The idea of home can mean different things to different people, shaped by personal experiences and surroundings. It could be a quaint house with a white picket fence in a small Virginia town, the rugged Alaskan wilderness with its ancient pine trees, the dry and rugged deserts of Arizona, or any other place in this magnificent world.
For some, home is a place they have known their entire lives, while for others, it changes as they go through different stages of life. And then there are those who are still searching for a place to call home. In his poem "Here," poet and novelist Philip Larkin shares his own interpretation of home, capturing it in written form.
"Here" by Philip Larkin is a journey, both physical and emotional, into, through, and out of a city. The physical location mentioned in the poem is believed to be Hull, England, where Larkin lived and worked as a librarian for 30 years. He took up this role at the University of Hull in 1955 and remained there until his passing in 1985.
During his time in Hull, Larkin wrote some of his most notable works, including his 1964 collection, The Whitsun Weddings. "Here" serves as the opening poem of this collection. The city has also embraced Larkin's connection to it, with statues, plaques, and even a trail dedicated to him, making him a local hero. In return, Larkin immortalizes Hull in his poem "Here."
Larkin's relationship with Hull was complex and often ambiguous, as portrayed in the poem. Initially, he was dismissive and condescending towards the city, referring to it as a "dump" in letters to his friends. He often complained about the fishy smell, as Hull is a port town, and the only positive thing he had to say was that it was flat and excellent for cycling.
However, as time passed, Larkin's feelings towards Hull changed, and he came to embrace it as his home. While "Here" still reflects a critical tone towards the human impact on the town, it also celebrates the natural landscape, creating a sense of familiarity and belonging that makes it feel like home.
In the poem "Here," the speaker takes a journey east and north through the countryside. Despite being on a train ride, the experience feels almost weightless and fluid, "swerving" through fields of thistles and thin meadows. The reader can imagine themselves soaring through the sky, carried by the wind as the speaker describes everything they pass.
The next stop on the journey is a surprisingly large town, bustling with activity and typical urban features. However, the speaker maintains a critical tone towards both the setting and the people who inhabit it. He ponders about their origins and what they value, noting that their desires seem to revolve around material possessions like cheap suits, kitchenware, and iced lollies.
Continuing with this slightly arrogant attitude, the speaker suggests that the only individuals who visit this town are salesmen and relatives. The town itself has a distinct smell of fish and is only partially developed at its outskirts. As the speaker travels further out, they come across isolated villages, where "loneliness clarifies" and "silence stands like heat." The untouched nature and hidden beauty of these villages create a sense of peace and isolation, facing the sun, "untalkative and out of reach."
Literary analysis involves delving deeper into a text than a summary, examining tone, literary devices, and themes to allow readers to form their own interpretations. By analyzing a literary work, readers can understand how literary devices contribute to the central message, tone, and themes.
The first step in literary analysis is to consider figurative language and literary devices and how they work together to create meaning. For instance, why is an inanimate object speaking? What is the significance of a particular simile? By examining each part of figurative language, readers can deduce the tone and ultimately understand the overall message of the poem.
In "Here," the use of imagery is crucial to shaping the tone and revealing the poem's themes.
The tone of "Here" shifts throughout the poem, depending on the setting described.
Philip Larkin's "Here" takes readers on a journey through nature and society, using vivid imagery and literary devices to evoke a range of emotions and themes.
A Peaceful Start:
The poem opens with a peaceful and intimate tone as the speaker reflects on the serene natural landscape around them. The speaker is at ease and familiar with their surroundings, as evident in lines 7-8:
The speaker takes note of the countryside's beauty, even in the little things like shining mud. This suggests a deep appreciation for the natural world and its simple wonders.
A Shift in Tone:
The poem's tone shifts as the speaker moves from the countryside to the city. The tranquility of nature is replaced by the chaos and congestion of urban life. The speaker becomes critical of city dwellers who prioritize material possessions over emotional or spiritual value.
The speaker's journey continues to the coast, where the tone becomes one of uncertainty and loneliness as the unknown lies ahead. But amidst this unfamiliarity, there is still hope, symbolically represented by the sun. The poem ends with a tone of hesitant hope as the speaker gazes out at the sun over the unknown.
Larkin skillfully employs various literary devices to set the scene, shape the tone, and convey the poem's central themes.
Imagery and Juxtaposition:
Imagery plays a significant role in "Here," using descriptive language to appeal to the senses and evoke emotions. In the first stanza, the imagery is quaint and pastoral, with references to natural elements such as skies, scarecrows, haystacks, hares, and pheasants. These images are all linked to the farming cycle, highlighting the theme of life and interconnectedness.
Juxtaposition is also used as the countryside is contrasted with the city in the following stanza. The imagery in the city is chaotic and busy, emphasizing society's superficiality and detachment from nature.
A Critical View of Society:
The speaker's journey through the city reveals a society driven by consumerism and materialistic desires. The speaker observes people chasing after cheap suits, red kitchenware, sharp shoes, iced lollies, and various household appliances. This excessive relationship between society and material goods reflects the speaker's critique of societal expectations and the neglect of genuine human connections.
The Unknown and Hope:
In the final stanza, the poem takes a turn towards the unknown, with the sea symbolizing uncertainty and loneliness. The speaker describes the sea as "bluish neutral distance" and the beach as "unfenced existence," highlighting the unfamiliarity of this new place. However, hope is still present in the form of the sun, shining over the unknown. The use of abstract imagery and vague adjectives adds to the poem's mysterious and uncertain atmosphere.
The Power of Alliteration and Repetition:
Alliteration is used throughout the poem to connect living things and objects, emphasizing their interconnectedness. This can be seen in phrases like "night north" (Line 2), "thin and thistled" (Line 3), and "skies and scarecrows" (Line 6). The repetition of the word "here" also serves to reinforce the poem's themes of journey and discovery, as the word is used four times throughout the poem, each time expanding on its meaning and significance.
In conclusion, "Here" is a thought-provoking poem that effectively uses literary devices to shape the tone and reveal important themes. Through careful analysis, readers can fully understand the poet's message and form their own interpretations of the text.
"Here" can mean many things - it can be both urban and rural, representing the bustling city life as well as the often ignored countryside. This reflects the diverse and ambiguous nature of what we call home.
The poem not only paints a vivid picture with its imagery, but also makes use of various literary devices such as simile, personification, and allusion. The deliberate use of these devices adds depth and complexity to the poem's critique of consumerism and materialism, while also delving into the idea of home and its multifaceted nature.
The use of personification further highlights the tangible presence of loneliness in the poem. It is depicted as a force that can either bring clarity or hinder personal growth, depending on the perspective.
The speaker also draws a comparison between the wheat fields and a photograph of the city, highlighting the division between the two. This reinforces the theme of isolation and separation, as shown in the imagery of the wheat fields acting as a barrier between the villagers and the industrialized city lifestyle.
Enjambment is utilized extensively in the poem, creating a fluid and uninterrupted flow that reflects the speaker's belief that everything is interconnected in one place. This technique is also used to connect four consecutive lines, emphasizing the interdependence of different elements within the town.
Lastly, the poem makes use of allusion to establish the setting of Hull, a port city in England. The references to fish, ships, and the slave museum allude to specific landmarks in Hull, further emphasizing the connection between the town and its inhabitants.
In conclusion, the poem offers a thought-provoking exploration of the concept of "here" through its use of powerful imagery, literary devices, and allusions. It challenges us to consider the diverse and ambiguous nature of home, while also critiquing societal issues such as consumerism and isolation.
In his poem "Here", Philip Larkin delves into the contrasting worlds of nature and industry, and the universal themes of human loneliness. While the poem may hold personal significance to Larkin, its messages are relatable and applicable to any place or person, making it a timeless piece of literature.
The poem begins in a natural setting, where the speaker is surrounded by the vibrant and meaningful interactions of nature. The imagery of "skies and scarecrows, haystacks, hares and pheasants" (Lines 6-7) and the "widening river's slow presence" (Line 7) sets a peaceful and harmonious tone. However, as the poem progresses, the focus shifts to the industrialized city, with mentions of a "cut-price crowd" and "piled gold clouds" (Lines 17-18). This jarring juxtaposition highlights the speaker's feelings towards the city, portraying it as a place of disconnection and isolation.
The theme of nature vs. industry is further emphasized through the speaker's journey, as he navigates through the chaos of the city and eventually finds himself facing the unknown by the sea. Here, he reflects on the mysteries of life and the limitations of the human condition, finding both hope and loneliness in its enigmatic nature.
Moreover, the poem also delves into the theme of human loneliness. The speaker notes his own feelings of seclusion amongst the urban crowd and their shallow desires, referred to as "a cut-price crowd". However, it is when he enters the vast openness that he truly encounters loneliness, as certain truths will always remain out of reach.
Published in 1964 as part of Larkin's collection "Whitsun Weddings", "Here" is set in the poet's hometown of Hull. However, its themes and messages have a universal quality that transcends time and place. Larkin's intention with the poem was to convey the search for meaning in one's home, as the speaker's journey through Hull mirrors the search for universal truths about life and purpose.
In conclusion, "Here" by Philip Larkin delves into the dichotomy between nature and industry, as well as the feelings of loneliness that can arise in a rapidly changing society. The poem serves as a reminder to appreciate the beauty of the world around us and to find meaning in the unknown and mysterious aspects of life. And through his poignant words, Larkin conveys the idea that the natural world holds more significance and value than anything humans can create.
