Content:
This poem is about a relationship between a father and son, Abse looks at the son and sees himself, but is also reminded that he is a duplicate of his own father. This poem talks about time and ageing, but also how time affects relationships.
Themes:
- Relationship between father and son
- Time
- Ageing
- Remembering the past through people and events
Links to Larkin:
Dockery and Son - memories, father son relationship, but is different this time as they can access the past this time, they both realise how time has gone past.
Broadcast - memories and using music to remember the past.
Wednesday 29 April 2015
Sons
Context:
In this poem the persona looks back on his youth but compared himself to his son and his younger self. The similarities between him and his son make him remember his younger self.
Themes:
- relationship between father and son
- growing up.
- youth.
- time.
Links to Larkin:
Dockery and Son - father and son relationship, looking back on youth, highlighting similarities.
Reference Back - shared love of music reminds her of her youth, like in Sons when his son reminds him of youth.
Love Songs in Age - reflection of past
In this poem the persona looks back on his youth but compared himself to his son and his younger self. The similarities between him and his son make him remember his younger self.
Themes:
- relationship between father and son
- growing up.
- youth.
- time.
Links to Larkin:
Dockery and Son - father and son relationship, looking back on youth, highlighting similarities.
Reference Back - shared love of music reminds her of her youth, like in Sons when his son reminds him of youth.
Love Songs in Age - reflection of past
Figure of Eight
Content:
This poem is about the daily routine of a young student in the classroom, who is rebelling about what they've been taught at school.
Themes:
This poem is about rebellion, cynicism, and a young persons will to break free and express their opinions within the classroom.
Links to Larkin:
A study of Reading Habits - rebellion
Sunny Prestatyn - graffiti and rebellion
This poem is about the daily routine of a young student in the classroom, who is rebelling about what they've been taught at school.
Themes:
This poem is about rebellion, cynicism, and a young persons will to break free and express their opinions within the classroom.
Links to Larkin:
A study of Reading Habits - rebellion
Sunny Prestatyn - graffiti and rebellion
Two Photographs
Content:
The persona looks through old photographs and finds photos of his grandmothers Doris and Annabella, and reminisces about them, he then compares the two women.
Themes:
- passing of time
- memories
- old age
- relationship between family
- using photographs to reflect on the past
- identity
Links to Larkin:
For Sidney Bechet - celebration of life
Love Songs in Age - memory through objects
Wild Oats - the comparison of women
- passing of time
- memories
- old age
- relationship between family
- using photographs to reflect on the past
- identity
Links to Larkin:
For Sidney Bechet - celebration of life
Love Songs in Age - memory through objects
Wild Oats - the comparison of women
Tuesday 28 April 2015
A Wall
Content:
The poem describes a place in the countryside where a wall is, it is used by sheep as a shelter and has become part of nature overtime.
Themes:
The wall is about faith and beliefs but is also about searching for a purpose and reason.
Analysis:
- 'you won't find it' meaning out of context, it means nothing to us.
- 'high as your eyes' simile.
- ' it begins for no reason, ends no place' pointless, purpose out of context or out of place
- 'seemingly unremarkable' the man made structure's original purpose has been lost, could also suggest that its significance has been lost too.
- 'it exists for golden lichens to settle' it has become a habitat.
- 'for huddling sheep in a slanting rainfall' the wall has found its purpose, and understands that it is now part of the landscape.
The first stanza describes an irrelevant and quite boring, lonely wall. Whereas the second stanza states that the beautiful, purposeful things go unrecognized in life.
Links to Larkin:
- Nothing to be Said - pointlessness
- First Sight - uniqueness, hope and faith.
The poem describes a place in the countryside where a wall is, it is used by sheep as a shelter and has become part of nature overtime.
Themes:
The wall is about faith and beliefs but is also about searching for a purpose and reason.
Analysis:
- 'you won't find it' meaning out of context, it means nothing to us.
- 'high as your eyes' simile.
- ' it begins for no reason, ends no place' pointless, purpose out of context or out of place
- 'seemingly unremarkable' the man made structure's original purpose has been lost, could also suggest that its significance has been lost too.
- 'it exists for golden lichens to settle' it has become a habitat.
- 'for huddling sheep in a slanting rainfall' the wall has found its purpose, and understands that it is now part of the landscape.
The first stanza describes an irrelevant and quite boring, lonely wall. Whereas the second stanza states that the beautiful, purposeful things go unrecognized in life.
Links to Larkin:
- Nothing to be Said - pointlessness
- First Sight - uniqueness, hope and faith.
Red Balloon
Content:About Abse's life growing up as a Jew in a Welsh society, he finds a red balloon and the Welsh bos tease him as they find out that it is a 'Jew's balloon' others dislike this and want to destroy it so he has to bide inside away from them.
Themes:There is a definite conflict between religion and society, as the red balloon represents Abse's religion and freedom of expressing but that is being suppressed as he has to hide from Welsh society.
Analysis:- at the beginning of the poem Abse shows his happiness with his new toy and his excitement to play with it and his love for it, however toward the end of the poem he has to hide his new toy and not show his excitement or else he will get bullied.
- the title 'Red Balloon' is a juxtaposition as it suggests both youth and death, balloons are symbolic of youth and happiness as it shows the freedom and innocence of being young, but balloons are delicate and can be burst or can float away and be gone forever this links to later in the poem when he says its like 'living blood'
- 'over chapels, over chimney-pots' suggesting superiority.
- 'it was my shame, it was my joy' he's both ashamed and proud of being Jewish, oxymoron.
- 'the rude boys came, it ceased to be a toy' shows that this balloon means more to him than just a toy, the see it as an excuse to bully him, game.
- 'my balloon, my red balloon' shows his pride of being Jewish, the balloon symbolises his religion as he cant talk about it and it is now HIS.
- 'soared higher like a happiness towards the dark blue sky' suggests that being Jewish makes him happy, but leads him to being scared or an argument, darkness comes from him being a different religion.
- 'I boasted of my unique, my only precious' this was him before and he was proud of his beliefs but now he is ashamed.
- 'however long they swear their love' Wales as a country portray themselves as being diverse but are still racist.
- 'its a Jew's balloon, my best-friend cried' his friend, maybe also a Jew understands how Abse feels and is getting treated.
- 'it would not burst' suggests that he stands up for himself and that he is strong willed, stands strong to what he believes in.
- 'bled my nose, cut my eye' his beliefs destroy and hurt him, he gets attacked and beaten up because he won't give them the balloon but also because he is a Jew.
- 'i don't know exactly why' he doesn't know/understand why this is happening to him.
- 'brash boy return to insult my faith and steal my red balloon' sums up Abse's point about the treatment of Jews and the reaction of the Welsh
Themes:There is a definite conflict between religion and society, as the red balloon represents Abse's religion and freedom of expressing but that is being suppressed as he has to hide from Welsh society.
Analysis:- at the beginning of the poem Abse shows his happiness with his new toy and his excitement to play with it and his love for it, however toward the end of the poem he has to hide his new toy and not show his excitement or else he will get bullied.
- the title 'Red Balloon' is a juxtaposition as it suggests both youth and death, balloons are symbolic of youth and happiness as it shows the freedom and innocence of being young, but balloons are delicate and can be burst or can float away and be gone forever this links to later in the poem when he says its like 'living blood'
- 'over chapels, over chimney-pots' suggesting superiority.
- 'it was my shame, it was my joy' he's both ashamed and proud of being Jewish, oxymoron.
- 'the rude boys came, it ceased to be a toy' shows that this balloon means more to him than just a toy, the see it as an excuse to bully him, game.
- 'my balloon, my red balloon' shows his pride of being Jewish, the balloon symbolises his religion as he cant talk about it and it is now HIS.
- 'soared higher like a happiness towards the dark blue sky' suggests that being Jewish makes him happy, but leads him to being scared or an argument, darkness comes from him being a different religion.
- 'I boasted of my unique, my only precious' this was him before and he was proud of his beliefs but now he is ashamed.
- 'however long they swear their love' Wales as a country portray themselves as being diverse but are still racist.
- 'its a Jew's balloon, my best-friend cried' his friend, maybe also a Jew understands how Abse feels and is getting treated.
- 'it would not burst' suggests that he stands up for himself and that he is strong willed, stands strong to what he believes in.
- 'bled my nose, cut my eye' his beliefs destroy and hurt him, he gets attacked and beaten up because he won't give them the balloon but also because he is a Jew.
- 'i don't know exactly why' he doesn't know/understand why this is happening to him.
- 'brash boy return to insult my faith and steal my red balloon' sums up Abse's point about the treatment of Jews and the reaction of the Welsh
Tuesday 21 April 2015
Welsh Valley Cinema 1930s
Content:
The persona remembers and reminises about going to the cinema, and uses the film to visualise an ideal lifestyle. He becomes involved with the film but when the film finishes he has to return to his mundane lifestyle.
Theme:
- Escaping, wanting to become someone else, comparing his poor lifestyle to the one in the film
- Dreams and memories maintain an important part in this poem.
Analysis:
- 'Palace of the slums' suggest that the cinema is placed in a run down area the words 'pit' and 'darkness' also suggest this.
- 'The thrill' suggests that they are amazed by this and something so simple could be so fascinating this could be because they live in poverty.
- ' It rose' and 'boasting' suggest that the cinema 'contrasts' with the poor conditions that surround it, the cinema stands above everything else.
- 'gaudy-bright, changing colours' enchanting, magical, new technology, takes his breath away so much that it gives him 'musical asthma'
- 'When the Broadway Baby Says Goodnight it's Early in the Morning' quote from the Gold Diggers of 1935, lyrics from a song called Lullaby of Broadway.
- 'sank disappear, a dream underground.' the reality of these peoples lives sink and disappear they sink when they watch the film but they also sink and disappear when the film has finished because they have to return to the reality of their lives. The cinema is a 'dream underground' and people find their hidden dreams.
- '(shoeless feet on the mecca carpet)' could suggest that the cinema has become a place of worship, some kind of paradise, on the other hand could suggest that people are too poor to afford shoes.
- 'poor ragged Goldilocks dab away her glycerine tears' these tears aren't genuine or pure, fairytales were introduced in the cinema which makes their dreams more fake as the cinema, the place where stories are shown is their place of worship.
- '(no flies on Cary, no holes in his socks)' Cary was a famous actor and could suggest that the persona is envious of his wealth and fame.
- ' Woodbine smoke swirled' the smoke is very abstract and this could tell us something about the film and his dreams, this quote is also very visual suggesting that the film is his reality when he is in the cinema, escape from reality.
- 'till THE END - of course, upbeat' the people watching the film are happy, until the end in which they have to return to their mundane lives. Now the film has ended so has their dreams.
- From this point the persona becomes more negative this is shown through the use of language such as 'damned fall' 'glum' 'trauma of paradox' the people watching the film become more sad, the reality has now come back to them and they realise that they were fooled by the paradox and thought their lives where the lives of the people in the film.
- 'familiar malice of the dreary' the film was an escape and now they have to return to their 'familiar' mundane lives, boring , repetitive.
Links to the Larkin:
- The Study of Reading Habits
- Love Songs in Age
- Home Is So Sad
- Sunny Prestatyn
The persona remembers and reminises about going to the cinema, and uses the film to visualise an ideal lifestyle. He becomes involved with the film but when the film finishes he has to return to his mundane lifestyle.
Theme:
- Escaping, wanting to become someone else, comparing his poor lifestyle to the one in the film
- Dreams and memories maintain an important part in this poem.
Analysis:
- 'Palace of the slums' suggest that the cinema is placed in a run down area the words 'pit' and 'darkness' also suggest this.
- 'The thrill' suggests that they are amazed by this and something so simple could be so fascinating this could be because they live in poverty.
- ' It rose' and 'boasting' suggest that the cinema 'contrasts' with the poor conditions that surround it, the cinema stands above everything else.
- 'gaudy-bright, changing colours' enchanting, magical, new technology, takes his breath away so much that it gives him 'musical asthma'
- 'When the Broadway Baby Says Goodnight it's Early in the Morning' quote from the Gold Diggers of 1935, lyrics from a song called Lullaby of Broadway.
- 'sank disappear, a dream underground.' the reality of these peoples lives sink and disappear they sink when they watch the film but they also sink and disappear when the film has finished because they have to return to the reality of their lives. The cinema is a 'dream underground' and people find their hidden dreams.
- '(shoeless feet on the mecca carpet)' could suggest that the cinema has become a place of worship, some kind of paradise, on the other hand could suggest that people are too poor to afford shoes.
- 'poor ragged Goldilocks dab away her glycerine tears' these tears aren't genuine or pure, fairytales were introduced in the cinema which makes their dreams more fake as the cinema, the place where stories are shown is their place of worship.
- '(no flies on Cary, no holes in his socks)' Cary was a famous actor and could suggest that the persona is envious of his wealth and fame.
- ' Woodbine smoke swirled' the smoke is very abstract and this could tell us something about the film and his dreams, this quote is also very visual suggesting that the film is his reality when he is in the cinema, escape from reality.
- 'till THE END - of course, upbeat' the people watching the film are happy, until the end in which they have to return to their mundane lives. Now the film has ended so has their dreams.
- From this point the persona becomes more negative this is shown through the use of language such as 'damned fall' 'glum' 'trauma of paradox' the people watching the film become more sad, the reality has now come back to them and they realise that they were fooled by the paradox and thought their lives where the lives of the people in the film.
- 'familiar malice of the dreary' the film was an escape and now they have to return to their 'familiar' mundane lives, boring , repetitive.
Links to the Larkin:
- The Study of Reading Habits
- Love Songs in Age
- Home Is So Sad
- Sunny Prestatyn
Monday 20 April 2015
The Malham Bird
Context:
- the persona remembers his first holiday with his wife, and in the last two stanzas there is a philosophical twist with the Jewish legend of the Malham Bird of Eden.
Themes:
- Marriage, and its relationship with religion.
- Journey.
- Faithful, morality and honesty.
Analysis:
- 'You a Gentile and I a Jew' suggests that their religions and the differences between them don't matter when love is involved, that love can break down any barriers.
- 'illicit' means forbidden by law, Abse uses 'illicit holiday' suggesting that they shouldn't be together and are breaking the rules.
- 'hidden' their a secret, privacy, on purpose.
- 'two chalk lines kiss and slowly disappear' united, nature unites like they do.
- 'Eden' biblical reference suggests perfection, purity and clarity, the beginning of life, the Malham Bird doesn't eat the forbidden fruit and lives forever in paradise, the Malham Bird was lonely, forever wishing, but still loyal.
- 'closed its eyes resolute' suggests it remained loyal in the eyes of temptation.
- The other 'birds' are singing, present he seems to keep his beliefs, purity.
Links to Larkin:
- The Whitsun Wedding - love, newly married.
- the persona remembers his first holiday with his wife, and in the last two stanzas there is a philosophical twist with the Jewish legend of the Malham Bird of Eden.
Themes:
- Marriage, and its relationship with religion.
- Journey.
- Faithful, morality and honesty.
Analysis:
- 'You a Gentile and I a Jew' suggests that their religions and the differences between them don't matter when love is involved, that love can break down any barriers.
- 'illicit' means forbidden by law, Abse uses 'illicit holiday' suggesting that they shouldn't be together and are breaking the rules.
- 'hidden' their a secret, privacy, on purpose.
- 'two chalk lines kiss and slowly disappear' united, nature unites like they do.
- 'Eden' biblical reference suggests perfection, purity and clarity, the beginning of life, the Malham Bird doesn't eat the forbidden fruit and lives forever in paradise, the Malham Bird was lonely, forever wishing, but still loyal.
- 'closed its eyes resolute' suggests it remained loyal in the eyes of temptation.
- The other 'birds' are singing, present he seems to keep his beliefs, purity.
Links to Larkin:
- The Whitsun Wedding - love, newly married.
Friday 17 April 2015
Down the M4
Themes:
- Journey.
- Old age.
- Death.
- Religion.
Analysis:
First Stanza
He is going back to Wales to see his mum about some news, maybe a family or friends death. He is afraid to go back and talk about his mums friends and his aunties and uncles being 'disrobed' and that they are going 'too often'
- 'go into the hole' implies death and burial.
- 'ninth decade' he refers to his mum being in his ninth decade suggesting that she is going to die soon.
Second Stanza
- 'monotonous story of clocks' emphasis on time progressing and being old, also focus' on mothers memories of time.
- The persona suggests that he has heard these stories many times before and sounds as if these stories are boring because they are so repetitive.
- 'perishable one two hundred times' this implies to decay in the short time and this reminds the persona that he himself is getting old.
Third Stanza
In this stanza the persona talks about his grandmother and praises her and her influence on others, he refers to her as being 'genuine' and that she 'tells the truth' suggesting that she has experienced alot over her time,he refers her accents to stones, but unlike her stones last forever.
Fourth Stanza
This links to the title of the poem 'Down the M4'
- 'bridges that leap' metaphor, links with 'shrink into the mirror' personification, this could suggest that you can only go forward and reflect on the past.
- 'farther than smoke' links to life as the smoke stays for a long time but then disappears, the use of 'farther' suggests a long distance.
Abse reflects on an old tune that him and his mother used to sing and realizes that 'It won't keep' suggesting the end of her life.
Links with Larkin
- Here - journey reflecting on thoughts and surroundings, isolation, being alone with thoughts
- although Abse doesn't put emphasis on the surroundings and doesn't take much in.
- Reference Back - old age, the elderly woman wants to go back but Abse realises he can't go back and just looks forward.
- Journey.
- Old age.
- Death.
- Religion.
Analysis:
First Stanza
He is going back to Wales to see his mum about some news, maybe a family or friends death. He is afraid to go back and talk about his mums friends and his aunties and uncles being 'disrobed' and that they are going 'too often'
- 'go into the hole' implies death and burial.
- 'ninth decade' he refers to his mum being in his ninth decade suggesting that she is going to die soon.
Second Stanza
- 'monotonous story of clocks' emphasis on time progressing and being old, also focus' on mothers memories of time.
- The persona suggests that he has heard these stories many times before and sounds as if these stories are boring because they are so repetitive.
- 'perishable one two hundred times' this implies to decay in the short time and this reminds the persona that he himself is getting old.
Third Stanza
In this stanza the persona talks about his grandmother and praises her and her influence on others, he refers to her as being 'genuine' and that she 'tells the truth' suggesting that she has experienced alot over her time,he refers her accents to stones, but unlike her stones last forever.
Fourth Stanza
This links to the title of the poem 'Down the M4'
- 'bridges that leap' metaphor, links with 'shrink into the mirror' personification, this could suggest that you can only go forward and reflect on the past.
- 'farther than smoke' links to life as the smoke stays for a long time but then disappears, the use of 'farther' suggests a long distance.
Abse reflects on an old tune that him and his mother used to sing and realizes that 'It won't keep' suggesting the end of her life.
Links with Larkin
- Here - journey reflecting on thoughts and surroundings, isolation, being alone with thoughts
- although Abse doesn't put emphasis on the surroundings and doesn't take much in.
- Reference Back - old age, the elderly woman wants to go back but Abse realises he can't go back and just looks forward.
Thursday 16 April 2015
Leaving Cardiff
Content:
Abse is leaving Cardiff and is remembering the things that he loves and the things that relax him such as the sea and the docks.he cant decide whether to stay or go and until he decides his life has been put on pause.
Abse is leaving Cardiff and is remembering the things that he loves and the things that relax him such as the sea and the docks.he cant decide whether to stay or go and until he decides his life has been put on pause.
Theme:
Abse gives a sense of change, place and belonging when describing Cardiff. It is his identity and when he leaves the poem begins to change and he starts to miss Cardiff.
Analysis:
First/Second Stanza
- 'Evening air' suggests a sense of ending for Abse.
- 'sea birds drop down to the sea' implying a sense of movement of up and down, repetition, cycle.
- 'docks derelictions' suggesting the place is empty, alliteration, ruins, isolation.
- 'black shapes' everything is unclear.
- 'the furthest star seem near' relating himself to familiar surroundings such as home.
Third Stanza
- 'my eyes, like spaces, fill' shows that he is crying but could also mean that he can't go back on the past such as his childhood.
- 'pump to my eyes and spill' him leaving is a significant move in his life, powerful
Fourth Stanza
- 'can i be the same man twice' he has to stay or go, cant live two different lives.
- in this stanza Abse starts to doubt himself and this is shown through the use of the rhetorical questions, he gives the impression that he can't be the person he wants to be if he stays in Cardiff.
Fifth Stanza
- 'Penarth unload and move on' imigary of industrialisation, suggests that Cardiff is moving on even though he is leaving and it will change further when he comes back.
Links to Larkin:
- The Whitsun Weddings - journey, leaving and moving on, Abse is alot more sentimental and emotional than Larkin.
- Dockery and Son - life choices
Abse gives a sense of change, place and belonging when describing Cardiff. It is his identity and when he leaves the poem begins to change and he starts to miss Cardiff.
Analysis:
First/Second Stanza
- 'Evening air' suggests a sense of ending for Abse.
- 'sea birds drop down to the sea' implying a sense of movement of up and down, repetition, cycle.
- 'docks derelictions' suggesting the place is empty, alliteration, ruins, isolation.
- 'black shapes' everything is unclear.
- 'the furthest star seem near' relating himself to familiar surroundings such as home.
Third Stanza
- 'my eyes, like spaces, fill' shows that he is crying but could also mean that he can't go back on the past such as his childhood.
- 'pump to my eyes and spill' him leaving is a significant move in his life, powerful
Fourth Stanza
- 'can i be the same man twice' he has to stay or go, cant live two different lives.
- in this stanza Abse starts to doubt himself and this is shown through the use of the rhetorical questions, he gives the impression that he can't be the person he wants to be if he stays in Cardiff.
Fifth Stanza
- 'Penarth unload and move on' imigary of industrialisation, suggests that Cardiff is moving on even though he is leaving and it will change further when he comes back.
Links to Larkin:
- The Whitsun Weddings - journey, leaving and moving on, Abse is alot more sentimental and emotional than Larkin.
- Dockery and Son - life choices
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