Afternoons by Philip Larkin.
A poem which reflects on the subject of marriage is 'Afternoons' by
Philip Larkin. The poem deals with Larkin's view on young mothers watching their kids playing in a playground and on this he concludes that marrying young and having children young, lead to the mothers losing their identity and destiny. The techniques used by the poet such as theme, imagery and tone deepened my understanding of the issue. The structure of the poem is simple; there are three stanzas with eight lines in each. However, unlike every other poem by Larkin this layout has no direct meaning. The lines are unrhymed. The first stanza deals with Larkin's rather cynical view of marriage and deals with the idea that the
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By using the idea of wind in the poem, Larkin is able to add his own personal views. The wind acts as an idea of change. This is continued moreover in the third stanza via the use of enjambement. This enables
Larkin to carry on and develop his point.
Larkin's use of imagery is very effective. The 'courting places' which were once used by the young mothers are changing but so are their children. The 'courting places' are still being used, however, the people of whom should be using them now have the burden of children and can no longer have the fun this place entails. The 'unripe acorns' as described by Larkin, are the children who are 'still in school'.
This implies Larkin, as an outsider observing and looking in, believes that as generations pass romance is lost further and that people have children far to young. The children within the school are not mature enough to realise what 'courting' means. A grim humour is assumed when the reader realises these children still have a future wereas the young mothers do not.The tone of the poem has become increasingly more cynical. Larkin refers to how regimented the mothers lives are again when they are 'expected' to pick up their children from school. The women have changed immensely with the pressures and responsibilities that the child has brought, they are putting on weight and losing their looks, probably due to having the children. 'Their beauty has thickened'.
Reflections Within is a non-traditional stanzaic poem made up of five stanzas containing thirty-four lines that do not form a specific metrical pattern. Rather it is supported by its thematic structure. Each of the five stanzas vary in the amount of lines that each contain. The first stanza is a sestet containing six lines. The same can be observed of the second stanza. The third stanza contains eight lines or an octave. Stanzas four and five are oddly in that their number of lines which are five and nine.
Poetry is an art that has been passed down from generation to generation; it acts as a way to express emotion or to show a message to readers. In 2017, it is not as popular as it was in the past as many believe it is a common art left behind in the new era of technology. Although many students may call it it to be boring or something they are not interested in, it does have some relevance in today's world. Poetry can show the reader true emotional perspective, just by reading a single stanza. Today, most people are afraid to show what they are feeling. If just a few words on paper allow an individual to be free, then yes, in 2017 poetry is still relevant. Secondly, formulating poetry requires specific mental skills; skills in showing complex thoughts, using poetic devices, and many more literary techniques. This knowledge is something every student can benefit and grow from as an individual. Some may call it old school, but the benefits of learning poetry will remain relevant for a very long time.
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