Philip Larkin’s poem “Talking in Bed” tells the truth about life and how relationships can slowly descend overtime. It explores the idea that no matter how close we are to someone, we can still experience intense depths of loneliness. The language emphasizes the feelings of what an empty marriage may feel like. The poem also gives the impression it is from the male’s perspective. It is written in four stanzas, each with three lines of ten syllables apiece. This makes it a short lyrical ballad. Through the tone, the language, and the imagery, Larkin is able to create a feeling in which he can effectively criticize and deconstruct the subject of innocence in relation to his current life experiences. There are many examples of imagery in this poem, all of which show two people in bed, lying close to each other, but somewhat distant in their relations as they realize how much they have changed. “Talking in Bed” also shows symbolism and lines that express multiple meanings by explaining the ultimate error throughout human history, man and wife living out their days with each other, yet being completely alone. They are not able to find the words that were once there, or knowing that the words that were once there never had true meaning.
The author of the poem discusses right away that lying with one's partner is the basis of human nature, "Lying together there goes back so far, / an emblem of two people being honest" (1.1-2). However, through the use of words the meanings can be interpreted in many ways and take on entirely different meanings. As one would first read, "Lying together" seems innocent enough, as the image of two lovers clutching each other in a romantic embrace comes straight to mind. However, it can be said that the ...
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...al form from the first stanza through to the fourth. In the first stanza, the poet hints that the couple involved have been together for quite some time; "Lying together there goes back so far". It has a very powerful message for everyone that reads it, and because the language is so simple, it is even more effective in getting that message across. The reader would imagine that the feeling they experience at the end of the poem must be how the poet would feel while lying in bed with his lover, unable to express himself as "more and more time passes silently".
Works Cited
Black, Joseph Laurence. “Philip Larkin.” The Broadview Anthology of British Literature. Vol. B. Peterborough, Ont.: Broadview, 2007. Pg. 1424. Print.
"Oxford English Dictionary." Search Results - Oxford English Dictionary. Oxford University Press. Web. 19 Mar. 2011. .
The informal language and intimacy of the poem are two techniques the poet uses to convey his message to his audience. He speaks openly and simply, as if he is talking to a close friend. The language is full of slang, two-word sentences, and rambling thoughts; all of which are aspects of conversations between two people who know each other well. The fact that none of the lines ryhme adds to the idea of an ordinary conversation, because most people do not speak in verse. The tone of the poem is rambling and gives the impression that the speaker is thinking and jumping from one thought to the next very quickly. His outside actions of touching the wall and looking at all the names are causing him to react internally. He is remembering the past and is attempting to suppress the emotions that are rising within him.
Simpson, J. A., and E. S. C. Weiner. The Oxford English dictionary. 2nd ed. Oxford: Clarendon Press; 1989.Print.
Merriam Webster. Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary of English. Ed. Frederick Mish. 11 th.
6 The Oxford English Dictionary (Oxford: Oxford UP, 1989) 140. All future references will appear in the text.
Stated in the first metaphor of the poem, “How do they do it, the ones who make love without love? Beautiful as dancers, gliding over each other like ice skaters” (lines 1-3) captures an image of two lovers gliding over one another like an abstract artistic painting in a simile. The cold atmosphere indicates the disdain detachment between the lovers during the experience. In modern society, many believe in the “no strings attached” method as part of a liberation for one’s self. Yet, Olds creates a paradox in the imagery by describing the people “red as steak, wine, wet as the children at birth whose mothers are going to five them away” (lines 6-8). In literal concept, the images display a child birth after an eventful sexual experience. When a child enters the world, it comes responsibility many young adults don’t care to handle, thus creating a narcissistic for the younger generation. Nevertheless, the syntax, form, and tone are broken down as Olds further answers her frustrations to society. A tonal shift reverted any ambiguities about these faceless sexual beings by describing them as “the ones who will not accept a false Messiah, love the priest instead of the God” (lines 15-16). Without the great
"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.
Everyone in the world has one thing in common. Every single person wants love. Ted Hughes’s beautiful poem “A Moon-Lily” uses an extended metaphor to compare a moon-lily to love. At the poem’s beginning, the speaker describes the “moon-lily” as “marvelously white” (1). The speaker uses the color white as a symbol of purity, wholeness, and completeness. A person feels whole and complete when they are in love. The speaker is implying that the flower is love and that the love is pure. The persona uses this image of love to describe the type of love one person tries to give to another. In this poem the person giving the love is the woman and the person refusing their love is the man. In Hughes’s “A Moon-Lily” the speaker compares a moon-lily to
Pearsall, J. (ed) 1999, The Concise Oxford Dictionary, Oxford University Press, New York, p. 1209.
In all poems the theme of Disappointment in love is seen throughout. Duffy focuses on the pain, despair and acrimony that love can bring, whereas Larkin focuses on the dissatisfaction before, during, and after a romantic relationship. Both Duffy and Larkin differ in tone. Duffy takes a more aggressive and dark stance to portray what love can do to a person after a disappointing love life. Duffy also uses this sinister and aggressive stance to try and convey sympathy for the persona from the audience in ‘Never Go Back’ and ‘Havisham’ Whereas Larkin conveys his discontent in love through his nonchalant and dismissive tone, but still concealing the pain that has been brought by love in ‘Wild Oats’ and ‘Talking in bed’.
With reference to three poems studied so far discuss how Larkin presents the theme of illusion and reality.
Allison, Barrows, Blake, et al. eds. The Norton Anthology Of Poetry . 3rd Shorter ed. New York: Norton, 1983. 211.
In the beginning of the poem “We sat together at one summer’s end/ That Beautiful mild woman your close friend/ And you and I, and talked of poetry”, Yeats recalls a beautiful time with Maud. Poetry could be related to the language of love, and Yeats recalls falling in love with Maud. He is reflecting on time that he has spent courting Maud, however due to the curse that Adam received from God, falling in love is not as simple as it was before. The “stitching and unstitching” tells of how hard it is to form a bond and put together love. This love is then taken apart and worthless for Yeats, because he does not acquire Maud. This development of love was not easy for Yeats and neither is the loose of love. He is writing a poem here to express the difficulty he is having losing his first love, Maud. He expresses this in a poem and compares poetry to falling in love. This is a curse from God to all men.
Webster’s Desk Dictionary of the English Language. New York: Portland House. 1990. Dictionary. Page 602
Pearsall J (1999) The Concise Oxford Dictionary Tenth Edition page 286 by Oxford University Press in Oxford New York, America
Stevenson, Angus. Oxford Dictionary of English. 3rd ed. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2010.