows better than Arnold what he can "stand" and that Arnold was more selfish for letting himself into something he couldn't handle. The poem concludes after the hyphen (showing a pause in thought) with the words "I suppose I can", indicating uncertainty. The persona's cocky façade vanishes and self-doubt appears to end the poem intriguingly, leaving the issue unresolved. Who is most selfish? And is loneliness just as hard or worse to live with than married life?

Disgrace (Duffy) Themes: Love and Relationships

Duffy presents the sudden breakdown of the relationship in 'Disgrace' using a semantic field of death to represent the effect this breakdown is having on the narrator. Duffy uses an extended metaphor of the ruined house throughout the whole poem to present relationship in 'Disgrace'. Duffy describes the 'coldness of the rooms' to metaphorically suggest that there is no love or warmth in this relationship anymore and now both of their hearts are hardened now exerting a cold and unfriendly attitude towards one another. The relationship is presented as a 'thickening cyst' suggesting that their problems had been growing and added to overtime and now the 'cyst' has burst revealing all of the problems they had chosen to disregard in their relationship. Duffy then shows how their relationship changed by saying that 'words changed' into 'obscenities' suggesting that the once loving and beautiful words they used to say to each other has been changed to harsh horrible words now. Both parties are now using the power of language to hurt each other. The words 'spraying themselves on the wall' highlights the idea that the narrator is perhaps so angry with the partner that it is hard to stop the angry words forming in her 'head' as she is motivated by her pain. The 'wall' could be perhaps used to show that her words will leave a mark and stain on their relationship forever which is perhaps why they are left in her head not voiced. 'The small deaths of light bulbs' are used by Duffy to show that the constant arguing is leading to neglecting the house. No one is looking after the house due to being preoccupied by the arguments and could also be due to the possible fact that they may have bought the house together and now see no point in looking after it, to keep it beautiful. The 'light bulbs' could also be metaphorically implying that no one is looking after their relationship either and now there is no light or hope to rekindle the relationship. Duffy continues to talk about the relationship as unamendable 'nothing we would not do to make it worse' implying that no matter what is said or what action is carried out everything makes the relationship worse, there is no going back. When suggesting that the 'wrong language' is being used it exemplifies the fact that the words they should be exchanging are words of love but instead they are potentially words of hate. This quote also highlights the fact that the narrator knows that this isn't the language that should be being used and does not want these words to come out but can't seem to help it unaware she is self destructing. When arguing in the 'bedroom' we see that a once intimate room has been destroyed by the torture of arguments and that no longer are acts of intimacy making the room romantic but instead a depressing bubble of insults. Duffy shows us an environment where every aspect of the day is ruined by the arguments even leaving 'a meal, untouched' implying that an argument broke out at the dinner table and as a result now the food is like a still life painting. This argument has even stopped the basic need of eating food. Duffy also suggests that addictions have formed to divert the pain they are feeling as the 'wine-bottle' lay 'empty' and the 'ashtray, full' these arguments are even putting their safety at risk as it has led to harmful addictions. The alcohol could also be fuelling their war of words and perhaps could be one of the many reasons they are in the situation of a breakdown of a relationship. Duffy then describes the apples as 'rotten to the core' metaphorically talking about the relationship being past the point of saving as it is completing destroyed. Just like apples were once a form of life growing, the relationship was once something beautiful which has now been destroyed. 'Lame shoes' suggest they have been lying dormant implying that the breakdown of this relationship has made the narrator so upset that they have felt the need to become housebound. This could also suggest that the narrator feels trapped in this relationship and perhaps the only freedom the narrator has is her speech as a result potentially causing the arguments acting out in defiance. Duffy also then presents the narrator's reliance on their partner constantly talking to 'distant, invisible lips' suggesting that there has been no call off the partner when he leaves the house and perhaps even missing the aspect of being cared about. This could also suggest that when on the phone they have grown apart that much they are not actually listening to each other but instead the conversation is forced. Duffy then discusses the effect the relationship could have on other people when suggesting that there are 'vulnerable flowers' which are personified to imply that Duffy uses the flowers to talk about how their children would have been affected by the never ending problems highlighting the toxic relationship they have created. The flowers could also be vulnerable by the fact arguing occurs in the garden not just the house suggesting that they are in danger of being accidentally trodden on or wrecked by the couple in the dark. Their relationship has drawn the attention of other people as Duffy suggests that the police has been called 'the screaming alarm, the banging door' implying that neighbours can hear the insults they throw at each other every possible second and now it is disturbing everyone else around them not just themselves. This quote could also imply that the door has been shut with such violence in a rage during a disagreement that the alarm has gone off inside the house. Duffy then highlights some possible reasons for their problems 'faithless, unpenitent' implying that disloyalty was the potential reason for the breakdown of the relationship and the distrust, anger and hurt has led to constant arguing between them. The narrator is now so hurt that everything that was once romantic is now 'meaningless' like the 'stars' highlighting the fact that she may never be able to love anyone or trust anyone the way she had trusted him, this experience of love will stay with her forever. It is also suggested to us by Duffy that the partner is also hurt as 'inconsolable vowels from the next room' are heard suggesting that the partner is potentially crying and that the pain has been inflicted on both of them equally. In conclusion when looking at this poem we can see that the relationship is presented as broken by a metaphor comparing the breakdown of the relationship to the slow crumbling the house. We can see that the relationship is no more than a violent word war inflicting pain on both parties. This poem shows an example of a toxic relationship in which both parties are not ready to let go off which we can see as they are still continuing to talk to each other about the problems.

Here (Larkin) Themes: Alienation/isolation Journeys

Like in 'The Whitsun Weddings', a constant sense of motion is suggested through words such as "swerving", implying that the speaker is on a train and is watching as switching views of modernity and nature clash. Caesura may be used to show halts or momentary pauses as the train changes direction and enjambment highlights the movement of the train. The exact destination of "here" is undefined as the poem takes the reader to various locations, however, it could represent the end of the journey or may not even be a specific, physical location. Larkin appears to be highly critical of the urban population, finding more beauty and appeal in the natural world than the human world. Whilst the "piled gold clouds" create a soothing and beautiful image, as the train nears the town, "gull-marked mud" and "stealing flat-faced trolleys" appear to ruin the image. The word "sneaking" suggests to the reader that even the trams are suspicious and shady and people's only "desires" in life seem to be to buy "cheap" items as replacements for any real dreams they might harbour. The people that are seen are described as " raw" and "simple"- demeaning descriptions which seem to suggest that the working class lack intelligence and are unrefined. Larkin further criticises them for their "mortgaged" houses, showing that they are tied down and in effect, are all part of the "slave museum". Half- rhymes such as "shadows" and "meadows" partly connect modern life and nature but highlight that as one expands, the other disappears- the fields become "thin and thistled" (strained from having to fight modern expansion). The contrast between the human world and nature is also starkly shown as the cramped towns and "barge-crowded water" give way to the secret delights of nature. The phrase "luminously-peopled air ascends" relates to the horrible air polluted by people disappearing and "unfenced existence" beginning to reign. The sibilance of "silence stands" and "skies and scarecrows" show how soothing and peaceful nature can be, however, Larkin ends on the profound note that freedom and true happiness are "out of reach". This could be interpreted to mean that people have become too caught up in the complexities of modern life and can never go back to a simple existence. It has also been suggested that 'Here' is a poem about finding solace in solitude (as a misanthropist would e.g. "loneliness clarifies") or even that the journey represents that taken by wind, which is eventually lost to the ocean.

Stafford Afternoons (Duffy) Themes: Memory Alienation/isolation Sense of Place

More to follow - but how wonderfully does Duffy capture the idea of the endless spaces of childhood and of childhood remembrance in the first stanza? We are there with the 'explorer' child lacing a shoe; aware of new vistas and horizons as we explore our freedom; loomingly aware of the holiday's epic promise and yet also implicitly the secret danger of independence. The future almost swims before the child's eyes as she recognises the aloneness of any reflective life. We are like children again with the narrator and remember that breath of separation that we felt away from the gaze of guardians, almost away from time itself. We can taste the quiet fear too. All Senses are alerted and alive to this new private relationship between the world and ourselves. It is a pivotal moment like Pip's at the beginning of Great Expectations, where the literal shape of everything changes and looks unsettlingly new, and with this newness comes responsibility and anxiety. Duffy's child recognises that she is now presiding over her own story and this amazes and disturbs: 'Only there' she begins her memory. How tenderly accommodating and yet ironically exclusive is this particular 'space' of memory? The second stanza recalls the childhood game of waving at cars. Yet the childhood space has become slightly threatening. The motorway bridge brings with it 'speed' and unsettling feelings of rejection. For the temporary elation at freedom brings with it more distinct feelings of powerlessness and impotency. This feels utterly true. We do remember moments of exultation when the world seemed to be ours and then this ownership collapses and our overriding feeling of extraneousness is everywhere. Duffy reveals the emotional resourcefulness of her child-self when the girl 'feeds' a horse to re-ground herself after the complex feelings of rejection in the same stanza. 'A vivid lie for us both' astutely aligns the child's desire for sensory attention AND normality - she wants to be wanted again, with the horse's natural expectation that it will be genuinely fed. Neither expectation is literally true and Duffy's child here exercises the restabilising power of imagination in order to reorient herself after the feelings of panic on the motorway bridge. 'In a cul-de-sac, a strange boy threw a stone.' I would love to read a history of the 'cul-de-sac'! Duffy recognises the literal parameters of childhood play in suburban England. It is also a probable metaphor for memory and even relationships? Thus far and no further say so many relationships in time. So it is here with Duffy's wandering child. Once again, the invasion of something disruptive within the world and spaces of childhood is simply yet devastatingly done. Such 'danger' escalates as Duffy's child withdraws into another, less socially prescribed space: ' a small wood' and enjoys the edgy nearly oxymoronic feelings of being 'lonely and thrilled.' The pastoral setting is not a place of conventional respite or healing yet it brings its own magic: 'The green silence gulped once and swallowed me whole.' The personification of silence with its supernatural associations offers the relief of invisibility. Yet Duffy immediately explores the repercussions of straying into this unknown world. She identifies the 'sly faces' and the 'sticky breath' of this now animated, nightmarish space. Fairytales are alive and dangerous! And it is the 'rightness' of Duffy's talent for recollection that gives representation of this hidden world through the register of a dark fairytale. And then there is a real bogeyman and he does want to harm children. His displayed erection is likened to a 'purple root' as again the child has to find the nearest language for its expression. This confrontation with sexual horror makes the child long to hear again all the sounds of safety and community. Luckily the poem ends with the child making it back into such a world and joins a game with other children in an exaggerated parody of pleasure: 'children scattered and shrieked' The alliteration communicates the inutterable relief of being back in a world of normal, communal play. Exultation at escape is both the child's and ours! 'and time fell from the sky like a red ball.' The poem about revisitation ends on a note of relief -as -near catastrophe. The simile is again pertinent to childhood and yet delivers a highly emotive metaphysical concept that would not have been apprehended in such a way at the time. Thus we are aware of the gap between the adult poet who has written the poem and the child self who is the subject of the poem's remembrance. Duffy is emphasising, as she does in many of her poems, the movement from innocence to experience. This movement renders time and the knowledge gleaned through the inevitable passage of time, meteoric and childhood shattering.

First Love (Duffy) Themes: Love and Relationships

Once again, the poetry of Carol Ann Duffy explores the interdependence of past and present. Her speakers often find themselves knowing again some name, some feeling that flows into the present unsettling its horizons and vistas, acknowledging our eternal 'unfinished' anchors to others. Here Duffy succinctly captures the irony of the first love in the present moment having a looming reality which perhaps escaped the poet in the original time. Now, when the unnamed 'name' is spoken perhaps revelation and sexual maturity accompany the memory of the first love. How playfully paradoxical the 'real words as close to my lips as lipstick'..This is a firmly, sexually ambiguous memory where today, in the present the lost 'you' returns and somehow consummates the forgotten love. The present lover the poet realises has glimpses of the original love and perhaps the implication lingers about the poem, all subsequent loves are but shadows of the first.

The Whitsun Weddings (Larkin) Themes: Journeys The Meaning of Life

The Whitsun weddings is a judgemental and satirical poem following the train journey of the first person-speaker. Whitsun is the seventh Sunday of Easter (a bank holiday) and a time during which it is traditional to get married so as to take advantage of the early summer bank holiday. As the speaker continues on his journey, more and more newly-weds board the train and interrupt his peaceful rest. The main themes of this poem could be considered to be isolation, modern life and change. The first stanza of the poem serves to highlight the pessimistic view of the lone traveler as the train is described as "three-quarters-empty", thus emphasising the speaker's solitary nature. However, as the train pulls away from the station, the sensation of the city's hurrying bustle drops away, with the "river's level drifting breadth" creating an image of continuity between sky, city and water. Once the train nears the urban sprawl once again, the fantasy of the pastoral landscape jars with the "floatings of industrial froth" which blight nature and the "new and nondescript" housing. This use of alliteration connects the two words to suggest that if something is new, it is also nondescript- a criticism of modern life and its featureless nature. These first stanzas appeal also to our senses as the landscape that is passed by is described in relation to sight, sound and the smell of the "fish-dock". The wedding parties themselves are hugely criticised by Larkin as too loud and individual figures are turned into 'types'-"grinning and pomaded, girls in parodies of fashion", "fathers with broad belts", "mothers loud and fat". Larkin is oddly interested in these parties but is hugely negative of them, perhaps because he is left out or because he disapproves of their social class and their attempts to dress up. People are grotesquely reduced to "perms" and "nylon gloves"- laughable and disparaging descriptions. As each of these couples join the train, they leave guests behind to discuss their "happy funeral"- a juxtaposition of words to show the mixture of emotions felt by the couples.. Larkin views wedding as the ceremonial end of things due to the loss of freedom to meet new people and with each wedding party he sees, he becomes convinced that they are all the same- "a dozen weddings". Every person aboard the train becomes bound in some way to one another by the journey; just as sky and water and Lincolnshire meet along the visual line of the river, so all the Whitsun weddings meet along the train-line. However, each person is changed by the experience and is "loosed" into the outside world with a different outlook. The "arrow-shower" that becomes rain is a reference to Cupid's arrow being shot off, only to come down again, thus ending with the idea that love will inevitably lead to neglect and disappointment and will be washed away. Some could interpret this poem as a bitter traveler's criticisms of other happy couples because of his lack of human company, however, it could also represent a transition/ journey that many have to take together- a test of humanity and its relationships which so often fail yet start out with so much enthusiasm. The rhyming scheme of the poem (A,B,A,B,C,D,E,C,D,E) could also represent the rhythm of the train as it moves along its preordained track. Academic criticism/Interpretations:

Talking in Bed (Larkin) Themes: Love and Relationships Regret/disappointment Alienation/isolation

The poem concerns a failing relationship between two people who find it difficult to communicate with one another. The title "Talking in Bed" suggests a familiar and intimate long-term relationship, whereby a couple are less passionate but close emotionally and comfortable with one another. The poem begins with the assertion that "talking in bed ought to be easiest" but the statement is weakened by the modal verb "ought"/should, thus implying that it isn't easy at all. The word "lying" is ambiguous as it could have two different meanings (a pun)-sleeping/lying in bed or telling lies over a period of time to a partner. The fact that this "goes back so far" would appear to mean that the silence in bed is a regular and common occurrence. As "more and more time passes silently" (alliteration for emphasis), the situation becomes more awkward and tense and "words are difficult to find". The couple has to think hard about conversation topics and cannot even think of something neutral to say ("not untrue and not unkind"). They cannot be "honest" with one another. "The wind's incomplete unrest" gives a sense of human stagnation in comparison to nature because as nature moves on, the two people in bed are still stuck at a loss for words-proximity but the loneliness-the couple are isolated together. It also reminds the reader of complete and painful silence or awkward small talk concerning the weather. Aspects of the modern world do appear in the form of "dark towns", however, "none of this cares for us"- the couple are completely on their own, separated by silence, and no longer even interested in the relationship themselves. A "dark" end may be "on the horizon" for the two people. Larkin could be implying that the modern world has not taught people the value of human communication and that modern life does not bring satisfactory fulfillment to human lives. The sense of broken communication and isolation is shown through the poem's structure with a rhyming scheme of ABA, CAC, DCD ,EEE to show the absence of continuity and the broken discourse of the couple- augments the hesitancy and uncertainty of the poem. As a whole, the poem seems to be ironic in that the word "talking" appears in the title yet no dialogue is present in the poem and the poem focuses around the inability to talk in bed. Overall, the poem offers a bleak outlook on modern relationships by suggesting that relationships inevitably come to an end as people run out of things to say and white lies to offer. Larkin clearly believed that love didn't last and was simply a disappointment-apt for a misanthropist.

An Arundel Tomb (Larkin) Themes: Love and Relationships Memory The Meaning of Life

The poem starts with the phrase "side by side", implying a restful and intimate scene that places the two people on equal standing, as emphasised by the alliteration. However, the faces are "blurred" and distorted by time, making the people anonymous and unrecognisable-faceless symbols, universal. Larkin again uses the pun "lie" as is present in so many of his other poems in the collection to mean lying down or lying to deceive. The "proper habits" of the people set in stone are no longer remembered as the substance and meaning of their lives is a thing of no consequence to visitors. That the Earl wears "jointed armour" implies chivalry and heroism and even the "absurd" detail of the dogs represents companionship and loyalty. The "plainness" of the design (a reference to art of the time) is contrasted to the "sharp tender shock" that the couple are holding hands-they are the embodiment of eternal love. The oxymoron of "sharp tender" is meant to show a shocking but pleasant surprise at finding that the couple decided to be portrayed this way but also to contrast to the cold nature often assigned to a warrior wearing armour. Yet again, "lie" is used as a pun but with further sarcasm to hint that it is tiresome for this lie of love to have gone on for so long and that the tomb wasn't intended to be a monument for love. The couple are imprisoned in their marriage and the lie. The "faithfulness" is suggested to be simply an act that "friends would see" to make them envy them or just for friends to appreciate. "Sweet commissioned" is another example of an oxymoron to show that the effigies were only created because it was the sculptor's job and wouldn't have been done out of feeling at the time. It appears that the couple simply wanted their "Latin names" to be remembered and that perhaps it was all a ruse to earn fame after death. The fourth stanza starts to put emphasis on the passing of time and the "supine stationary voyage" that the couple embark on-lying unmoving as people come to see all they represent ( a type of life after death). The old world and its tenants have disappeared and the Latin language is a symbol of the past that it is unreadable for many. This perhaps is the meaning of "to look, not read" or it could additionally mean that it is the image, not the names that matter- they are a symbol of all we hope for. The particulars are ignored in favour of a sheer visual impression and the oxymoron "soundless damage" is the erosion of the stone by time and nature. Few people remain to see the tomb as what it really is rather than as an historical artefact. The tomb shifts from a token of their memory to a monolith of their age. "Rigidly", forever linked, the effigies face the "lengths and breadths of time"- lasting and enduring this test. The "light" and "snow" are symbols of purity meant to cleanse as further highlighted by the identities of the couple "washing" away- the elements are removing the lie or reducing the scene to its simplest form. The "birdcalls" also represent new life to be contrasted with the "bone-riddled ground", however, the couple remain "helpless"-stuck in one place with no protection ("unarmorial") "The endless altered people" are changed by the stark display of love they view but this is also a reference to the loss of religion. The alliteration of "smoke in slow suspended skeins" refers to modern industrial life blurring the truth. In the end, it is only the "attitude", not the individuals that remain. People enjoy the notion of love as pure and permanent and ultimately, the effigies' erosion over time has made the scene they portray false. Their "final blazon" is the ending line: "What will survive of us is love". Whilst this may seem an optimistic end to a poem that has been querying love, it is tarnished by the word "almost". The love is "almost true" but not fully- Larkin is unsure whether to fully embrace the scene and that which it symbolises. The poem may be interpreted as a testament to love, in that it will conquer even death as Larkin was able to be more positive about other's experiences or, many think, more likely, it is bleakly realistic as the tomb is a delusion that people want to see but actually means nothing at all- a touching lie. It is interesting to note that the title of the poem is the tomb's name yet the poem itself talks about the people themselves more personally. Enjambment appears to show the lasting nature of the effigies. Equivocation-an almost truth but not the whole truth- the basis of the poem. The poem talks about what sentimentality looks like the morning after.

Dockery and Son (Larkin) Themes: Regret/Disappointment Journeys

The title 'Dockery and Son' implies a business which is both familial and mundane whilst also acting as a status symbol. It is inevitable that the middle-aged protagonist should compare their life to that of others as we all do. Like many of Larkin's poems, it starts with a specific, real instance before moving to a more general contemplation. The persona here is a "visitant" to the "Dean" and has returned to the place of his youth. The idea of a person "junior" to the speaker having a child at the University serves as a shock and a reminder of the passage of time, as do the "chimes" of the "bell". From the offset, a sombre mood is evoked by the words "death-suited". This suggests that Larkin believes death to be just around the corner or perhaps it is that Dockery has died and the death-suit is an actual mourning suit, as supported by the past reference "was". It could even convey the rupture of the past and the withdrawal of events into memories. Returning to the University, there is a sense of emptiness and alienation. The speaker has 'outgrown' his miscreant days of the past, during which days were spent giving "our version" of the drunk "incidents last night. Enjambment serves to emphasise the disconnection from the past and how life flies by, whether you want it to or not. Passage of time: The caesura after "locked" provides an ominous pause to emphasise that the speaker's past is closed off to him and cannot be revisited. Youth cannot be reclaimed and the persona feels disconnected from his former life as a student. The railway lines are symbolic of the fact that human lives may interweave and diverge but will ultimately, terminate. Isolation: Larkin is closed off and "ignored" by the rest of the world. The alliteration of "canal and clouds and colleges" connects every aspect of life to imply that it is all interchangeable and blurs into one. Larkin's unwillingness to obey social conventions has made him an outsider and he believes that all of life is monotonous. "How much...How little..."- Larkin wonders whether Dockery has improved his life, making Larkin's life somehow lesser, however, there is uncertainty as to how to voice this as Larkin does not want to appear to pine for parenthood. The "unhindered" moon above is eternal, thus serveing to highlight the transiency of human life and its insignificance in relation to nature. The "awful pie" is also representative of the disparaging view that Larkin held towards mass-produced consumer-driven urban life. "To have no son, no wife, no house or land still seemed quite natural" and it itself, summarises Larkin's life. The repetition of "no" stresses the emptiness and hollowness as Larkin realises "how much had gone of life"-life has flown by without his knowing. Relationships: Yet, whilst the speaker still has nothing, somehow, Dockery appeared to know what he wanted at such a young age whilst others lacked direction. Larkin satirises the "innate assumption" that "adding meant increase" and replaces the idea with that of "dilution". He is convinced that society imposes rules concerning what people should want and that parenthood doesn't actually bring comfort but the reduction of life. Your life is replaced by your child's; your hopes and wants abandoned to create a family- parenthood is restricting and permanent. In the eyes of Larkin, the only certainty in life is death- "life is first boredom, then death". People see what little they truly have so late on and only age brings this recognition. "Whether or not we use it, it goes"- the manner in which one chooses to live their life is both unimportant and uncontrollable. Regardless of how we use our lives, we are all headed to the same point-the "end of age" (death). Larkin highly criticises the structure of life e.g. marriage, birth then death yet creates a more mundane life than those he has scorned.

Sunny Prestatyn (Larkin) Themes: Presentation of Women

The title 'Sunny Prestatyn' gives the illusion that this Welsh area of Britain was hot and tropical when in reality, the British weather was anything but warm, thus immediately showing how deceptive the poster was. The poster demands that people "come to" Prestatyn and reinforces this point with the image alongside the message, thus connecting the beautiful woman with the area of coast and drawing people in with false hopes. The fact that the "girl" is said as having "laughed" suggests a cheerful atmosphere, however, she is a "girl" and not a woman. She has not matured enough to deserve this status and Larkin is perhaps commenting on how women were exploited and led along like children. However, this could also be hinting at the idea of innocence, which is later reinforced when the colour "white" is used to describe the swimsuit-ironic as the woman is a symbol of sexuality, not purity. The swimsuit that the woman wears is "tautened white satin"-luxurious and flattering to her figure. She is the presentation of perfection- an adult perfection which Larkin clearly appreciated. In comparison to the woman, the actual area being advertised is simply a background image and described as a "hunk of coast". The word "hunk" is a pun with the duel meaning of being a chunk of something and the colloquial term for an attractive man, whilst also having negative connotations in terms of something be not well put together e.g. a hunk of metal. The rest of the scene pales in comparison to the woman's "thighs" and "breast-lifting arms", which are the parts of the poster that draw the viewer's attention. Moving into the second stanza, the poem becomes darker as the poster woman is "slapped up" on a wall-disrespected and degrading. The word "slapped" could be seen to link to 'slapper'-a prostitute who flaunts her body for admiration and payment. For all her beauty, she is placed without care-blackly comic. The poster is defaced and the woman reduced to a "snaggle-toothed" face with "huge tits". She is simply a sexual object and the crude language used by Larkin is deliberately meant to startle the reader. The "huge tits" are in stark contrast to the "breast-lifting arms" described in stanza one due to the fact that those who have doodled on the poster have made the woman lesser than she once was. The "tuberous cock and balls" that have been drawn on appear to be acts of violation and brutal abuse, as Larkin makes them seem, though the immature person who drew them is proud of their creation and has even "autographed" them. This wanton destruction and violence escalates in stanza three, with a "knife" being used to "stab right through...her smile". Brutal reality is creeping in and people are trying to destroy this false perfection. Despite this, Larkin still looks on the woman sympathetically and states that "she was too good for this life", with "was" suggesting that she has passed. The full stops proceeding and following this line emphasise the point by cutting the sentence off from the rest of the stanza and showing that Larkin is perhaps displaying feminist views. He is mourning the loss of her innocence and perfection but is only doing so because of her sexual attraction. Eventually, a large "transverse tear" (alliteration showing the extent of the rip and hinting at a tear of sadness/mourning) signals the end of the poster and it is removed. The poem ends by switching to a much more serious tone with no trace of humour. In the place where the 'Sunny Prestatyn' poster once was is now a poster advertising the need for people to "Fight Cancer". The end-stopped line hints at the finality of the sentence and the reference to death but also how the idea of fighting a cancerous disease is more fitting for those who, as though possessed, have to destroy perfection. The idea of optimism vs pessimism and innocence being tainted is recurrent throughout the poem and this poster may last longer than its predecessor as it displays serious reality rather than deception. Contrastingly, another view is that the poster may have already been under the seaside poster, giving the sentence another meaning altogether and showing humanity's need to gloss over reality. Either way, once the beauty was gone, so was the value. There are a number of points Larkin is perhaps making. One is that ultimately, people dislike being deceived and that reality will always conquer illusion. The idealised women is torn and broken until complete destroyed. Moreover, Larkin is also showing humanity's innate destructive nature in that some people cannot stand perfection and have to ruin innocence while other people simply want a break from reality but grim reality always prevails. Larkin uses nihilism throughout to show the rejection and lack of moral standards.

Wild Oats (Larkin) Themes: Love and Relationships Presentation of Women Regret/Disappointment

The title 'Wild Oats' comes from a common euphemism for sex: "sow your wild oats". It was an encouragement for men to sleep around prior to getting married whilst women were told to remain chaste. This is ironic in that Larkin details only a rather mild flirtation instead of any promiscuity. Two stereotypical images of women appear in the poem- the "bosomy English rose" and "her friend in specs". Larkin reduces the women to stereotypes and objectifies them. Whilst the "English rose" (based on Jane Exall) was exceedingly pretty, pale and what would be thought to be typically more attractive, the friend (Ruth Bowman) is described in an unflattering manner. However, the friend is easier to "talk to" and makes Larkin more comfortable while the symbolic"rose" represents unattainable beauty and sexuality and for this reason, Larkin started a relationship with the attainable friend instead-ironic. This raises the debate of love vs lust as it appears that the feelings faces "sparked" were based entirely on appearance and Larkin seems to aim for women above his level. Over time, Larkin's relationship with the friend progresses but is cut off when he is given back the "ten-guinea ring", suggesting a broken engagement. Love is reduced to an exchange of items that are ultimately given back. The relationship also seems distant and Larkin cannot help but think of the two times he met "beautiful". These meetings are particularly memorable for Larkin and most likely allude to the lunch dates Larkin shared with Jane in Leicester and Shrewsbury. However, his uncertainly and low self confidence are displayed when he believes that both times she was trying "not to laugh". He cannot help but think that a women like her will be mocking him. Either way, it is clear to see why the "seven" year engagement between Larkin and Ruth Bowman ended if Larkin was so distracted by communicating with Jane. In the end, an "agreement" is reached, suggesting a mutual business contract and alluding to the idea that there were no feelings present in the relationship, only lust. Larkin acknowledges that he does not have the right character traits for the relationship and is "selfish, withdrawn, and easily bored". The colloquial language used throughout the poem and the flippant tone highlight that Larkin was dismissive of his relationship with Ruth. He merely states that it was "useful to get that learnt" and to move on with his life, implying that the relationship was just an education-purely learning, not feeling. Even though the poem is a reflection on the past, Larkin still has "two snaps" of Jane in his wallet which are described as "unlucky charms". This sarcastic and trivial end note reaches the conclusion that the persona is still single because he kept the photos and it could be argued that this is a portrayal of the fact that nothing will ever match up to Larkin's high standards of the "English rose"-the unrealised fantasy outlives the real affair. Yet, the light-hearted conclusion is discredited by the last word "perhaps", implying that there is a darker, more serious reason for Larkin's lonely existence. The poem ends, like so many others, on a miserable and depressing note and suggests that love can never match its expectations. Imagery appears in 'Wild Oats' when describing the women as a "rose" as roses are often viewed as fragile but beautiful and sensual also. Larkin uses very little rhyme in the poem (e.g. "out" and "doubt) and few poetic techniques so as to create a personal and intimate conversational piece. Enjambment also appears to show the rush of feelings when describing Jane Exall.

Love Songs in Age (Larkin) Themes: Love and Relationships Memory Regret/disappointment

The vague reference to "she" makes the poem universally applicable, speaking to people in general. The fact that the songs "kept so little space" diminishes the memories and makes them insignificant as the memories of love occupy such a small space. Each song she rediscovers stores another memory and with each listed item, more everyday happenings are revealed. "One bleached from lying in a sunny place" reminds the reader of a holiday or other relaxing time- light marked the song "One marked in circles by a vase of water" could be a reference to flowers that her husband gave her being placed in a vase- symbol of love. "One mended" in a "tidy fit" suggests organisation but also chaos as the house must have needed constant quick cleaning when children were around. Nowadays, the women's bones must be more brittle, making it harder to do such things with ease. The song "coloured, by her daughter" is a reminder of happy family life and all it entailed. Each of the albums reminds the widow of a special part of that past time and the various effects of nature but also that problems or inconveniences mattered so little then. "They had waited" personifies the songs as living embodiments of love waiting to be rediscovered. However, this can only happen in "widowhood", when passion in life is gone, as indicated by the caesura that marks the passage of time and the pause that occurs when her husband dies. The memories are fading as even the songs are tired-looking. The fact that the songs were found when "looking for something else" suggest that they were discovered accidentally-serendipity (happy chance) or fate. The oxymoron of "frank submissive chord" could allude to love being confusing and interpreted differently by different people. Youth was considered to be "unfailing"-forever lasting and spring imagery (" spring-woken tree") suggests an invigorating and fresh life that was just beginning. This second stanza also becomes more melodious and like a ballad, mocking the effect that love has on people. When we are young, we have "That certainty of time laid up in store", the belief that we have so much time to do everything in life but only in age do we realise how limited we are and then nostalgia sweeps by. Love is a "glare"- sharp, bright, intense but painful and damaging also. It is a cliché and "much-mentioned" idea that is over-exaggerated as "brilliance". The idea that it "broke out" suggests freedom and liberty when in fact, it is a trap. Love promises to "solve" and "satisfy" and at the time, appears to be the answer to everything. It is a solution that is a lie as we have unrealistic expectations for it. The loss of vibrancy may make the widow "cry" but putting back the songs also shows the women trying to forgot how love could not satisfy all in the end. "It had not done so then, and could not now." People are foolish to believe in love and that which it offers, as Larkin clearly points out with the cadence of the last line. Love promises but fails to deliver, although the poem may also be suggesting that we should love as much as we can in youth. Enjambment is used by Larkin to represent the flowing nature of the music and that love cannot stop anything, especially death. Youthful love: "brilliance", sudden, abrupt, all-consuming, fresh, exciting, foolish, deluded, invincible. Love in old age: serious, lame, tired, hopeless, tarnished, worn, old, steady, a dying dream, all about commitment, hopeless.

Stuffed (Duffy) Themes: Presentation of Women

This is a dramatic monologue written in the voice of a taxidermist. This builds up to a violent crescendo of disturbing male domination of a woman. He spends his life stuffing dead animals and he likes his partner to be as passive as an animal being stuffed. 'Stuffed' assumes a clear sexual connotation in the final stanza of the poem. It has been prepared for in the progressively more suggestive words associated with the various animals the man stuffs. The poem's formal organisation reflects the control the taxidermist likes to exercise. It is tightly structured in four stanzas, each comprising a tercet. The unifying principle of sound is a single rhyme running through the whole poem rather like the stitches used by the man to suture dead animals in shape. Each line is also end-stopped. Single word statements like 'Wow', 'Spiv', 'Wild', 'Mad', 'Fierce', 'Tame' and 'Mute' capture the terse voice of the persona. References to the woman in the poem are made either as a possession of the man or as an object of his desire. He controls her entirely and sees her as a 'living doll'. This allusion to the title of the Cliff Richard song 'Living Doll' reminds the reader that even an apparently innocuous popular song can have a demeaning effect in the wrong circumstances. Here it connotes a brainless, powerless woman entirely at the mercy of a sadist. The words 'jerk', 'hold', 'spread', 'screw', 'Splayed' and 'pierce' all have clear sexual connotations and further reflect this man's need to dominate. All references to the man are framed in terms of the self-obsessed 'I' of the persona. There is a disengaged sense of self as far as the poet is concerned and it is easy to forget that a woman is ventriloquising the monologue.

Litany (Duffy) Themes: Family life/domesticity Presentation of Women

This is a reflection on a childhood, and a critique of the veneered society of the 1960s. It reveals the early sensual development of the poet, and also her first desire to break social rules. This is perhaps relevant when we learn of her sexuality and later life. The poem makes use of lists, reflecting the idea of a litany, and the religious notion is reinforced with the monotone repetition of the status symbols of comfortable, middle class life. Later we are also listed the subjects which are "off-limits" in the perfect domestic environment of the 60s home, and casts notions of shame (with its religious connotations) onto the natural inquisitiveness of a child. Contrasting with the polished domestic ideas which are so fraught with tension and social "codes" are the two lines dealing with the natural world, in which wasps are systematically killed and butterflies quiver nervously; perhaps this can be used to juxtapose the natural impulses with the sterile atmosphere of home. The meter is used to reflect the rigid social setting, and confine the text as the poet felt hemmed in and confined as a child. Duffy as an adult reflecting is able to identify the superficial nature of her parents' home, and is clearly critical of it; nonetheless, the rigid ideas are, like a religious litany, deeply embedded in her memory, as shown in her ability to remember verbatim her mother's reaction of shame to her childish errors in front of her friends. She finishes with a bitter representation of that childhood in a powerful short image. The taste of soap at once showing her punishment for swearing, while suggesting the power of the "clean" over her own "natural" behaviour.

Havisham (Duffy) Themes: Regret/Disappointment Presentation of Women Alienation/isolation

This poem is written from the point of view of Miss Havisham from Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. This key character was abandoned on her wedding day and, in her grief and anger, lives frozen in time, immersed in bitterness and resentment. For the title of the poem Duffy drops the honorific "Miss" as if to indicate that she no longer qualifies for the distinction of such an address. She is simply Havisham - not an unmarried woman, not a wife and not a widow. In chapter 29 of the Dickens novel Miss Havisham explains to Pip, the principle protagonist, the terrible effect of such a profound betrayal. "I'll tell you," said she, in the same hurried passionate whisper, "what real love is. It is blind devotion, unquestioning self-humiliation, utter submission, trust and belief against yourself and against the whole world, giving up your whole heart and soul to the smiter—as I did!" (Martita Hunt as Miss Havisham in 'Great Expectations', by Cecil Beaton, 1945) The poem is deeply disturbing. The reader may interpret it in many ways, not least Duffy's imaginative and skilled representation of an extraordinary plot strand in one of Dickens most popular novels. It can, however, be seen as a portrayal of madness, and the need for humans to overcome terrible shock and humiliation, and to move forward to lead a productive life. Structure The poem comprised four quatrains, that is four-lined stanzas. The lack of rhyme and the use of enjambment create a distinctive voice; choppy and stilted, lacking order, as if to convey the random and unstructured mental processes of the tortured woman. Language and Imagery The voice is that of Havisham, a woman so hurt and betrayed that her psyche is damaged. The language reflects this in its choppy rhythms, short sentences and lack of logical progression. Frozen in time, obsessed by what has happened to her, the imagery constantly harks back to her wedding day and its trappings — her ruined wedding dress and the feast — with no resolution.