The whitsun weddings by philip larkin that whitsun, i was late getting away. An analysis of misogynistic tone the women and girls at the stations cynical or romanticised. The whitsun weddings this poem describes a train journey on a hot saturday afternoon. Audens the night mail passing through many locations. It would be not too much to claim that it is one of the best poems written so far in this century, says galvin ewart of philip larkins whitsun weddings. The whitsun weddings by philip larkin poem analysis. The whitsun weddings is a poem and the title of a collection by philip larkin. Today is whitsun so what better way to celebrate than philip larkins beautiful poem, the whitsun weddings in the poem philip larkin describes his stoppingtrain journey through east yorkshire from paragon station, kingston upon hull to kings cross, london on a hot and humid whitsun saturday afternoon in 1955. Journeys marriage norton anthology observation trains rhyme.
The day is a whitsun day on which the british government frees marriage taxes for one day. Though this poem is about weddings, its mood is less than celebratory, and the approach is a realistic and impersonal at a cultural phenomenon of a popular wedding weekend. That two people have found each other and are willing to commit to spend their lives together is nothing short of a miracle. Whitsun day is the one day of the year in which the marriage tax is declared null by the british government, thus affording 24 hours of relief to those couples unable to get hitched due to dire economic circumstances. Analysis of philip larkins the whitsun weddings for ib.
The whitsun weddings is one of the best known poems by british poet philip larkin. Yna the whitsun weddings and selected poems york notes. The whitsun weddings is a collection of 32 poems by philip larkin. The couples described would have married at whitsun because there was a bank holiday, meaning that they could have a brief honeymoon even if an employer would not allow time off. Abstract the dissertation aims at studying elements of modernity in the poetrys of philip larkin. A short analysis of philip larkins the whitsun weddings. The whitsun weddings by philip larkin famous poems, famous. Whitsun by sylvia plath famous poems, famous poets. A sensitive person who tended to be a bit of a perfectionist she was what many would consider a model daughter and student popular, a. Larkins the whitsun weddings was the title of one of his books of poetry, published in 1964. The whitsun weddings analysis philip larkin characters archetypes. It was written and rewritten and finally published in the 1964 collection of poems, also called the whitsun weddings.
The poem, describing a journey from hull to london on the whitsun weekend and the wedding parties that larkin sees climbing aboard the train at each station, is one. He remains today one of the bestknown and most popular british neoformalists. Nevertheless, i hope you enjoy it, and please feel free to. The whitsun weddings analysis essay the whitsun weddings is larkins longest poem and describes the protagonists long, leisurely train journey from hull to london. The whitsun weddings analysis essay example graduateway. Librarything is a cataloging and social networking site for booklovers. Born in 1932 to middle class parents in jamaica plain, massachusetts, sylvia plath published her first poem at the age of eight. A reading of a classic larkin poem ambulances was completed in january 1961 and published in philip larkins third major collection, the whitsun weddings 1964. Nov 19, 2009 in the whitsun weddings, philip larkin intertwines form and content wonderfully.
The title refers to the british tradition of marrying on the weekend of whitsunday or pentecost the. It contains what i believe is not only larkins best poem, but one of the best from the twentieth century period dockery and son. Detailed interpretations scool, the revision website. The whitsun weddings, the titular poem of a book by the same name, is perhaps the mostdiscussed poem by philip larkin, known as englands poet laureate of disappointment. Summary and critical analysis the poem the whitsun weddings by philip larkin is about the poets journey to london in a train. About the poem larkin describes a stoppingtrain journey southwards from paragon station, kingston upon hull, where larkin was a librarian at the university, on a hot whitsun saturday afternoon. In the whitsun weddings, philip larkin intertwines form and content wonderfully. Keatss odes represent an utter contrast to the spirit of. Hull is on the north bank of the humber and is the scene of the fish docks. This is not what i meantstucco arches the banked rocks sunning in rowsbald eyes or petrified eggs. With eight stanzas of ten lines each, rhyming like keatsian odes but just the opposite in mood and temperament, the whitsun weddings is also probably. It is this twosidedness of the poem i especially love. One twenty on the sunlit saturday did my threequartersempty train pull out.
Stucco arches, the banked rocks sunning in rows, bald eyes or petrified eggs. The whitsun weddings by philip larkin and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. The volume the whitsun weddings 1964 reflects the circumstances, in the late nineteenfifties, when class and culture conflicts were coming into vogue. A summary of a classic larkin poem the whitsun weddings is the title poem in philip larkins 1964 volume of poems. The poem, describing a journey from hull to london on the whitsun weekend and the wedding parties that larkin sees climbing aboard the train at each station, is one of larkins longest great poems and one of his most popular. Therefore the day fascinates people belonging to the lower economic class because they cannot afford the payment of marriage taxes on other days. In its harmony of change and loss played against the melody of the poems wedding narrative, the whitsun weddings 1958 shows this contradiction to great effect. The autobiographical novel a voice through a cloud by denton welch concerns the authors nearfatal bike accident and its aftermath, which occurred on a whitsun holiday. Larkinian poems focus on microcosm worlds, full of the daily hustle and bustle of people getting about their business. Larkin watches them, and their families left behind on the platform. The high windows aubade read by philip larkin aubade i work. The world, or landscape of the whitsun weddings is pictured in the first poem of the volume entitled here. Fern hill now as i was young and easy under the apple boughs now as i was young and easy under the apple boughs the academy of american poets is the largest membershipbased nonprofit organization fostering an appreciation for contemporary poetry and supporting american poets. The whitsun weeding is an example of movement poem.
Thus, time and death are the most prominent themes in this volume. His poetic career also, which begins under modernist influence, matures towards postmodern directions. Sylvia plath wrote a poem called whitsun, published posthumously in 1971. In this volume larkins disillusionment increased with the realization that life offers man nothing, but death only. Nov 30, 2014 it would be not too much to claim that it is one of the best poems written so far in this century, says galvin ewart of philip larkins whitsun weddings.
I was born in hull, and made the journey from paragon station to kings cross many times as a child much later than larkin did. The poem comprises eight stanzas of ten lines, making it one of his longest. The whitsun weddings poem summary and analysis litcharts. The poem, describing a journey from hull to london on the. Philip larkin reads his beautiful title poem from the whitsun weddings, a collection published in 1964, not 65 as stated in the video.
And when i say read a book of poems, usually i mean read each poem once well lets be honest, in an anthology, i might skim some the long ones from the 1800s. Blake morrison defines its ideology and says that movement poetry shares some common themes such as sex, religion and politics. With eight stanzas of ten lines each, rhyming like keatsian odes but just the opposite in mood and temperament, the whitsun weddings is also probably larkins longest. Thus, larkins poetry, belonging mainly to the period of shift from modernism to postmodernism, reflects, from time to. It then appeared in the june 1959 issue of encounter. Fern hill by dylan thomas poems academy of american poets. From the whitsun weddings the line we ran behind the backs of houses, crossed a street of blinding windscreens has long fascinated me.
This week i read philip larkins fifth collection of poems, the whitsun weddings 1964. Philip larkin, british culture, and fourletter words. The whitsun weddings poem by philip larkin poem hunter. Once we started, though, we passed them, grinning and pomaded, girls in parodies of fashion, heels and veils. The whitsun weddings by philip larkin librarything. It was first published by faber in the united kingdom on 28 february 1964. The title refers to the british tradition of marrying on the weekend of whitsunday or pentecost the seventh sunday after easter to take advantage of the early summer bank holiday or long weekend. The whitsun weddings by philip larkin famous poems. It was included as the final poem in his 1964 collection, the whitsun weddings, and is also one of his best known works. Larkin sent the whitsun weddings, and on 17 march 1959 followed it with a letter see selected letters suggesting how he would like it read. Larkin is describing his rather sardonic view of the whitsun weddings he passes, and i feel is very ambivalent. Philip larkin, the whitsun weddings faber, 1964 philip larkins fifth collection of poetry, the whitsun weddings, was the one that firmly established him as one of britains major poets. The whitsun weddings study guide contains a biography of philip larkin, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a. Sep 15, 2014 his notable works include the whitsun weddings 1964, high windows 1974etc.
We english blog archive philip larkin, the whitsun weddings. Although a number of the male characters in the whitsun weddings have names mr bleaney, arnold, dockery and a poem dedicated to sidney bechet, women are unfailingly dismissed as insignificant through their lack of them they are only vaguely recognised as her, she, and girl. The new poetry containing the poem was first broadcast on 5 april. An arundel tomb poem summary and analysis litcharts.
It is one of his longest poems, at eight stanzas of ten lines. The whitsun weddings poem the whitsun weddings is one of the best known poems by british poet philip larkin. His notable works include the whitsun weddings 1964, high windows 1974etc. Larkins the whitsun weddings reflected the lack of importance of britain in a postwar world, and also echoed the. The poems title could therefore be a play on words perhaps it is simply the act of trust in others, rather than religion, which heals us. This volume contains thirty two poems most of which discuss the central issues of ordinary life in the language of ordinary speech and the details of everyday. The whitsun weddings is a deceptively leisurely sounding poem in eight tenline stanzas. The theme of death and time in larkins the whitsun weddings. Dec 01, 2016 an overview of all the whitsun weddings poems by phillip larkin.
Whitsun, or whit sunday, is the seventh sunday after easter pentecost, deep into spring, when people often marry. The poem on the surface level is a description of these. Dec 06, 2009 philip larkin reads his beautiful title poem from the whitsun weddings, a collection published in 1964, not 65 as stated in the video. The poem the whitsun weddings by philip larkin is about the poets journey to london in a train. The longest is the title poem, the whitsun weddings, at eighty lines. Most students, faced with a novel or poem, spontaneously come up with what is.
Would anybody happen to know or have an analysis for the poem called the whitsun weddings by philip larkin. An arundel tomb was written in 1956 by the british poet philip larkin. It was a commercial success, by the standards of poetry publication, with the first 4,000 copies being sold within two months. Comments about the whitsun weddings by philip larkin peter duffell 752008 10. Not till about onetwenty on the sunlit saturday did my threequartersempty train pull out, all windows down, all cushions hot, all sense poets access register now and publish your best poems or read and bookmark your favorite popular famous poems. As well as his volumes of poems, which include the whitsun weddings and high windows, he wrote two novels, jill and a girl in winter, and two books of collected journalism. Aug 27, 2003 it contains what i believe is not only larkins best poem, but one of the best from the twentieth century period dockery and son. Sparknotes bookrags the meaning summary overview critique of explanation pinkmonkey. Analysis for the whitsun weddings by philip larkin. Analysis of the whitsun weddings by philip larkin poem analysis. With eight stanzas of ten lines each, rhyming like keatsian odes but just the opposite in mood and temperament, the whitsun weddings is also probably larkins longest poetical work, and the most acclaimed. The whitsun weddings by philip larkin poetry foundation. The whitsun weddings here mr bleaney nothing to be said love songs in age naturally the foundation will bear your expenses broadcast faith healing for sidney bechet home is so sad toads revisited water the whitsun weddings selfs the man take one home for the kiddies days mcmxiv talking in bed the large cool store a study of reading habits as. In his interesting discussion of the relevance of the title to the meaning of the whole poem, david timms state that the very title, that is, mr bleaney shows how.
In his poem guide, joshua weiner refers to larkin as was britains poet laureate of disappointment. In this perspective, larkin couldnt keep himself detached from the changing atmosphere. The whitsun weddings every poem and comparison teaching. He expresses his views on the whitsun weddings and declares it a pure poem of movement. The poem s title could therefore be a play on words perhaps it is simply the act of trust in others, rather than religion, which heals us. In the opening, the narrators life is measured in numbers. Here is a summary and analysis of larkins poem the whitsun weddings, where you can read the poem in full here. The whitsun weddings is the title poem in philip larkins 1964 volume of poems. The whitsun weddings poem philip larkin poems best poems. The whitsun weddings by philip larkin 1,798 ratings, 4. It is one of three poems that larkin wrote about train journeys. On the level of form, the poem enacts a train journey from the north of england down to london.
The whitsun weddings the whitsun weddings got published in februaiy 1964, nine years later than the less deceived. Philip larkin was born in coventry, england in 1922. Apr 05, 2012 philip larkin was born in coventry in 1922 and was educated at king henry viii school, coventry, and st johns college, oxford. The whitsun weddings study guide contains a biography of philip larkin, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. Usually when i say read i mean read once, from cover to cover apart from the books i abandon.
Not till about onetwenty on the sunlit saturday did my threequartersempty train pull out, all windows down, all cushions hot, all sense of being in a hurry gone. The speaker lets say larkin himself, because his speakers often parallel him closely is probably coming from hull, in the southern part of yorkshire, and. The whitsun weddings is larkins longest poem and describes the protagonists long, leisurely train journey from hull to london. Get an answer for analysis for the whitsun weddings by philip larkin. I was born in hull, and made the journey from paragon station to kings cross many times as. The whitsun weddings archives interesting literature. Poems contained in this volume are more autobiographical than those of the previous volume.
Did my threequartersempty train pull out, all windows down, all cushions hot, all sense. An overview of all the whitsun weddings poems by phillip larkin. Johns college, oxford, where he befriended novelist and poet kingsley amis and finished with first class honors in english. Like with all larkin poems, the whitsun weddings is melancholy and bitter, with a vague sense that nothing will ever be right. The poem recounts the speakers train journey from the east of england to london and his observations along the way. Not till about onetwenty on the sunlit saturday did my threequartersempt. Click to read more about the whitsun weddings by philip larkin. A sensitive person who tended to be a bit of a perfectionist she was what many would consider a model daughter and student popular, a straight a student, always winning the best prizes. In the poem, the speaker is looking at stone effigies of a medieval earl and countess. The whitsun weddings was written by british poet philip larkin and first published in his collection the whitsun weddings in 1963. We ran behind the backs of houses, crossed a street of blinding windscreens, smelt the fishdock. Larkins view on life will have more lucidity in this volume and as such his sad face will be identified poem after poem. The table overviews what the poems are about, key ideastechniqueswords and what other whitsun wedding poems you could compare them to. Of larkins four major collections the north ship, the less deceived, the whitsun weddings, and high windows only eleven poems contain swear words, with the word fuck, in varied conjugation, occurring a total of three times twice in this be the verse, once in high windows.