Some critics suggest that Larkin portrays human existence as bleak in his poetry - to what extent do you agree with this view in Mr Bleaney?

Some critics suggest that Larkin portrays human existence as bleak in his poetry - to what extent do you agree with this view in Mr Bleaney? On the surface, 'Mr Bleaney' is a poem about a man that has come to live in a home formally occupied by Mr Bleaney. The subtext of the poem is concerned with a man's fear that his life has become a routine - in the way that he believes Mr Bleaney's life had been. Throughout this essay, I shall discover whether the themes in 'Mr Bleaney' conform to the view of some critics - that Larkin's poetry is a portrayal of bleak human existence - whilst analysing the undertones of the poem. The title is very important for revealing the nature of the poem. 'Bleaney' has connotations of the words 'bleak' 'mean' and 'dreary', which could convey a lot about Mr Bleaney's personality but also give a clue to the content of the rest of the poem. The first stanza begins 'This was Mr Bleaney's room'. This establishes the precise setting for the rest of the poem. The use of caesura and enjambment help to control the pace within the first stanza. Mr Bleaney obviously used to work for a car manufacturing company 'the Bodies, till they moved him'. This could either mean that the company moved him elsewhere or that Mr Bleaney is dead. Larkin then begins to describe the surroundings 'Flowered curtains, thin and frayed, Fall to within five inches of the sill'.

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  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Linguistics, Classics and related subjects
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