In the first stanza Larkin describes his first hesitant entrance into the church in which he feels strangely uncomfortable. He enters only after making sure that there is nobody inside.Larkin relies on assonance to depict a vivid image of the church’s interior.The words ”door thud shut” “sprawling of flowers” “ small neat organ””tense,musty” each reflect the meaning. The word “thud shut” also emphasizes the sound of the door and the feeling of entrapment. “Another church” shows that he probably has visited many churches before but eventhough the result is the same he keeps on visiting.” Sprawling of flowers, cut for Sunday, brownish now;” gives another image of decay. Nonetheless of the persona’s dismissive description of the church, he stil respects the church. “Hatless, I take off my cycle-clips in awkward reverence.”
In the second stanza, the persona continues to examine the church. “From where I stand, the roof looks almost new”shows that there is someone taking care of the church. “Cleaned or restored? Someone would know: I don’t.” Clearly shows that he is not a member of the church.”Mounting the lectern, I peruse a few hectoring large-scale verses,” shows his negative attitude towards biblical verses. The persona’s confusion can be seen when he drops the “the Irish sixpence” in the box. He continues his habit, while he also mocks the church by contributing what is essentially nothing but a worthless piece of metal.Larkin uses irony to depict how the persona’s manner at the church has been drilled into his head when he was a child. The reason why the persona is conflicted is because the persona grew up under certain ideals and no matter if his views have changed, he cannot break his habits . “Reflect the place was not worth stopping for. Yet stop I did: in fact I often do.” Shows that he is hopeful. Not only he has stopped this time but he often stops at churches. He is searching for something but yet he doesnt’t know what he is searching for. “ When churches fall completely out of use” in Larkin’s opinion its only a matter of time until churches fall. Using “when” instead of “if” makes us think that the case is inevitable in Larkin’s view. According to Larkin a few of them might be used as tourist attractions and as museums while the rest will eventually turn in to ruins. “ Shall we avoid them as unlucky places?” shows the fear and superstition that Larkin believes in.
The next stanza defines the change of meaning of the house of god. “ Power of some sort or other will go on” means that people will look for another power other than god which will guide them. “And what remains when disbelief has gone?” shows the ultimate reality of decay.” A shape recognizable each week” means that its changing slowly. He wonders who will be the last to visit a church. Will it be anthropologists, antique collectors, Christmas addicts or maybe someone like him who is just confused? Will there actually be someone who visits churches only for religious reasons?
He understands that the traditional significance of the churches is being dispersed. But he stil finds himself “tending to this cross of ground” because of what it once represented to the people of the past, because it was enough to fill their spiritual emptiness, he respects their memory. Thus, the people are more important than the church structure itself. The church now stands as a depiction of a past spiritual people. He admires that. As a matter of fact even though he is not sure exactly what this “frowsty barn” worths. It still pleases him to stand there.
In the last stanza, the persona feels that there is something special about the church something greater than the decorations,something on the spiritual level. It's a serious house despite the fun-poking of donating only an irish sixpence, sniggering echoes and even though the place was originally thought not worth stopping for. “ A hunger in himself to be more serious, and gravitating with it to this ground.” Means something more serious, something on spiritual level will draw humans to these places. The speaker values the church for what it used to be “which, he once heard, was proper to grow wise in. If only that so many dead lie around.” In a way Larkin is saying that spiritual yearnings dont die out and yet past weighs heavily on the present. Therefore churches in a way according to Larkin will keep their significance in the future due to the past.
Zeynep Hatipoglu
