Here, Whitsun Weddings and Dockery and Son are all poems written by Larkin that take place on long train journeys
Ashna Sarkar 12GRT Choose 3 poems and analyse the effectiveness of Larkin’s imagery (Journey) ‘Here’, ‘Whitsun Weddings’ and ‘Dockery and Son’ are all poems written by Larkin that take place on long train journeys (reflected by the fact that the three poems are the longest in the Whitsun Weddings anthology). In ‘Here’ he travels east (the direction of beginnings) through a busy, squalid city to a beach of “unfenced existence”, an abstract transcendental place of peace and calm. ‘Here’ is the first poem of the anthology, and so begins a wider journey by introducing key themes that run through the entire collection; urbanisation, consumption, post-war false hope and the beauty of isolation.The train is a physical manifestation of Larkin’s own mental journey through soulless suburban sprawl to a place of simplicity and beauty. His description of the growing town where “spires and cranes cluster” contrasts sharply with the previous stanzas description of the countryside’s “solitude of skies and scarecrows”, and echoes the journey of Britain’s march towards urbanisation. The rise of consumer capitalism in the 60’s is discussed through the barrage of imagery concerning cheap items such as “red kitchen-ware, sharp shoes, iced lollies, electric mixers”. This strong evocation of the instant availability of such objects challenges
Larkin explores the gap between romantic yearning and disillusioned pragmatism in the lives we lead. Examine what Larkin has to say about this gap in a choice of poems from The Whitsun Weddings
Larkin explores the gap between romantic yearning and disillusioned pragmatism in the lives we lead. Examine what Larkin has to say about this gap in a choice of poems from “The Whitsun Weddings” Philip Larkin wrote to engage his reader in the downsides and apparent depression of a post-war period in which aspirations and hope were high, as well as the romantic yearnings which seemed to be present in the majority of the population. Larkin wrote to explore the gulf between what we expect out of life and what he viewed as what we all have to at some point come to terms with, the disappointment and disillusionment that is life. Andrew Motion states that “Larkin mirrors and vitalises a continual debate between hopeful romantic yearnings and disillusioned pragmatism.” This of course refers to the gulf that Larkin writes about so much as well as the continuous debate that goes on between these yearnings for something better and the dreariness of reality. The poem “Sunny Prestatyn” is a good example of Larkins attempt to explore the gap between the grand illusions of happiness, individuality and fulfilment and the realities of these things themselves. “Sunny Prestatyn” seems to comment on the superficial society that has begun to emerge in the post war period as well as the false hope of life itself which is trying to be sold to the public through a typical
Compare the ways in which Larkin and Abse talk about families
Larkin and families Larkin’s presentation of families in the anthology The Whitsun Weddings is largely negative, as he presents children as a “dilution” of oneself, and shows marriage to be stagnation between two people. The unhappy marriage between Larkin’s parents deeply affected him, and this could arguably explain his negative attitudes towards families in general. In contrast, Abse presents family as central to his life, and presents his son as an extension of himself, which directly contrasts with Larkin's view that children lessen oneself. Abse also presents marriage with "passion" rather than "isolation". Whereas Larkin seems to question the value of family life, Abse presents the view of many that families are a counterbalance for death rather than a deprivation. In his poem Dockery and Sons, Larkin's persona, which is similar to Larkin himself, describes Dockery's son as a "dilution", suggesting that Larkin believes children lesser your quality of life or value through diluting it. He furthers this to suggest that Dockery was arrogant to assume "he should be added to", which alludes to Larkin suggests perhaps not everyone in worthy of reproducing. From a Marxist perspective, here Larkin separates people based on his own class system, as he deems those "junior to him" as unworthy of children, even those he dislikes the idea. Again in the fifth stanza, Larkin
