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Thursday, 23 January 2014

My first reactions on The Whitsun Weddings poem collection by Phillip Larkin


My thoughts from reading through some of the poem collection for the first time  was that the speakers were talking about everyday things in life in quite a cynical way. Something in particular which made me think this was that love was described as unsatisfying and pointless and marriage as almost being a death sentence. I also got the idea that the poems were saying that anything that brings us joy is only temporary as we'll all end up dying, so anything which we do for happiness is just something to distract us until we die.

  Recurring themes I noticed were death, loneliness and misery. I think this could maybe suggest that Phillip Larkin thinks that perhaps everyone is unhappy as unhappiness seemed consistent throughout the poems in a variety of people's regular daily living suggesting it is a mutual feeling. I also noticed some sarcasm and humour used in the poems.
 
Now I have read more into the poems I have realised that there is more to them than just misery, death and loneliness which I will discuss in future blog posts.
 
I have enjoyed the poems I've read so far and  I am looking forward to reading and studying more of them.
 

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