Extracts from this document...

Introduction

Hannah Savage 20th Century Poetry Comparing four or more poems, including those of Brian Pattern. Show how the poets present different attitudes towards relationship and comment on how they use language to express their feelings strongly. The world around you is full of relationships. Some good, some bad. A relationship can bring happiness and love whilst also bringing sadness and unpleasantness. Two people having emotional feeling for each other, sharing those feelings with comfort and pleasure, form a relationship. Many will say that a relationship is the best thing ever, whilst others may say it's also the worst. When a relationship forms why does there always have to be a good and a bad part? One of the poems I have studied is 'this be the verse' by Philip Larkin. It is about a child blaming everything that has happened to him on his parents. Larkin has expressed his feelings for a relationship by using the bitter and brutal word 'fuck'. He chooses these choices of words to shock the readers and members of his family. When the poem was write in 1960 the word 'fuck' would have been even more offensive than it is now. Ask yourself why call the poem 'this be the verse'? Larkin uses the word 'be' to get his point across on relationships. Using the word 'be' makes his opinion a fixed thing. Larkin's uses of language in this poem sets out the pessimistic image that your parents destroy you. You can tell that him and his parents have never really got along by the quote: 'they fuck you up your mum and dad'. Larkin is applying that your parents mess you up when he states 'they may not mean to but they do'. ...read more.

Middle

Another poem I looked at is 'looking for dad' again by Brain Patten. You can guess what Patten is going to talk about before reading it for yourself. His dad. The poem is about a boy who thinks his dad has ran away because he hadn't tided his room, when really it was just another relationship ending disruptly. The poem is set out from the others, when you look at a poem the first thing you will notice is the fact is has verses. 'Looking for dad' is all joint together without any verses. 'Were full of gloom' this is a good entry into the poem. Using the word 'gloom' sets the atmosphere up for something horrible. The word is kept repeating throughout the poem to keep the atmosphere going. Whenever his mum and dad would argue they would yell 'tidy up your room'. This is a good method of giving out sympathy whilst giving the poem a bounce. It is a strong comment to make, as it is one of the strongest quotes in the poem. This is as it means so much to the little boy as he thinks it's his fault. Patten changes the mood of the atmosphere to give an emotional feeling when you read the quote 'simply vanished'. The quote is telling the reader that the dad is no longer there and is asking for a cry of sympathy. 'Hope he would come back soon'. The sadness for the little boy really seems to take its turn here. The hope for his dad to come back must have left the little boy in despair. Pattern is really asking for a lot more sympathy when he quotes 'I was in despair'. ...read more.

Conclusion

'They choose me and if I had a choice I know in all my heart that I could not have chosen better'. To me Cookson is saying it doesn't matter that these people are not my birth parents for they choose me and I couldn't have been happier that they did. Overall this is a relationship showing the good side of love and no pain. Cookson is a child that has had the unfortunate experience of not being wanted by his birth parents. However this may have come out for the better that this has happened. His foster parents couldn't be any better parents towards Paul Cookson as he has come to realise that it doesn't matter weather the people that bring you are made by blood as long as they are good people and lovely towards you, then they are your real parents weather chosen or not. By reading this poem I think the poet tries to come across serious yet the poem has a certain bounce towards it. It makes you actually think for a moment about your parents. It brings a smile to your face thinking about how happy Cookson is with his parents. From looking at the poems I have chosen to study about the theme, in which is relationship, I have come to the conclusion that most relationships with parents turn out for the worst. Each poet weather Patten or Larkin they still express their hatred towards their parents using abusive language and tone. However Cookson uses the bounciness and fun language in his poem to express his kind feelings. Each peat has their own individual way in which they express their feelings, most with anger whilst the other few with softness. ...read more.

This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our AS and A Level Philip Larkin section.