Larkin - a look at the mood poems were written in by Larkin

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Larkin is an established poet and was cherished by people all around the world. He won the respect of many readers, critics and non-critics. He was gifted in his writing and through this gift he bought us the poems we have today.

Larkin therefore can be said to be a memorable poet and this will now be investigated. How is he memorable? And what makes him memorable?

To start the investigation off I am going to look at the mood poems were written in by Larkin. Each poem is set in its own mood and the mood can help the reader to understand the poem. "Dockery and Son" is the first poem. It is about Larkin going to a funeral and remembering one of his university colleagues called Dockery. Larkin has found out that his son now attends the university and this leads on to the general image of the poem.

"...In '43, when I was twenty-one.

If he was younger, did he get this son

At nineteen, twenty? Was he that withdrawn..."

(Larkin page 152 Dockery and Son)

This quote shows the awe that Larkin shows at this point in time. The poem was written in a sad mood as it is a remembrance poem. He then continues the poem in much the same way showing his point of view and talking about a popular concept for him, life.
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"Life is first boredom, then fear.

Whether or not we use it, it goes....."

(Larkin page 153 Dockery and Son)

Life is a matter that Larkin talks about a lot of the time. Whether in high spirits or in low. Therefore the next poem I will look at is "High Windows". This is yet another example of Larkin's preoccupation with the disappointing nature of experience, which I have illustrated for Dockery and Son. High Windows is the culmination of Larkin's disappointment. He says that as age comes along, fantasies from the younger years of a ...

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