'The Whitsun Weddings' by Philip Larkin
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That Whitsun, I was late getting away:
Not till about
One-twenty on the sunlit Saturday
Did my three-quarters-empty train pull out,
All windows down, all cushions hot, all sense
Of being in a hurry gone. We ran
Behind the backs of houses, crossed a street
Of blinding windscreens, smelt the fish-dock; thence
The river's level drifting breadth began,
Where sky and Lincolnshire and water meet.
All afternoon, through the tall heat that slept
For miles inland,
A slow and stopping curve southwards we kept.
Wide farms went by, short-shadowed cattle, and
Canals with floatings of industrial froth;
A hothouse flashed uniquely: hedges dipped
And rose: and now and then a smell of grass
Displaced the reek of buttoned carriage-cloth
Until the next town, new and nondescript,
Approached with acres of dismantled cars.
At first, I didn't notice what a noise
The weddings made
Each station that we stopped at: sun destroys
The interest of what's happening in the shade,
And down the long cool platforms whoops and skirls
I took for porters larking with the mails,
And went on reading. Once we started, though,
We passed them, grinning and pomaded, girls
In parodies of fashion, heels and veils,
All posed irresolutely, watching us go,
As if out on the end of an event
Waving goodbye
To something that survived it. Struck, I leant
More promptly out next time, more curiously,
And saw it all again in different terms:
The fathers with broad belts under their suits
And seamy foreheads; mothers loud and fat;
An uncle shouting smut; and then the perms,
The nylon gloves and jewellery-substitutes,
The lemons, mauves, and olive-ochres that
Marked off the girls unreally from the rest.
Yes, from cafés
And banquet-halls up yards, and bunting-dressed
Coach-party annexes, the wedding-days
Were coming to an end. All down the line
Fresh couples climbed aboard: the rest stood round;
The last confetti and advice were thrown,
And, as we moved, each face seemed to define
Just what it saw departing: children frowned
At something dull; fathers had never known
Success so huge and wholly farcical;
The women shared
The secret like a happy funeral;
While girls, gripping their handbags tighter, stared
At a religious wounding. Free at last,
And loaded with the sum of all they saw,
We hurried towards London, shuffling gouts of steam.
Now fields were building-plots, and poplars cast
Long shadows over major roads, and for
Some fifty minutes, that in time would seem
Just long enough to settle hats and say
I nearly died,
A dozen marriages got under way.
They watched the landscape, sitting side by side
- An Odeon went past, a cooling tower, And
someone running up to bowl - and none
Thought of the others they would never meet
Or how their lives would all contain this hour.
I thought of London spread out in the sun,
Its postal districts packed like squares of wheat:
There we were aimed. And as we raced across
Bright knots of rail
Past standing Pullmans, walls of blackened moss
Came close, and it was nearly done, this frail
Travelling coincidence; and what it held
stood ready to be loosed with all the power
That being changed can give. We slowed again,
And as the tightened brakes took hold, there swelled
A sense of falling, like an arrow-shower
Sent out of sight, somewhere becoming rain.
Editor 1 Interpretation
The Whitsun Weddings by Philip Larkin: A Masterpiece of Modern Poetry
What makes a poem timeless? Is it the lyrical beauty of its language, the depth of its themes, or the universality of its message? These are questions that have puzzled literary critics for centuries, and there is no easy answer. Yet, when it comes to Philip Larkin's "The Whitsun Weddings," it seems that all these elements come together in a rare and sublime way.
First published in 1964, "The Whitsun Weddings" is a long and complex poem that tells the story of a train journey from Hull to London on a Whitsun weekend, during which the narrator observes various scenes of life, love, and death. The poem is written in free verse, with no regular meter or rhyme scheme, and yet its language is highly musical and evocative, full of vivid images and subtle nuances. It is a poem that rewards careful reading and rereading, as it offers many layers of meaning and interpretation.
At its core, "The Whitsun Weddings" is a meditation on the nature of time, memory, and mortality. The train journey becomes a metaphor for the journey of life itself, with all its fleeting pleasures and inevitable sorrows. The narrator's observations of the wedding parties that fill the train are juxtaposed with his memories of his own past loves and losses, as well as with his reflections on the historical and cultural changes that have transformed England in the post-war era. The poem thus encompasses both the personal and the social, the private and the public, in a way that is both intimate and universal.
One of the most striking features of "The Whitsun Weddings" is its use of imagery, which is both concrete and symbolic. Larkin's eye for detail is evident in his descriptions of the landscape, the people, and the objects that he encounters on the train journey. He captures the essence of a place or a moment with a few precise words, such as "the gasworks, rust and cream and copper" or "the river's level drifting breadth." These images are not merely descriptive, however; they also suggest deeper meanings and associations. The gasworks, for example, may evoke the industrialization and pollution that have marred the natural beauty of the countryside, while the river may symbolize the flow of time and the inevitability of change.
Another notable aspect of "The Whitsun Weddings" is its use of irony and understatement. Larkin's tone is often dry and detached, as if he were observing the world from a distance. He is not sentimental or moralistic, but rather skeptical and ironic. He exposes the absurdities and contradictions of human behavior with a wry humor, as when he describes the newlyweds as "faces in a train / Each helping each to cry." He also uses understatement to great effect, as when he remarks that "the sun-comprehending glass / And beyond it, the deep blue air, that shows / Nothing, and is nowhere, and is endless."
Yet, for all its irony and detachment, "The Whitsun Weddings" is a profoundly human poem. It is a poem that celebrates the joys and sorrows of ordinary life, the beauty and fragility of human connections. It is a poem that recognizes the inevitability of death, but also affirms the possibility of love and creativity. In the end, it is a poem that invites us to contemplate our own mortality and to find meaning and value in the ephemeral experiences that make up our lives.
In conclusion, "The Whitsun Weddings" is a masterpiece of modern poetry that deserves to be read and reread, savored and pondered. It is a poem that combines formal innovation with emotional depth, intellectual rigor with sensual pleasure. It is a poem that speaks to our hearts and minds, and that reminds us of the power of language to capture the complexities and mysteries of human experience. It is a poem, in short, that belongs to the ages.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
The Whitsun Weddings: A Masterpiece of Modern Poetry
Philip Larkin's The Whitsun Weddings is a poem that captures the essence of modern life in a way that few other works of literature can. It is a masterpiece of modern poetry, a work that speaks to the human condition in a way that is both profound and accessible. In this analysis, we will explore the themes, imagery, and language of this remarkable poem, and attempt to understand why it has endured as one of the greatest works of modern literature.
The poem begins with a description of a train journey, as the speaker travels from Hull to London on a Whitsun weekend. The train is crowded with people, many of whom are heading to London for weddings. As the train passes through the countryside, the speaker observes the landscape and the people around him, and reflects on the nature of life and love.
One of the central themes of the poem is the passage of time, and the way in which it affects our lives. Larkin uses the train journey as a metaphor for the journey of life, with the train moving inexorably towards its destination, just as we move towards our own inevitable end. The speaker reflects on the passing of the seasons, and the way in which the landscape changes over time. He notes that the fields are "set out, soft and white" in the spring, but by summer they are "barred with briars" and "thick with cow parsley and campion". This imagery is a powerful reminder of the transience of life, and the way in which everything is subject to change and decay.
Another important theme of the poem is love, and the way in which it is both fleeting and enduring. The speaker observes the wedding parties on the train, and reflects on the nature of love and marriage. He notes that the couples are "young and easy" and that they seem to be "in love with love". However, he also recognizes that love is not always easy, and that it can be a source of pain and disappointment. He notes that the couples on the train are "unaware of what is to come", and that they are "part of a larger pattern" that is beyond their control.
The imagery in the poem is both vivid and evocative, and it helps to create a sense of the world that the speaker is observing. Larkin uses a range of sensory details to bring the landscape to life, from the "smell of steaks in passageways" to the "distant laughter of children". He also uses metaphor and symbolism to convey deeper meanings, such as the image of the "brides in their unchastened bliss" which suggests both the joy and the vulnerability of love.
The language of the poem is simple and direct, but it is also rich in meaning and nuance. Larkin uses a range of poetic devices, such as alliteration, assonance, and repetition, to create a musical and rhythmic effect. He also uses enjambment to create a sense of movement and flow, as the lines of the poem spill over into each other. This creates a sense of momentum and energy, which mirrors the movement of the train and the passage of time.
In conclusion, The Whitsun Weddings is a remarkable poem that captures the essence of modern life in a way that is both profound and accessible. It explores themes of time, love, and the human condition, and uses vivid imagery and rich language to create a powerful and evocative portrait of the world. It is a work of art that speaks to us across the generations, and reminds us of the beauty and fragility of life.
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