Afternoons by Philip Larkin Essay -- English Literature

Afternoons by Philip Larkin.A numbers which reflects on the subject of marriage is Afternoons byPhilip Larkin. The poem deals with Larkins view on schoolgirlish motherswatching their kids playing in a playground and on this he concludesthat marrying young and having children young, lead to the motherslosing their identity and destiny. The techniques utilize by the poetsuch as theme, flickry and tone deepened my under rest of theissue.The organize of the poem is simple there are three stanzas witheight lines in each. However, unlike every other poem by Larkin thislayout has no contract meaning. The lines are unrhymed. The first stanzadeals with Larkins kind of cynical view of marriage and deals with the mood that the young mothers are isolated. Larkins brilliant use oflanguage emphasis the repeat theme of emptiness within the youngmothers and how regimented their lives boast flummox In the hollows ofafternoons and young mothers assemble. In the second stanza Larkinmoves from the general view into the individual and describes themother as belonging to a middle class background. Their husbands aredescribed as working in skilled trades and being behind them. Thehusbands are not literally standing behind the women but aremetaphorically. They provide support financially, emotionally andphycologically. On a closer inspection of the poem we realise Larkinhas taken an ordinary situation and made a universal message out ofit.The image of the mothers life being dull is further emphasised whenLarkin describes the Wedding Album being nearly the television. Thisimage suggests that the televsion is more of a central concern in thecouples lives rather than their marriage vows etc. ... ...heir identity and are dominated byresponsibility, they have lost condition of what is truly their own.something is pushing them to the side of their lives.The poem Afternoons by Philip Larkin made me think considerablyabout having children young especially at my age, 17. The idea thatLarkin portrays, that young parents, in particular young mothers losecontrol of their lives as soon as they have a child. Personally I conceptualize that Larkins message is made more effective and memorablebecause he tells it in a very simplistic manner in which the contributorcan clearly understand. However, Larkin likes the reader to bechallenged and tells his ideas via a very unexpressed manner. His use oftheme, imagery and tone deepened my understanding of the issue and Ibelieve the poem provides a great thinking point to any youngteenagers considering having children.