Dockery and Son

'Dockery and Son' is about the persona visiting his old university in Oxford and finds out that his old friend Dockery now has a son. The poem then goes on to explain how he compares his life to that of Dockery's and they way he has chosen to lead his life. One of the main themes within this poem is life choices which the persona emphasises on towards the end of the poem. This can be shown in "Those warp tight-shut, like doors" which suggests that humans do not have as much free will as we think that we do. One thing that interested me about the language used in this poem was the use of tracks as a metaphor for life choices. I also found the line "Suddenly they harden into all we've got" quite interesting as it suggests that we are not even conscious of the life choices that we are making . The line "they rear like sand-clouds, thick and close" interesting as it suggests life goes quickly and that the chances you take determine what is going to happen in your life. However, it could also suggest that an age comes in your life when you can't go back on your life choices. There are different rhyme schemes that are noticeable within the different stanzas.

Here

The poem 'Here' is predominately about the persona travelling on a train to the end of the track and then observing and thinking about what his life has become. One of the main themes in this poem is that of movement which can be linked to 'The Whitsun Weddings' as the journey of the train is again at the centre of the poem. Another key theme in this poem is loneliness which is centred upon in the third and fourth stanzas. One thing that interested me about the language was how the countryside was described compared with the man-made aspects of the poem. There is a more positive description of the countryside compared with a more negative description of the more urban aspects of the poem. This could suggest that the persona of the poem is that the environment has become ruined by the man-made aspects of the country and that this is limiting the beautiful and refreshing aspects of the countryside. This can be shown in "piled gold clouds" and "mortgaged high-built edges". I also found the description of loneliness within the poem quite interesting as they are viewing loneliness as an advantage. This could suggest that loneliness allows you to think and gives you the hope and potential which your normal lives do not. It also suggests that you are no longer trapped in your lives. This can be shown in "unfenced existence".

The Whitsun Weddings

The Whitsun Weddings is about the persona sitting on a train watching as the couples board the train ready to go and get married. It is through his vision of how the wedding parties are shown to the reader. One of the main themes of the poem shows quite an observant side with quite physical descriptions which changes to more abstract ideas towards the end. Another theme incorporated into this poem is religion which is shown with the weddings being on the Whit Sunday, the seventh Sunday after Easter. Their is a continued use of enjambment throughout the poem which can be shown in "watching us go, as if out on the end". This suggests that he Larkin is trying to show movement not just through the words but the structure that the poem is written in. This movement is constant which is reflected in the flow through the different stanzas. There is a slight rhyme scheme throughout the poem however there are some exceptions to this. The rhyme pattern is line 1 rhymes with line 3, line 2 rhymes with line 4 and line 7 rhymes with line 10. This can be seen in the first stanza "getting away...Saturday". However, there are exceptions to this pattern in stanzas 4, with line 2 and 4 not rhyming and in stanza 7, with lines 1 and 3 not rhyming which can be seen in "farcical...funeral". One of the things that I found interesting about the language used in this poem is the different meanings that can be interpreted from what Larkin has written. This can be shown in "becoming rain". This can suggest different meanings such as the feeling of new life as rain helps things grow but also the "rain" can suggest tears but also floods which cause ruin presenting a more gloomy aspect. This can also link to pathetic fallacy as at the start it was extremely hot, however by the end there is a rain shower suggesting something bad is going to happen.

First Impressions of The Whitsun Weddings Collections by Philip Larkin

The key themes that I have picked up on so far from Larkin's writing is a sense of intimacy from his poetry. I believe that this is shown through his descriptions of intimate times in people's lives such as weddings and funerals as this is what his poems mainly suggest. However, there is also a key theme of loneliness and death running through the poem suggesting that his poems are quite sombre and reflective. This shows quite a sorrowful tone to Larkin's writing.