Squat on my life?
Can’t I use my wit as a pitchfork
And drive the brute off? “
from “Toads” (1954), The Less Deceived
Lets no one off the grave.
Death is no different whined at than withstood.”
(from “Aubade” (1977), Collected Poems ) “I work all day, and get half-drunk at night.
Waking at four to soundless dark, I stare.
In time the curtain-edges will grow light.
Till then I see what’s really always there:
Unresting death, a whole day nearer now,
Making all thought impossible but how
And where and when I shall myself die.”
(from “Aubade” (1977), Collected Poems)
“Going” : :
There is an evening coming in
Across the fields, one never seen before,
That lights no lamps.
Silken it seems at a distance, yet
When it is drawn up over the knees and breast
It brings no comfort.
Where has the tree gone, that locked
Earth to the sky? What is under my hands,
That I cannot feel?
What loads my hands down?
“Going” By Philips Larkin ( 9 August 1922 – 2 December 1985 ), is an example of Larkin’s mature engagement with the terrifying realisation that death will come for us all. In 10 unrhymed lines, each of the 3 ‘tersets’ is made up of one complete phrase. : : “Going”, explores death without ever mentioning it by name, instead referring to it as ‘an evening’ that is ‘coming in’. : : He depicts death as a dark form that consumes everything. The poem was originally published in 1955 in Larkin’s book, The Less Deceived. Larkin originally planned to title the work ‘Dying Day.’ Thus the work is about death indeed. An unstoppable “evening” takes a reader to the understanding that there is no way to ward off its arrival and an eventual uptake of every living being is a reality. A make believe as consolatory happening that will make every living gets worried later at some point of time. After reaching old age, or simply the point of death, the consolation or a solace is no longer there. There is no hope, light, or chance of escaping. One’s connection to the rest of the living world ( in the form of a tree ) has been severed and one’s means and ways are taken from them.: : : : It is interesting to point out that Larkin also wrote a companion piece titled, “Coming” that discusses the emotions centered around the arrival of spring.
Information Appreciation and poem Analysis Presented by V Jayaraj Pune India September 12, 2022 : : : :
“There is an evening coming in
Across the fields, one never seen before,
That lights no lamps.” : : : : ( 1 St terset ) : : :
1. : : There is an evening coming in in the far off distance. An evening which “lights no lamps” because there is no hope of warding off this darkness. It’s the darkness of death. The distance between a person and his death is very far away in time but it’s coming in nearer and nearer and the same can be visualised and one can sense although (s)he “has never seen before, Across the fields,” : : : :
“Silken it seems at a distance, yet
When it is drawn up over the knees and breast
It brings no comfort.” : : : : ( 2 Nd terset ) : :
2. : : An evening “at a distance,seems silken,” which “brings no comfort , When it is drawn up over the knees and breast.” An evening light is silkenly smooth apparently on its surface. But, its shadowy duskiness will make progression , reaching first up to the kneeside and thereafter it will reach to the breast side. And in this event , it will be steadily sensed with the dusky shadows : first approaching ( knee length covering) and then surrounding completely ( from toe to head ) in darkness of “death” : : ” It brings no comfort ” in shadows and darkness as it “lights no lamps”: : : :
“Where has the tree gone, that locked
Earth to the sky? What is under my hands,
That I cannot feel?” : : : : ( 3 Rd terset ) : :
3. : : Here, three questions have been asked ? First one : Where has the tree gone, that locked Earth to the sky? : : Human life has a grounded existence; and his so-called “afterlife” inhabiting in a divine heaven which is so-called celestial or heavenly existence. “Tree” has symbolically skyward growth during its lifetime and like a “lock” engages one life to all other earthly life connections ( as well as with the habitat of another world ) ; yet it remains earthbound like a tree. In the words “the tree has gone” the disappearance of grounded existence of life is suggestive of an imminent close of such engaging among the lives on the same earthly lands which means that the skyward trip is about to get off or has already occured. An act of departing from the earthly existence has happened leaving the ground : That is ” Going” On!? : A genteel expression of ‘Death’ : : : : The Second Question asked is : Ultimately, “What is under my hand?” : : The answer is : ‘ Death ‘ although not mentioned in the poem. Because He / She can not remember or feel or sense anything : : : : ( His / Her connections , lifetime experiences , sensitivity and consciousness ; enthalpy of a living being and governing lifeforces ) which altogether have ceased or ended with no mentioned! ‘Death’! ! : : : : : : In The 2 Nd question , a (Sub) Question asked is : “What is it that I can not feel?” : : The answer is ‘life in its entirety’: : : :
“What loads my hands down?” : : Last 10 Th line : : : :
Line 10 : : With the ceasing of life in its entirety and unstoppable departure from the grounded earthly existence and cutting off of the engagement(s), ( the trip for ) “Going” ( skywards / heavenwards ) is nothing but journeying in to the ‘darkness’ of an “evening” which is a metaphor for the ‘death’. So , the convenient answer to this 3 Rd Question is that a weight has borne or conveyed . We can not know whether it is onerous , burdensome or bearable or else .. . Whatever , this loads keep his/ her hands down with its heavyness : : : : : : : :
Philips Larkin ‘s Death Poem : “Going” : : : : Information Appreciation and poem Analysis Presented by V Jayaraj Pune India September 12, 2022 : : : : : : : : : :
MADHU MALTI 