How far and in what ways is the poem ‘High Windows’ characteristic of Larkin’s collection High Windows? In the collection of ‘High Windows’, the poem ‘High Windows’ is based on the time of ‘summer love’, challenging the new non-judgemental society of the younger generation having liberated sexual attitudes during the 1960’s. The two poems which I will comparing the poem ‘High windows’ to, will be ‘Annus Mirabillis’ and ‘This be the verse’ which are representations of Larkin’s experiences of the ideas represented in these poems displaying the themes of change in social and sexual attitudes and the contrast of the two generations. The poem ‘High windows’ symbolises the transparency of life but there is still a physical and psychological barrier to life outside the ‘windows’ that we are unable to comprehend. As the windows creates a mood of reflection, that in fact the glass can be interpret as a mirror, rather than barrier but a reflection of our understanding of what life lies ahead. As it starts within us, as the thought of looking through the ‘high windows’ for meaning is impossible as the ‘sun-comprehending glass’, the sun sends a beam of light …show more content…
We find similarities in the poem ‘this be the verse’ as Larkin also diminishes the parents parenting as ‘fucking you up’. Even though they may not be aware of it ‘but they do’. Emphasising, that you inherit all your parents flaws, as they ‘fill you with the faults they had’, with your own added ‘flaws’ to the mix but, ‘they were all fucked up in their turn’, suggesting that the cycle of imperfections is considered as part of an unbreakable cycle. But, Larkin’s pessimistic view of parenting can be considered to be ironic, as he surely cannot believe such a barbaric
The timeline carries on chronologically, the intense imagery exaggerated to allow the poem to mimic childlike mannerisms. This, subjectively, lets the reader experience the adventure through the young speaker’s eyes. The personification of “sunset”, (5) “shutters”, (8) “shadows”, (19) and “lamplights” (10) makes the world appear alive and allows nothing to be a passing detail, very akin to a child’s imagination. The sunset, alive as it may seem, ordinarily depicts a euphemism for death, similar to the image of the “shutters closing like the eyelids”
Influenced by the style of “plainspoken English” utilized by Phillip Larkin (“Deborah Garrison”), Deborah Garrison writes what she knows, with seemingly simple language, and incorporating aspects of her life into her poetry. As a working mother, the narrator of Garrison’s, “Sestina for the Working Mother” provides insight for the readers regarding inner thoughts and emotions she experiences in her everyday life. Performing the daily circus act of balancing work and motherhood, she, daydreams of how life might be and struggles with guilt, before ultimately realizing her chosen path is what it right for her and her family.
With reference to three poems studied so far discuss how Larkin presents the theme of illusion and reality.
In all poems the theme of Disappointment in love is seen throughout. Duffy focuses on the pain, despair and acrimony that love can bring, whereas Larkin focuses on the dissatisfaction before, during, and after a romantic relationship. Both Duffy and Larkin differ in tone. Duffy takes a more aggressive and dark stance to portray what love can do to a person after a disappointing love life. Duffy also uses this sinister and aggressive stance to try and convey sympathy for the persona from the audience in ‘Never Go Back’ and ‘Havisham’ Whereas Larkin conveys his discontent in love through his nonchalant and dismissive tone, but still concealing the pain that has been brought by love in ‘Wild Oats’ and ‘Talking in bed’.
In the poem The Glass Jar we witness the heart-wrenching episode in a little boy’s life, where he is made to discover a distressing reality. Putting his faith first in a monstrance and then in his own mother, he finds himself being betrayed by both. With the many allusions to nature (for example the personification of the sun and references to animals and woods and so on) Gwen Harwood constructs a dynamic backdrop which allow the responder to dwell on the subtle shifts in the child’s personality. The setting is the terrain of nightmares and dreams, where conscious will is suppressed and the reigns are handed to the subconscious mind.
Larkin published his collection of poems ‘The Whitsun Weddings’ in 1964. The main focus of this collection is of post war Britain, but materialism and consumerism are also common themes which are evident in some of Larkin’s poetry. In Larkin’s poems ‘essential beauty’, ‘the large cool stores’ and ‘here’ all take reference to the ideology that there is a material world that the proletariat aspire to be a part of. ‘Mr Bleaney’ then shows the life of the working class, and that they don’t have these material possessions, which lead to little recognition of their lives. Over all they all suggests that because of the material world we have be born into it allows the bourgeoisies to condition the proletariat into accepting the capitalist society through creating a false
The poem is written in the father’s point of view; this gives insight of the father’s character and
The second stanza indicates a transition to the past tense. Instead of focusing on the present day life of the audience, Larkin turns his focus to the generation before; he turns his focus to the generation that is causing him to question individuality and the influence the people around us have on our own lives. Larkin switches from saying “They fuck you up,” to saying “But they were fucked up in their turn.” In the first stanza he is blaming the negative aspects on the mum and dad, but in the second stanza he rebukes his own original thought by alarming the reader that they too were fucked up in their life; Larkin is changing his standpoint by writing in past tense and clarifying that it is not the past generations fault, because they too were fucked up. The third stanza marks another turn in the poem, as Larkin switches to writing in future tense. The third stanza portrays itself as more of a warning to the audience, because it is written in futuristic terms. Larkin writes, “Get out as early as you can, and don’t have any kids yourself.” The use of ‘don’t’ in this phrase points to a time that
father’s childhood, and later in the poem we learn that this contemplation is more specifically
Holbrook, David. Llareggub Revisted: Dylan Thomas and the State of Modern Poetry. Cambridge: Bowes and Bowes, 1965. 100-101.
This is most evident when he observes that the “poor stunted houses” on Capel Street “seemed to him a band of tramps, huddled together along the river-banks, their old coats covered with dust and soot stupefied by the panorama of sunset and waiting for the first chill of night to bid them arise, shake themselves, and begone” (55). This demeaning but powerful personification is highly evocative and is arguably one of the most poignant descriptions of Dublin not only in “A Little Cloud,” but in all of Dubliners. These memorable words never make it onto the page in Little Chandler’s world, emphasizing how Little Chandler’s paralyzing doubts over whether he, as an aspiring poet, can actually “write something original” (55) prevent him from fully realizing his potential. But it is important to recognize that Little Chandler is an example of failed potential, rather than a complete lack of potential. In other words, he may limit himself as he walks through the streets of Dublin, and these self-imposed barriers may be reflected in his perceptions of the city, but his vision and capacity to capture the city are substantial even though his stature and presence are
When I heard about an anthology written by Liverpool poets, I immediately decided to write this paper about it. I have been in love with the pop music and The Beatles since I was a young teenager. That is the reason why I thought that reading the poetry of the three authors that constitute the anthology The Mersey Sound (Adrian Henri, Roger McGough and Brian Patten) would be accessible and a pleasure for me.
When discussing the different aspects of New Criticism in Dylan Thomas’s poem “Do Not Go Gentle into The Good Night”, the impression that comes to mind is death. The use of imagery was a necessity for Dylan Thomas to express the different techniques of writing which involved a mixture of surrealistic and metaphysical tones. His ability to change a words meaning to incorporate symbolism is noticeable in circle of unity from life to death and renewed life.
The ironic use of rhyme and meter, or the lack thereof, is one of the devices Larkin uses to emphasize his need to break out of industrial society. The typical rhyme scheme is not followed, but instead an ironic rhyme scheme is used in the sonnet in the form of abab cdcd efg efg. Larkin writes this poem as a sonnet but at the same time diverges from what a typical sonnet is supposed to be. He is commenting on society’s inclination to form restrictions on those within it. By writing out of the accepted form of a sonnet, his writing becomes more natural because of a lack of constraints due to following certain rules and fitting a certain form. He breaks free and writes as he pleases and does not conform to society. Just as with the rhyme, ...
The poem “Mirror” gives the perspective of a mirror and how it views itself and the world, and in turn, how the world views it. Sylvia Plath conveys her interpretation of a mirror primarily through personification and metaphorical parallels. To further her explanation, she contrasts the mirror’s own perception of itself against its perception of a woman who often visits it.