'Last Visit to 198 Cathedral Road' by Dannie Abse - Analysis and comparisons to Philip Larkin.

'Last Visit to 198 Cathedral Road'.

Summary.

Last Visit to 198 Cathedral Road' is where Abse writes about re-visiting the place where his parents used to live before they passed away. I get the impression that that is what the poem is about because the place is dark dusty and silent and the only live thing in the "group-floor flat" is Abse's. In 'Last Visit to 198 Cathedral Road' Abse also becomes observant of the little details in the abandoned room,just like Larkin. At the end of the poem, Abse is left alone which seems to trigger more thoughts and memories of his parents.

Key themes and ideas.

A lot of the themes and ideas explored by Abse in 'Last Visit to 198 Cathedral Road' is very similar to the themes that Larkin uses in some of his poetry. One of the most obvious themes explored is the death of his parents in that one house. Abse describes the living room in the apartment as a dying room, rather" which depicts that his parents were unfortunate to both experience death in the same room and even so, Abse decides to not see it as a 'living' room anymore. Ironically, there is nothing else "living" in that one room that belongs there, so as well "living room" having its literal meaning as the main room of the house to some, the word "living" by itself shows ambiguity because it also means to be alive and living life. The fact that Abse now calls it the "Dying room" also shows that now that his parents are no longer around to look after the house, the house itself will continue to deteriorate and fade as it is lacking in love, care and attention. This is also very sinister because calling a room a "Dying room" paints a dark picture of  the room being haunted and cold. It also makes me link this one room to the gas chambers in World War 2 which could also be seen as the "Dying room" of the Jews. This makes it even more sinister because the purpose of the "Dying room" for the Jews, was to purposefully kill them, however, I am not saying that his parents were in a gas chamber or were killed, but this is what makes it sinister and dark.

The theme of deterioration and loss is also explored in the 'Last Visit to 198 Cathedral Road' and it is mainly portrayed through the house. This is shown when Abse describes the "vase that yawned hideously". Here, Abse personifies the vase and the purpose of this is to increase the reader's interest in the poem, but also by providing human characteristics immediately encourages the reader to relate to the things being described. This evokes emotions within the reader such as concern or sympathy. The fact that Abse personifies the vase could have also been done to not make the room so seem lifeless after all. Abse also depicts the crumbling and "wriggling, photophobic crack in the ceiling" which adds to the theme of deterioration. However, if it was to be looked at into more depth, then it shows that the building is beginning to settle down and aging like Abse's parents were before their death. So a  link can be made between the parents and the house as it could be said that the house is an embodiment of the parents as they put a lot of love and care into looking after the house, but of course, now that they are no longer around the house is giving up on itself and it will never find anyone else to look after it as well as they did. Abse then goes onto personifying the room "that was out of breath". Again, a link can be linked between the owners of the house as they were the heart and soul of that house and now that they are gone, the room has become empty and lifeless. The house could also be seen as grieving as well as Abse as the departure of the couple seems to have had a big impact on the house.

Furthermore, the house could also be seen as a reflecting Abse's true emotions behind the satire tone in stanza 2. In 'A Winter Visit', Abse states the he inhabits a "white coat not a black even here - and am not qualified to weep". Interestingly, these two poems by Larkin are linked in this way because in the 'Last Visit to 198 Cathedral Road' it seems as if Abse is trying to hide his true emotions as a doctor behind his white coat. In 'A Winter Visit' it was also discussed that Abse uses the coat to camouflage his feelings and this is exactly what the poet is trying to do in this poem. Instead of directly showing how he truly feels about the loss of his parents, Abse uses words such as "outraged", "empty", "hideously" and "dark" when describing the room he is in when actually, he could be discretely saying how he feels.

At the beginning of stanza 2, Abse is satire and mundane about when describing the living room and pretending to talk to his mother. Sarcastically, Abse says "Living room, did I say? Dying room, rather". This shows that Abse is correcting himself as he thought for a second that it was still a normal, family living room, when in fact it isn't anymore - it is now just a dark empty room with no meaning. Again, we see Abse being satire when he says "So much dust, mother!" Abse's speech here, almost seems comical as he pretends as if his mother was physically there but actually he is just talking to himself. Maybe that is something that Abse would have actually commented on to his mother as a joke which makes the poem more for Abse, but the fact that Abse is still imagining his mother still being there, shows that he is still grieving about his parent's death.

In stanzas 3, 4 and 5 we see Abse's desire for his parents to somehow return as he "sat sightless in the room that was out of breath and listened...to nothing". and so the theme of hope and love is also explored in contrast to the themes explored earlier in the poem. The fact that there isn't one "comforting, diminutive sound" shows that in fact, silence can be the loudest non sound. No voices, no birdsong, no noise from the creaking floors, no music and  the sound of absolutely nothing appears to be very loud and disquieting in this poem. This implies that it is unsual for the room to be lifeless and soundless as before, it would've been filled with sounds of his father's music and his mothers comforting, soothing voice. 

Links to Philip Larkin's poetry.

'Home Is So Sad'.

'Home Is So Sad' is one of the most obvious poems that illuminate qualities in the 'Last Visit to 198 Cathedral Road'. Similarly, Larkin also explores the theme of loss and emptiness by using the house as an embodiment of the impact that the mother's departure has had. It also conveys the idea of the home being where the heart is and so again, we see the life of the house being removed, leaving the home sad. We also see the persona grieving the death of his mother. However, there is a sense of hope within the persona when it says "It stays as it was left, Shaped to the comfort of the last to go, As if to win them back". This implies that they are yearning for the mother's return. We also see this one room in the house that sums up the person's existence as the it "stays as it was left".

'Reference Back'.

To some extent, 'Last Visit to 198 Cathedral Road' is illuminated by this Larkin poem because it philosophically talks about the concept of time and how "we're not suited to the long perspectives", simply meaning that we aren't meant to live for the rest of our lives.

'A Winter Visit' - Dannie Abse

'A Winter Visit' by Dannie Abse.

        

In this poem Abse shows concern and emotions to his aging mother. Abse begins 'A Winter Visit' with a  casual tone which paints a simple and everyday picture of a grown man taking his mother on a "walk through the local park" on a cold winter day. However Abse then begins to realise that that very moment that both his mother and him are in, will not last and there it will not be long until it will just be him walking through the park by himself. Abse begins the poem by using simplistic language. This is a significant element within the poem because it reflects the casualness and comfort of the relationship that Abse has with his mother and it also shows the love between the two people which is ever lasting. As the poem progresses, Abse then contrasts the mood within the first stanza when the theme of loss, grief and decay are introduced.

Abse cites the peacock as an emblem of life and spirit. However, the beautiful and angelic representation is quickly shattered by his mother's response about death: "This winter I'm half dead. son." To be "half dead" means to metaphorically exhausted, but in Abse's mother's case it could have the literal meaning of being half dead because of her old age. This implies that slowly but surely progressing towards her death and because of her old age, she has become deprived of life and losing touch from life. 

Interestingly, Abse compares his mother to someone who speaks for a deity as he writes "she like the sibyl". This simile shows that Abse sees his mother as a antique full of eloquence who has the voice of reason. The fact that Abse describes his mother as "sibyl" also shows the wisdom that she has of life that she has gained from living it, but now she is just an antique that only has stories to tell about its life.  Although Abse knows what his mother said is true about her being "half dead" and slowly dying, it hurts him to imagine her not being there with him.

Abse writes about wanting to cry, but it is prevented by a familiarity with illness and grief as a qualified doctor. Here, Abse dramatizes the tension between the two positions as he is seen as a son grieving for his aging mother, but also as a professional doctor who must keep his composure like he would with any other patient that would be progressing towards their death. This is clarified furthermore when Abse says "I inhabit a white coat not a black even here - and am not qualified to weep." The colour is represents his profession as a doctor and the colour black, which contrasts to the colour white, is a colour that is worn at funerals. However, it is interesting how it could be seen by some readers that Abse uses the "white coat" to hide his true emotions although that is ironic as well because the colour white is a colour that should be clear and easily seen but in this case, Abse is using the colour white to camouflage his emotions.

The last lines of 'A Winter Visit' is a poetic embodiment that Abse uses to escape and distract himself from the harsh reality of his life behind the white coat that he wears. He makes it clear that he is wearing a white coat as an emblem of his profession as a doctor and not wearing a black coat. This could possibly show that Abse hopes that he will not have to wear a black coat, or in other words, Abse hopes that he will not have to experience the sorrow and grief if his mother passes away. Abse also seems like the type of person that doesn't like to mix his personal life with his profession and this is clearly shown when he says that he is "not qualified to weep".

'A Winter Visit' is reminiscent of 'Reference Back' by Larkin because both poets explore the theme of loss and their relationships with their mothers, however this is done differently by both poets. In 'Reference Back' Larkin philosophically thinks about how much things have changed in his life since his youth. The fact that Larkin describes the hall and room as "unsatisfactory" shows that Larkin was not happy spending most of his time at home living with his mother but at the same time it shows a stubbornness within Larkin and we get the impression that he does not want to move out. The repetition of "unsatisfactory" and the fact that Larkin was "idly, wasting my time at home" also gives the impression that Larkin was lost as well as helpless even though his mother was progressing towards her death. In fact, if anything, Larkin seems to be quite dismissive of his mother and he seems to focus on himself and on how his life is changing as he grows old. Yes he does mention how the music bonds him with his mother, but the only time Larkin makes a personal remark on his mother is when he mentions her "unsatisfactory age" which isn't even something positive and so this raises the universal question - are we ever satisfied with life?

In contrast, Abse is more in touch and expresses more emotion towards his aging mother in 'A Winter Visit'. Abse uses words such as "cold", "cry", "weep" and "dark" to suggest how he feels inside as he cannot fully show how he truly feels inside because he is a doctor and so his profession restricts him to what and how he should feel in such cases.  What I also think is significant to point out in both poems is the fact that Abse is physically close to his mother as he walks by her side whereas Abse is geographically seperated from his. As I have learnt from reader other Abse poems, I know that he celebrates women and is loving towards the women is his life. Although Larkin on the other hand seems to see women in a very old fashioned way and is vague about the women in his life which shows that he didn't see women in the positive light that Abse saw them in.

'Broadcast' by Philip Larkin - First impression.

'Broadcast' is one of my favourite poems by Larkin because of the way he uses metaphorical techniques and abstract words to describe the music perfectly to make it seem as if we (as readers) are there ourselves with Larkin experiencing the same "cascades of monumental slithering" and the "snivelling of the violins". I found this poem to have a great and positive impact in the way I see Larkin now compared to what I thought of him at the beginning - at the beginning I saw him as an old, miserable and lonely man but through this poem, I have begun seeing Larkin from a different perspective although I still get the impression that Larkin is lonely here as well as he stayed home and listened to it on the radio by himself.

Having read this poem, I get the impression that the eloquence and beauty of the music being played had Larkin mesmerized as he consciously and beautifully describes the sounds that each instruments creates. One of my favourite lines of 'Broadcast' is when he describes the "cascades of monumental slithering" and strangely, this particular metaphor sends shivers down my back just thinking about what this overwhelming, yet smooth sound would actually sound like in real life as it fluently flows around the room. The way in which Larkin also describes contrasting textures and movements of the music is fascinating and this somehow makes the poem fluent to read just like the music would have been played. I admire how Larkin plays around with the volume of the musical performance to create different moods and atmospheres to symbolize different emotions. "Snivelling of the violins" symbolizes misery, sadness and to soothe someone or something, "it goes quickly dark" shows a state or feeling of being excited or anxious about something that may happen next and the "rabid storms" of the chording which is explosive, loud and sudden.

Love, Marriage, Relationships, Music.

I found 'Talking in Bed' an interesting poem and it is also one of my favourite poems by Larkin along with 'Broadcast', 'Love Songs in Age' and 'For Sydney Bechet'. I have always preferred reading poems about such topics as I feel like everyone can easily relate to poem just like these and also because it is something in life that we all experience at some point.

However, the first impression I get just by the title of 'Talking in Bed' is that it is a love poem but in fact it isn't a poem that is just about enduring love, but it is a poem that explores if a loving relationship really is true. It can be said that this poem speaks about the complexities involved in relationships, specifically in reference to true love's failure to withstand the test of time. In the last line of the poem, the persona is questioning whether true love is even the foundation of relationships at all and the persona's ambiguity is reinforced when he uses nouns such as "unrest", "none", "nothing" and "silently". This gives me the impression that the persona is bored of the relationship and although he enjoys the fact that he can fall back on his relationship for stability, he feels his love has gone stagnant.

On the other hand, this reminds me of how we open up so freely and deeply when we feel at ease and so in tunes with the other person thoughts are shared fears are calmed emotions flow easily and become even closer and more intimate. 'Talking in Bed' is a poem that represents unity between two people and a symbol of honesty for me and I found it clever and very typical of Larkin to bring a sense of movement which mirrors the talker's view of the world in relation to themselves. 

AS English Literature, Poetry. 'In Llandough Hospital' by Dannie Abse.

copy and paste: http://www.slideshare.net/laracarlos35/in-llandough-hospital-powepoint

'Dockery and Son'.

'Dockery and Son' - first impressions and reactions.

The first thing that I assumed and noticed when I first read 'Dockery and Son' is that Larkin is on another train journey and I found it interesting how Larkin seems to use the train journeys in some of his poems to possibly imply that life is a journey that changes constantly and moves in different directions and speeds and in a way, that is what life is like and Larkin uses platonic and philosophical concepts and ideas to show this.

Towards the end of the poem, I feel sympathy towards the persona that Larkin is writing in as he has come to realise that he was a middle-aged man where life had just gone past him - he doesn't have children of his own, unlike Dockery and he sees loneliness as a positive thing as he sees having a family as a burden as he compares his himself to Dockery's life choice of having a son so early. In stanza three, the persona falls asleeps but to me it seems as if he had been asleep for most of his life and he is shocked about Dockery having a son and shocked about the realisation of how much of life had gone past without him even having his own family.

First impressions and reactions to 'Here' by Larkin.

"Swerving east, from rich industrial shadows

And traffic all night north; swerving through fields"

These first two lines of the poem don't seem to grab my attention or trigger any thoughts or feelings as I just get the impression that 'Here' is going to be just like the beginning of 'The Whitsun Weddings'. The only thing that is portrayed is that it is yet another train journey and this time the movement is more violent and harsh. The fact that it is another journey, gives me the impression that travelling and seeing different surroundings was what was ordinary for Larkin and he enjoyed putting himself in a position where he was the observer of the things outside. For example, "the widening river's slow presence, the piled gold clouds, the shining gull-marked mud".

I think that 'Here' is a poem than is emphatic of the aspiration, hope, light and potential that Larkin is trying to portray through the man-made buildings and sights as well as potraying things in it's natural forms as he describes the country side. However, I still think of Larkin as a pessimistic person but a also an admiring poet that seems to see the good in everything bad such as death and loneliness.