Philip Larkin’s Poem "Church Going"
When it comes to religion, we can choose either to believe or not to believe. Some have faith in a supreme being, and week after week, devoutly cram into the church of their choice and recite their prayers. In contrast, there are nonbelievers. They see religion as an escape from reality-- a false hope that after living a long and difficult life, an omniscient, unconditionally loving deity will welcome them into an eternal existence.
In Philip Larkin’s poem, "Church Going," the speaker is also a nonbeliever. But whether his lack of faith is in a supreme being is not evident. Rather, his agnosticism is more the result of his displeasure with declining religion. As he walks through the church, unhappy with his surroundings, a tone of disappointment and disbelief becomes apparent.
The first stanza introduces us to the speaker as someone who is in church more out of curiosity than religious fervor. He enters only when he is "sure there’s nothing going on," which immediately distinguishes him from other people who go to church. He isn’t a loyal parishioner eager to attend mass. Instead, he wants to enter alone, when he is positive that he will not encounter a priest or believer.
We are not sure what real reason the speaker has for entering the church, especially since he does so when services are not in progress. But we do get the impression that being there does not make him happy. He seems bored to be in just "another church," as shown by the dull description he gives of his environment. The "matting, seats, and stone" most people might find beautiful, are reduced to an unexciting list. His reference to the furnishings upon the altar as "brass and stuff at the holy end" clearly shows t...
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... that, at one time, the sacraments of life were all connected to this one place. He acknowledges the church as "a serious house" that will never lose its real purpose because someone like him will always come to it. His remote, indifferent attitude as a spectator vanishes here, and turns into a deeper way of thinking which is more universal and philosophical. His original boredom and disappointment no longer fits his personality because he has discovered what attracts him to church.
The disappointed, unenthusiastic tone is prevalent through most of the poem. The church simply does not live up to the speaker’s expectations, and he feels uncomfortable in the silence. And although he occasionally has fleeting feelings of "awkward reverence," it is not until the end of the poem that he realizes not only the purpose of the church, but his own reason for being there.
Our second poem displays the lost meaning of religion, confusion of love and how our misinterpretations on both lead us to think. Take for instance this line: “No way is [he] bringing me home. He wants someone to fix his religion.” Humans constantly want another human to give meaning to their lives in any kind of way. Some even go as far as interpreting sex and one night stands as actions of sincere love. Our secondary character is trying to find meaning in his religion once more, probably thinking if he finds someone to have sex with, eventually they’ll fall in love and it’ll give his life meaning again, ultimately “fixing” his religion. The character’s self-doubt about his religion and his actions to recuperate that meaning displays the lost meaning of religion. The line “Believe me I love religion, but he’s too quiet when praying” shows the lack of knowledge in America when talking about religion. Praying is a sacred time for people to talk to God and be thankful for them or to ask for guidance. Stating that “he’s too quiet when praying” shows a kind of lost in the meaning of religion, as it’s not a thing that’s enforced as much as it was decades
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And the church sang a song about the lower lights are burning, some poor sinners to be saved. And the whole building rocked with prayer and song.” (Paragraph 4, line 1). “Then I was left all alone on the mourners' bench. My aunt came and knelt at my knees and cried, while prayers and song swirled all around me in the little church. The whole congregation prayed for me alone, in a mighty wail of moans and voices. And I kept waiting serenely for Jesus, waiting, waiting - but he didn't come.”(Paragraph 6, line
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In Duncannon Pa at the top of Cemetery Road is the Duncannon Presbyterian Cemetery. The road narrows and bends in between large sections of green lawn filled with gravestones. Follow the most outside road around the cemetery towards the older side where the stones begin to fade, slow down for the sharp bend and at the far corner you'll find where the first log church that was built in Duncannon stood. The one that is standing there now is not that church, but a replica, built to look exactly like the original.
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With reference to three poems studied so far discuss how Larkin presents the theme of illusion and reality.
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For many people, religion is a very touchy subject. For most, it is a personal decision; people choose a faith that aligns with their beliefs, ideas, and faiths. Although people would like to think that religion is a personal decision, and they can adapt it to how they feel and what they believe, in practice, that is not the case. Religion represents a commitment to a set of principles that are not moldable, adaptable, or flexible. Religion, although it may be a personal belief, is extremely defined, with little to no room for flexibility.
Schray, Kateryna A.. "To Seek This Place for What It Was": Church Going in Larkin's Poetry." South Atlantic Review 67.2 (2002): 52-64.
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