Dannie Abse

Dannie Abse is a welsh poet who was born in Cardiff on the 22nd of September, 1923. He originally studied medicine at the University of Wales College of Medicine and then went on to Westminister Hospital Medical School and King's College London. He is currently the president of the Welsh Academy of Letters and was recently awarded a CBE. The first book he published was called After Every Green Thing in 1948 to recently writing Speak, Old Parrot in 2013. In 2009, he brought out a volume of collected poetry.
         

Talking in Bed

The poem 'Talking in Bed' is about enduring love which has lasted a long time. It also suggests that you can be together yet feel alone at the same time. The main theme in this poem is love and the philosophical meaning behind love. One of the things that I found interesting about the language is the contrasting pairs that are used. This can be seen in "true and kind, or not untrue and not unkind". This suggests that you can not be both 100% true and 100% kind so it is best to hope for "not untrue and not unkind".It could also suggest that at the beginning of a relationship it is "true and kind" however deteriorates over time. Another contrast can be shown in "talking" and "silently" suggesting that the couple are not communicating however it is not awkward. A contrast can also be seen in "easiest" and "unrest". This suggest an uneasy feel to the couple. The structure of the poem suggests that at the beginning the couple have been together for decades however by the end it is more enduring than anything else.

Ambulances

Ambulances is about the way that people look on when an accident has occurred in which an ambulance is needed. It suggests how people are taken in by what is unfolding before them allowing them to reflect on their own lives. One of the key themes in this poem is shock and sorrow at the person in the ambulance but with a hint of reflection involved. One thing that I found interesting about the language used in 'Ambulances' is the repetition of 'and' in the third stanza, "so permanent, blank and true". This could suggest that it is happening again and again and there is nothing people can do to stop the inevitability that we are all going to die. Another interesting about the language is the half-rhyme that is used in the first and the last stanza. This suggests that in the case of the last stanza is that you predict the word to by 'die' rather than and not 'by' showing that it is less satisfying than a full rhyme. The language used with the words 'thread', 'blend' and 'loosen' are also interesting as it relates to the fabric of life. It suggests that life is unravelling and will happen to us all at some point. It can also suggest that with everyday that unravelling process gets closer. The structure used is also interesting as it is a regularly repeated in each stanza. This reflects a person's heartbeat and that life is inevitable. The poem 'Ambulances' contrasts with another poem written by Philip Larkin called 'The Whitsun Weddings'. This is due to the fact that 'The Whitsun Weddings' focuses on beginnings through to endings whereas 'Ambulances' focuses completely on endings. However, 'Ambulances' links to 'Dockery and Son' as it is centred around the same tone and that life carries on.