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"Talking In Bed" by Philip Larkin is a poem about love that has dwindled over the years. Between lying in bed and lying to each other, these two people have nothing left in their relationship. Communication is the most important factor in a healthy relationship and the couple have not been communicating for years.The relationship is essentially over, yet neither one will officially end it. To understand why the couple will not terminate the relationship, one must know the views on marriage at the time Larkin was writing. One must also understand the theme, and tone in which it was written in to better understand the couple and Larkin's feelings toward it.
"Talking In Bed" was published in 1960, in the collection Whitsun Weddings. The time period is crucial in understanding the relationship Larkin was writing about. Marriage in the 1960's was a commitment for life. The divorce rate was 2.2 per thousand, hardly any couples sought out divorce. (Wilcox) Divorce was viewed as shameful so many stayed in relationships that were miserable. Couples also stayed together out of convenience for their children and for themselves. In that time, parents felt that their children needed a mother and father. Women were also uneducated and unemployed meaning that divorce would leave a woman with nothing. It was better for a woman to live unhappily than to live without support from the husband.
The poem has lessons relating to love and relationships. The lines, "Talking in bed ought to be easiest... An emblem of two people being honest", show how a healthy relationship should be. Larkin implies that communication is necessary for a functioning relationship. Significant others should be able to speak honestly within their relationship. The fact that...

... middle of paper ...

...tionship that has failed. The poem's beginning and ending connect, the first line being, "Talking in bed ought to be easiest..." and the last lines being, "It becomes still more difficult to find / Words at once true and kind / Or not untrue and not unkind." These lines relate to
Nothing shows why / At this unique distance from isolation" there is enjambment which further stresses the isolation the couple is feeling while laying in bed. Bed is supposed to be a place where people can be themselves, be vulnerable and human.

Works Cited

Axelrod, Jeremy. "An Arundel Tomb." Poetry Foundation. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Feb. 2014. .
Bradford Wilcox, W. "The Evolution of Divorce." Publications > National Affairs. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Feb. 2014. .

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