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.