The Death of Aunt Alice

'The Death of Aunt Alice' by Dannie Abse is about the persona remembering his Aunt's funerals and the memories that they shared together. Therefore I believe that the main themes in this poem are loss, love and memory. 

One of the things that I found interesting about this poem was the quotes "relished high catastrophe" and "dressed in black" quite interesting as the first quote suggests that Alice used to stand out from the crowd however the last quote suggests that although she did stand out, we all still end up in the same place which is death. The fact that she stood out can also be supported by "where's your opera ending?" as it suggests that everybody expected more from Alice in her last few days due to the personality and character that she had.

Another thing that I found interesting was the way the persona remembers his Aunt talking about gory deaths in stanza 4 and how in the last stanza the persona says "Disasters that lit your eyes will no more". This suggests that Aunt Alice's life was quite dramatic and drastic but it can also represent the callousness of life. This can be linked to Larkin's poem "Take one home for the kiddies" through the quote "mam, we're playing funerals now" which also shows the callousness of life. 

At Ogmore-by-Sea this August Evening

I believe that this poem is about the loss that Abse feels towards his father and how this links to music. Therefore I believe that the main themes in this poem are family, loss and music.
I feel that this poem through the loss of his father can link to 'Reference Back' as both poems show a connection to their loved one through music. In 'Reference Back' it is Larkin's mother.
One of the things that I found interesting about this poem was the focus on music throughout the poem. This can be seen in "Bach", "violinist and violin", "music summons night" and "solemn record". "Solemn record" can also link to the loss of his father with the music now reflecting his mood and feelings.
Another thing that I found interesting was the quote "Here, Father, here, tonight" as it suggests that Abse can not let go of his father and is extremely saddened by his loss. It also seems as though his world has been made smaller and less important which can also be seen in "nothing but the tumult of the sea" which suggests that all that he has left with him now is the noise that the sea produces and that nothing else of his memory with his father still remains.
Another thing that I found interesting about this poem was the quote "ordered carnival" which is an oxymoron as it suggests organised chaos which can not happen.

Musical Moments 2. Outside a Graveyard (1989)

I believe that this poem is about the loss that Dannie Abse is feeling towards the death of his piano teacher 'Miss Crouch'. This immediately shows a contrast from 'Musical Moments 1' as it shows empathy towards his piano teacher as he feels that he should have been more respectful towards her and stuck with learning piano longer. I believe that they key themes in this poem are music and regret.
One of the things that I found interesting about this poem was the way the persona said "Sorry Miss Crouch". This could suggest that he is apologising as now that he has grown up he understands things better and is regretting the fact that he did not carry on with his piano lessons. It also shows that he still refers to her in the way he did when he was younger suggesting that he is an observer in this poem.
I also found the time in which this was written quite significant as the year is "1989" showing that a lot of time has passed since his first piano lesson. This in addition to the quotes "dismissed forever" and "Wagnerian Funeral March". This suggests that a long with regret that the persona is feeling, he is also feeling the loss of his piano teacher.
I also get the feeling from this poem that the persona is now a great lover of music as he states "the piano triumphantly rising between the clouds, higher and higher". This could suggest that with the loss of his piano teacher it has encouraged him to carry on with the music for her.
I believe that this poem links in with 'Send No Money' by Larkin as in this poem, Larkin states that the persona  regrets wasting time whereas in 'Musical Moments 2', Abse states that the persona regrets not taken more of an interest in music as a young child. Both poems are also observations on life as both persona's are acting as the observer.