Talking in Bed by Philip Larkin
In this poem, Larkin explore the meaning of love and how couples try to make it last. We are provided with a glimpse into a relationship that has hit a rock or some sort of obstacle, on that seems impossible to overcome, but Larkin zooms in on the perseverance of the couple and has a sort of admiration for them in that sense.
In the first stanza, we are presented with two people who are obviously in a long term relationship with one another, yet they appear to be lost for words with each other. In the second stanza we have some pathetic falacy as the the weather begins to reflex their uneasy love and also time can be heard, due to the immense silence. The third stanza moves to a more metaphorical perspective, with a deeper description to place. They become insignificant and alone, even though they are together and in a relationship, a paradox can be suggested. The fourth and final stanza shows how they are stying to tell each other the absolute truth and the line "...once true and kind," and "...not untrue and not unkind." actually mean the same thing, almost like they are looking for something right in front of them that they can't see.
One of the noticeable things about the poem is the use of pathetic falacy. "Outside, the wind's incomplete unrest" - this use of pathetic falacy is used to show the tension that is between the couple and how they feel. Their marriage is no longer complete, it is falling apart and they are both restless. in the 1960s divorce was still seen as scandalous and it made people to got a divorce feel like they had failed, both each other and their families. This caused many people to remain in unhappy marriages, unwilling to fall to the shame that they would be faced with. This is suggested in the weather as the way to wind is blowing is like a storm is approaching the couple.
Three quotes that stood out for me are as follows:
"An emblem of two people being honest"
"At this unique distance from isolation"
"once true and kind,/Or not untrue and not unkind."
In the first stanza, we are presented with two people who are obviously in a long term relationship with one another, yet they appear to be lost for words with each other. In the second stanza we have some pathetic falacy as the the weather begins to reflex their uneasy love and also time can be heard, due to the immense silence. The third stanza moves to a more metaphorical perspective, with a deeper description to place. They become insignificant and alone, even though they are together and in a relationship, a paradox can be suggested. The fourth and final stanza shows how they are stying to tell each other the absolute truth and the line "...once true and kind," and "...not untrue and not unkind." actually mean the same thing, almost like they are looking for something right in front of them that they can't see.
One of the noticeable things about the poem is the use of pathetic falacy. "Outside, the wind's incomplete unrest" - this use of pathetic falacy is used to show the tension that is between the couple and how they feel. Their marriage is no longer complete, it is falling apart and they are both restless. in the 1960s divorce was still seen as scandalous and it made people to got a divorce feel like they had failed, both each other and their families. This caused many people to remain in unhappy marriages, unwilling to fall to the shame that they would be faced with. This is suggested in the weather as the way to wind is blowing is like a storm is approaching the couple.
Three quotes that stood out for me are as follows:
"An emblem of two people being honest"
"At this unique distance from isolation"
"once true and kind,/Or not untrue and not unkind."
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