Here the poet shows how the dancers are in a way reduced to primate beings that seek superficial happiness through "couples" which the poet ridicules as "sheer inaccuracy". The use of a lion as a symbol for the dancers illustrates a bias on the poet's point of view towards another social group that he considers inferior to himself, the observer. This can be seen as the descriptions of the observer appear more intellectual and positive in comparison to those of the dancers. .
As the speaker refers why he prefers to remain outside where his form of happiness (which he considers a higher form of .
happiness) is described. The speaker has an alternate view towards happiness. In stanza 3 he goes on to equate the call of the trumpet with Art. "(Art if you like)", he says is what he seems to find happiness in. The "individual sound" of art, "insists that I too am individual", illustrating his connection with art as a form of defining his own identity of being more individual than the dancers who obtain their identity through the association with others. He then goes on to attempt to come to a resolution between both perspectives by achieving a balance, "not for me, nor I for them". He reaches an understanding that different people find happiness in what they consider to be happiness and although there is a presence of differing happiness, both are satisfied with it. .
In this poem, Larkin explains how in life people find the differences between each other to be a factor that makes them individual and allows them to find happiness within this individuality that separates them from the majority of society. However, in the last line he states that "if no one has misjudged himself or lied", which undercuts the apparent resolution by raising the possibility that neither party has found happiness. Larkin explores the division between individual and society to be a fact that is known by all yet never truly explored to an extent where we question whether this form of happiness that we consider true happiness is actually real happiness.
Afternoons is a poem by Philip Larkin that presents time as a destructive force. ... Philip Larkin develops the idea of time as a destructive force through the extended metaphor about the seasons. The poem is set at the end of summer where it is slowly transitioning into autumn. The beginning line 'summer is fading' introduces the symbolic use of time in the poem. Seasons are used in the poem to symbolism certain stages in life. ...
A critic has said that 'A theme which dominates Larkin's poetry is that desire is ultimately unobtainable' Discuss two or three of Larkin's poems in the context of this statement. In your answer you should consider: - The various forms of desire that Philip Larkin explores - The conclusions that he draws. In the poems; 'Here', 'Essential Beauty' and 'Faith healing' Larkin explores the universal theme of desire. ... From this point there is a sense of change and ageing in the poem. ... The poem is sep...
"Philip Larkin is the precise observer of daily life and class distinctions, the recorder of the ordinary reaching beyond observation." Although I agree that Philip Larkin was on "observer of daily life and class distinctions", I am not sure about how precise his observations actually were. Philip Larkin was highly aware of the world surrounding him. ... This reflects Larkin's personality, he is a hard man to understand, but it also shows his pessimistic nature and this may alter the accuracy of the poem. If the reader see's the world from a similar perspective as Larkin then...
When writing a poem, an author often uses allusion to enrich the text - calling on noteworthy figures, ideas, or events that emphasize the poem's deeper meaning. ... Both "A Study of Reading Habits," by Philip Larkin and "Constantly Risking Absurdity," by Lawrence Ferlinghetti, employ allusion, however in "A Study of Reading Habits" Larkin alludes with a sense of irony while in "Constantly Risking Absurdity," the poet does not. In "A Study of Reading Habits," Philip Larkin uses an allusion to cheap fiction throughout the poem in order to draw the ...
By examining the literature itself, the readers, and the writers, one can note the differences and similarities in the two types of literature In the poem, "A Study of Reading Habits," Philip Larkin talks of being unhappy both in his home and at school. ... In his adolescent years, Larkin talks of wearing one inch glasses. ...
"Toads" by Philip Larkin is a poem in which the writer deals with the negative aspects of work. ... Based on only a week's work experience, I have to disagree with Larkin's view of the world of work. ...