A Study of Reading Habits by Philip Larkin- Critical Essay on Theme of Lonliness

The language used in the second half of the first stanza makes the reader aware that the speaker identifies with the heroes in these books he is reading.

'...I could still keep cool,

And deal out the old right hook

To dirty dogs twice my size'

The imagery Larkin uses here gives an insight into the sort of person the persona wishes to be. He imagines himself as the hero battling the bullies at school; however, he doesn't have the courage to do this in real life. Instead of doing so he reads to escape it, an activity which is, in itself, a lonely activity. The reader has limited sympathy towards the speaker at this point, limited as the reader can understand why he feels lonely, but the character doesn't do anything to change this.

In the second stanza, we can see that the poem has skipped forward to a different time in the persona's life where he isn't any less of an outcast.

'Later with inch-thick specs'

'Later' shows the speaker is now older while 'inch-thick specs' suggests that he may use these 'specs' as a mask on the outside so shield himself from others while his books act as an outlet for his innermost desires and again shield him from others.

'Me and my coat and fangs

Had ripping times in the dark'

This metaphor suggests he had fun in the night, however it could be seen as ambiguous which would then imply something darker and more violent. This stanza also shows us more about how this character interacts with others.

'The women I clubbed with sex!

I broke them up like meringues'

Here the persona relates to the main character of the books he reads and now imagines himself being a kind of romantic figure who is attractive to the opposite sex. However the reader can also see that this is all fantasy when the persona refers to women as being like meringues. This shows that he sees women as being sweet, delicate and innocent as the white colour of meringue suggests, but this is a false idea of women so the reader can see that he in fact doesn't know much about what women are like.

Finally in the third stanza the speaker is older again and is now portrayed as being pessimistic and cynical. This is displayed through Larkin's skilful use of word choice.

'Get stewed:

Books are a load of crap'

By using the phrase 'get stewed', which is a common expression meaning 'get drunk', he reader can understand that now instead of reading books as a shield or 'cure', our character now uses alcohol to escape from the reality that depresses him. The frank tone and colloquial language of the last line, 'books are a load of crap' suggests that the writer now realises that books are not a substitute for a happy life, and that he has wasted his life fantasising about being something he is not when he could have spent his time changing his life, making it better and himself more happy. He bitter tone also suggests that the character is still lonesome as at no point does he mention a companion or friend. The reader now loses all sympathy for the persona, as they are as aware as he is of his laziness and reluctance to stop wishing away his worries and confront them.

In conclusion, 'A Study of Reading Habits' by Philip Larkin is a poem where the poet explores the theme of loneliness. The reader's appreciation of the theme is deepened by Larkin's skilful use of imagery, structure and word choice.