AS English Literature- Duffy and Larkin

Synopsis= Larkin begins this poem with an intimate moment between a couple that is talking in bed, and this moment is carried through the entire poem to highlight that even in our most intimate moments we can feel isolated and lonely. Events such as talking in bed only makes an individual blatantly aware of our solitude and insignificance in such a vast world. Key Quotations + Analysis 1.) "Talking in bed ought to be easiest" The opening line of the poem may mark the realisation of the speakers loneliness, it is only when they are in such an intimate moment that they realise how isolated they are from the rest of the world. "ought" is an expression of doubt, this connotes that the speaker is confused by their conflicting emotions, they perhaps feel as if their conversations should flow easily but their realisation is blocking them from being so intimate. It could also highlight that perhaps the couple have grown apart over time and gradually they have ran ou

Synopsis= In this poem, the speaker is lodging in a room that once belonged to a gentleman named Mr Bleaney. When observing this room that he lived his entire life in, it seems that the speaker is adopting more and more similar characteristics to Mr Bleaney himself. It is interesting to consider whether the details of Mr Bleaneys life is a product of the narrators imagination or are they true, factual details? Key Quotations + Analysis  1.) "One hired box" Here the reference to a box could allude to a coffin, insinuating that Mr Bleaney died in the room which accentuates his loneliness and solitude, in addition it could also imply that all of Mr Bleaneys possessions could fit into one box, this connotes that he may have lived in poverty and therefore had very few possessions to his name Context= in this poem there is reference to "the bodies", this refers to a periods in the 40's where there was a manufacturing boom in the Midlands, which could be an expl

Synopsis=  In Dockery and Son, Larkin takes a step back and reflects on his life, in particularly his life in the past. It is also clearly highlighting in this poem the obvious lack of offspring that Larkin has in his life, accompanied with the absence of marriage too, and Larkin is perhaps showing through language how far he differs from the pre programmed idealism that many people (such as Dockery) follow through life, which is traditionally marriage followed by children.  Key Quotations + Analysis  1.) "death-suited"  This has many connotations, it could initially imply that the death of his lineage is soon approaching, as he doesn't have a child to pursue it. It could also allude to Larkins feelings of the past, Larkins past is dead to him as he hasn't achieved the traditional idealism of having children.  Suited= the sombre life that Larkin has chosen to not follow this traditional path is suited to him.  Perhaps he is "death suited" as he is

Synopsis= This is the first poem to appear in 'The Whitsun Weddings' and on the surface Larkin describes in great detail the scenery that he observes on a long train journey. We can infer that the train journey is from London to Hull, after he moved to the location in 1955 and stayed there until his death (1985). Although it may be significant to Hull, Larkin's description can be applicable to any location, which is perhaps why the writer leaves the title so universal as "Here" can be a different location from person to person.  As well as the physical journey that we embark on, it could also be argued that Larkin takes the reader on a metaphorical journey. One in which he takes to find himself and better himself, away from the restraints of society. This is clearly mirrored in some of his language used in "Here" but also more subtly embedded within his natural imagery.  Key Quotations + Analysis   1.) "Swerving to Solitude" In the

Synopsis= A caul is when a baby is born still in their amniotic sac, this was deemed as especially lucky and as a result sailors would buy the caul and use it as a token of luck. It is significant to note that Duffy was born within her caul therefore this poem has a somewhat autobiographical sense and one could argue that the caul is a symbol of Duffy's fortune. Key Quotations + Analysis=  1.) "I'll never be drowned" Here the speaker is perhaps reliant on the fortune that her caul brings her and it is a part of her that will "never" diminish,  "never" alludes to a tone of sarcasm which is significant as cauls were supposed to prevent a sailor from drowning at sea. Therefore, this sarcastic attitude is perhaps a result of misfortune in the speakers life causing her to majorly doubt the validity of the cauls fortune.  2.) "under the waves or spoil on a beach"  The speaker is questioning whether her caul is still used for luck

Synopsis= Here the poet observes and uses various sources of light to perhaps show an absence of love or rebirth/circle of life. Duffy stresses the importance of light and poses the question 'are we living in the shadows looking for light?', however it is important to note that the light in this poem is not important, it is the way the light is expressed by Duffy. Key Quotations + Analysis= 1.) "The shy stars go stuttering on" Here stars are usually a symbol of hope, positivity and guidance, however the fact that they are shy it indicates that they are hiding themselves, this perhaps implies that the hope in life is temporary. Stuttering conveys that the guidance of the stars is somewhat ambiguous and lacks a strong consistency. 2.) "The flare of another match" This could suggest that there is always hope and the speaker can somewhat control that by generating light such as above. There is also always "another" opportunity to generate