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.

Reference Back

I believe that this poem is about how music can take you back to a moment in time and remind you of what you were doing then. Therefore it seems to be a poem about time and ageing. I believe that the main themes in this poem are love, relationships and music.
One of the things that I found interesting about this poem was the rhyme scheme that Larkin chose to use. At the start there is a regular rhyme scheme with the end of each line rhyming such as "call" and "hall" and "you" and "to". This could suggest that the song produces such a vivid memory for his mother as she remembers it quite clearly. However, in the last stanza of the poem the first four lines do not have any rhyme which could suggest that the poem has gone into a more philosophical aspect rather than his mother's memory. By the last two lines the regular rhyme scheme is returned with "though" and "so" as the poem has reached an epiphany.
One thing that I found interesting about this poem was the use of the word "unsatisfactory". This could suggest that their age is unsatisfactory as he is looking back with with his mother who has now grown old. The house could also be unsatisfactory for the persona as he is still by his mother's side at his mother's house.
Another thing that I found interesting about this poem was the difference in what the song reminds them of. For his mother it reminds her of her youth and what she was doing at the time whilst for the persona it reminds him that he still lives at home with his mother as he would have been there when he first heard the song.
This reminds me of other poems by Larkin such as 'Talking in Bed' as it shows them talking yet separated and isolated whilst in 'Reference Back' it shows them together in time yet separated by the memory that the song provides them with.

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.

Musical Moments 1. His Last Piano Lesson (1933)

I believe that this poem is about the persona's father forcing music upon his by making him take piano lessons as a young child and throughout this poem we see the boredom that this boy is put through as he does not enjoy his music lessons. I believe that the main themes in this poem are music and identity as I believe that music has become part of his identity.
One of the things that interested me about this poem was the phrase "numbly bored" as it suggests that the persona was incredibly bored of the piano lesson that he was in that his body had become numb which could suggest that he had no feeling towards music at this young time. This feeling of boredom can also be supported with the quote "pointless cries of children" as it suggests that he wants to be elsewhere with the other children rather than being in his piano lesson. I also found the use of the word "coffin" interesting as it could emphasise even further his boredom as it could link with the phrase bored to death.
The piano lesson has been forced upon by his father and this has therefore led him to lose interest in music as after his first piano lesson his father declares "That's his last piano lesson". This could suggest that the child found it hard to become interested in anything so sophisticated at such a young age and would have rather been with the other children.
I believe that this poem links in with 'A Study of Reading Habits' as this shows Larkin's boredom towards reading whilst 'Musical Moments 1' shows Abse's boredom towards music.

At the Concert

'At the Concert' is about the persona being at a concert but his thoughts are elsewhere. Within this poem, Abse also portrays his views about life and how we all live our lives for the same purpose. I believe that the main themes in this poem are observations as Abse comments on his interpretations of life but also music as his thoughts take place whilst he is at a concert which could suggest that the music reminds him of a certain aspect in his life.
One of the things that I found interesting about this poem was how the first few stanzas present normal life and everyday tasks. This can be seen in "Only yesterday while walking" and "same old grass".This could suggest that Abse is observing towards life and even whilst being at a concert his mind is wandering to what he would normally be doing. Another thing that can be seen in this poem is that it shows how we all wait for something to happen in our lives rather than making something happen. This can be seen in "Do you wait, as I do". This could suggest that everyone is stuck in their lives whilst they wait for what we want. This sense of being stationary in life can be seen with the choice of words that Abse chose to use such as "motionless", "static" and "numb". This could also show that the persona is stuck in the moment due to the fact that he is at a concert and cannot do the things he has been putting off from doing. This can be supported by the fact that there is no rhyme scheme used suggesting that there is no regularity in his life and that nothing is going anywhere for him.
I also found the line "someone shouts bravo" quite interesting as it shows that the persona was in a daydream and only this has managed to take him from that daydream. He seems to be in a daydream as whilst he is at the concert, his thoughts seem to be somewhere else. This can be seen in "While my cat back home". This links in with Larkin's poem 'Broadcast' as it is two people listening to the same music but in different places whilst this is him listening to music but his thoughts being elsewhere.
There are also rhetorical questions used in this poem which relates the poem back to the reader. This can be seen in "And how's your life?". This makes you question your own life and whether or not it is going anywhere or if your life is stuck like the persona.

For Sidney Bechet

'For Sidney Bechet' by Larkin is about his love for the music made by Sidney Bechet. In this poem he shares the love and admiration that he has for this musician. Larkin does not seem to show as much admiration for anyone else in his life, yet he feels very passionately about jazz music. Therefore, the key themes that I believe can be seen in this poem are music and love.
I feel that this poem by Larkin has a more reflective and calmer tone to it compared with other works by Larkin which suggests even furthur the passion that Larkin feels towards jazz music.
One of the things that I found interesting about this poem was the rhyme scheme that Larkin chose to use. It is an unusual rhyme scheme which is unexpected as at first you would expect a song based on jazz music to have a regular rhyme and beat to it. There are some full rhymes used in this poem such as "shakes" and "wakes" however there are also some half-rhymes used such as "should" and "understood". This also links in with the difference in the lengths of stanzas.
I believe that this poem links in with Dannie Abse's poem 'Elegy for Dylan Thomas' as both poets write about someone that they have admiration for and look up to. However, Dannie Abse also has love in other aspects of his life which is different from Phillip Larkin.
The romance can be seen in this poem through "balconies, flower-baskets and quadrilles". This shows love and romance as a quadrille is dance that couples do. Love can also be seen in "everyone making love and going shares". This line is quite casual which suggests that romance can come easy to some couples if they are completely in love.
 

Love Songs in Age

'Love Songs in Age' by Larkin is about this widow finding these songbooks after sorting things out after the death of her husband. These songbooks then lead her to remember the memories that are brought back to her from the songs in these books. Therefore, one of the main themes that I can pick up from this poem is both music and relationships. 

One of the things that I found interesting about this poem was the description of the songbooks when she first finds them. They are described as being "bleached", "marked", "mended" and "coloured". This suggests that they have not been looked after, that they have been neglected and that they have been taken for granted. They have also now been seen as part of the furniture as they have always been there. Although they have not been taken care, these descriptions suggest that they were happy memories that led to the neglect of the songbooks. This can be seen in "coloured, by her daughter" which shows that she had children suggesting that she had a happy family life which can also be supported by "circles by a vase of water". There is also a rhyme on the words "water" and "daughter" which produces a satisfying, chime sound. 

Another thing that I found interesting about this poem was the personification used in "So they had waited". This suggests that the songbooks have patiently waited like loyal friends and they have jumped out at her to surprise her in her "widowhood". 

The second stanza seems to me that it is about the memories themselves that this woman remembers from the songbooks. One of the things that interested me about this was the way that she remembers them as honest and compares them to controlled music. This can be seen in "frank submissive". Another thing that interested me about this stanza was the quote "unfailing sense of being young". This suggests that she was full of life when she was young and had clarity that everything in her life was black and white. It also suggests that she had confidence of her future which was yet to come and that she was waiting for something to happy. However, it could also show memories from her youth that were full of hope and promise. This sense of life can also be seen in "spring-woken tree" which suggests rebirth and a new lease of life. 

However, in stanza three I believe the woman in her old age is beginning to see things more clearly and understands better to what reality is. This can be seen in "brilliance" which suggests a dazzling, blinding old age supporting what I have previously said. The end of this stanza is also quite sad as she is moved to tears as she remembers she has lost the love of her life, the love from her youth. This can be seen in "back, to cry". 

I believe that this poem links to 'Reference Back' as it shows a powerful connection suggesting that music forms a bridge between two different times; youth and old age. 

Broadcast

This poem by Larkin is a love poem featuring an emphasis on how music connects him to this woman. It also features some private jokes which show the connection between the couple even further. The private joke between them can be seen in "new,slightly-outmoded shoes" which shows a loving intimate side. This poem therefore links to 'Talking in Bed' as it shows the intimacy between two people even though they may not be together at the time. In 'Talking in Bed' they are in a "unique distance from isolation" however in 'Broadcast' the couple are in different places listening to the same music.
There were many literary devices used in this poem which I found interesting such as the effects used on the sounds that are portrayed throughout the poem. This can be seen in "whispering" and "coughing". The "gh" on these words are fricative sounds and are therefore onomatopoeic. There are also sibilant sounds used in this poem which can be seen in "sudden scuttle". This is also alliteration. Both these sounds produces quite a harsh sound such as throat-clearing noises. This harshness is also supported with the personification of the violins. This can be seen in "snivelling of the violins". This seems quite mournful and sad and creates quite a high-pitched noise such as crying.
I also found the metaphor used in the second stanza quite interesting as it presents a waterfall which shows slow movement which contrasts with the previous, quite harsh descriptions shown in stanza one. This can be seen in "Cascades of monumental slithering". This suggests that their love for one another is quite overwhelming and huge.