The Theme of Religion in Church Going and In Westminster Abbey

The Theme of Religion in Church Going and In Westminster Abbey

Both poets’ John Betjeman and Philip Larkin in their poems “In

Westminster Abbey” and “Church Going”, treat the theme of religion as

a disrespectful ideology which is not worth believing or mentioning,

as it has been for centuries the way in which the church controlled

the people.

Throughout “Westminster Abbey” the description and language used by

the poet creates an ironic atmosphere that is the first point to

consider that shows that the poet does not see church as a serious

matter. The poem is written in the voice of a medium to high classed

women who believes to have the right to command god and order him as

if it were a servant.

It seems to the reader that the only real cause for the women to be

religious is to try to take benefit, to be protected by God from war

and from everything else, which could harm her. The arrogance and

selfishness of the women can be seen as the way the poet expresses his

feelings and thoughts about church, religion, believe and God. The

poet expresses his ideas and sees religion as an invention of Church

in order to control the population. The poet seems to have no belief

towards religion what so ever; he sees it as an obstacle that only

benefits the wealthy.

The irony of the poem is further emphasized by the structure of the

poem, a traditional hymn. John Betjeman shows the woman as not only a

selfish person but also a racist who believes that her race is

superior. “Gracious Lord, oh bomb the Germans” “And, even more,

protect the whites”. This may have been intentionally included to show

that the rich were not only the ones wh...

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... of life such as birth and having children as being in their destiny

and that people will always look for the spiritual side.

In conclusion, I would say that the poets are conscious of the poetic

diction they use in order to bring through their feelings about the

church. They do not see any reason or need for which religion and

believe exist and want superstition to be gotten rid of. They see the

Church as a place, which manipulates people for their own benefit.

The use of less poetic devices such as “oh bomb the Germans” in “In

Westminster Abbey” or “bored, uniformed, knowing the ghostly silt” in

“Church Going” does not suggest that this in any way makes the poems

less “poetic” in any sense at all. John Betjeman and Philip Larkin

seem to be wanting the readers to be aware of the church and protect

them from it.