Revision:Philip Larkin and High Windows

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To The Sea

• The poem appears to contrast Larkin's childhood memories with the present day creating a sense of nostalgia and longing.
• His idealised scene in the first 2 stanzas contrasts greatly with the neglected beach of the present day, and his tone throughout the poem is that of cynicism and an ongoing disapproval of change which characterises the collection.
• Larkin uses negative words such 'weak,' 'cheap" and 'rusting' to show how the beach has deteriorated as *Larkin has aged. The perception changes to show that as Larkin ages, the beach loses its value e.g. "Famous Cricketers" vs. "Cheap Cigars".
• The perfect seaside scene is described using primary colours suggesting a picture postcard view. The vivid descriptions give an authentic viewpoint and make imagining the beach very easy.' Additionally, he has deliberately chosen a setting which will be familiar to everyone and is innately British.
• Larkin is observing people on the beach, but finds he does not fit into the groups - Children, Parents and *Their Parents. As a result he is alienated from the people he is observing. Furthermore, the juxtaposition of the young and old represent the sense of tradition encapsulated by the seaside.

Sympathy in White Major

• One of Larkin's most unusual poems as it is never made clear what the narrator is discussing.
• The first stanza is the narrator lovingly describing himself pouring a drink, and then making a "private pledge" to someone who "devoted his life to others."
• The second stanza is a lot more vague, leading to some interpretations that the narrator is possibly attending a funeral ("other people wore like clothes" - all dressed the same, e.g black at a funeral, also the title "sympathy") but is drunk.
• The last stanza is mostly in italic to suggest that the narrator is making a toast to "the whitest man I know" and ends on a pun, "though white is not my favourite colour."

The Trees

• The poem is about the trick of rebirth, of life and rejuvenation.
• The use of greenness suggests nature, spring, life, youth and naivety.
• This is one of his more 'upbeat' poems and through it Larkin highlights the trees potential to renew themselves and to begin "afresh, afresh, afresh" despite their lack of immortality.

Livings

Livings I

• The first section of the poem is dedicated to the day-to-day life of a travelling salesman.
• The generalisation of his life to the lives of other salesmen is shown by the use of blanks, " The ------- Hotel."
• Recurring motifs of isolation are used, such as "single room" and "one beer."
• The last line makes reference to the 1929 stock market crash, "It's time for change in nineteen twenty-nine." This creates a sense of irony that the narrator does not realise what will happen, but the reader does.

Livings II

• The second part of "Livings" is about a Lighthouse Keeper. It is surprising upbeat, suggesting that solitude is a good thing.
• Lots of imagery is used throughout this section, such as "radio rubs its legs" to suggest interference on the radio. Also when he describes the mussels and limpets that "husband their tenacity." This imagery can suggest that the sea creatures are desperately clinging on to the rocks just as the lighthouse keeper is trying to cling onto his sanity.
• The theory that the lighthouse keeper is insane can be backed up by his sudden outbursts, like "creatures I cherish you!" and "running suds, rejoice!"

Livings III

• The final installment of "Livings" is about a a group of university lecturers dining "without the Master." *From its masculine style and crude behaviour it is reminiscent of "The Card Players".
• The topics of conversation leave something to be desired and the use of Latin to describe a female sex organ ("pudendum muleris") shows the pretentious nature of these men.
• Larkin also uses bathos when describing the conversations of "resurrection, regicide and rabbit pie" further implying the pompous and pretentious behaviour.
• The naming of the butler, "Starveling" highlights the social status of servants in comparison to their masters.

Comments

These notes are aimed at people studying High Windows by Philip Larkin for AS English Literature.

Originally posted by Burnt Face Man on TSR Forums.