The Malham Bird

The Malham Bird:
Similar to 'Postcard to my wife' this poem is written in memory of Abse's wife Joan. This poem explores the themes of memories and religion and reminiscing youth. The title alone shows a religious symbol as the 'Malham Bird' was a bird from the garden of Eden which stood out as unlike other birds and creatures it didn't take from the forbidden fruit.
The first stanza shows how they became to love each other, "the great world had been reinvented, we were new,in love" this may suggest Abse believed he was destined to love her and was put on the earth to find her. It also suggests both him and his wife came from different religions "you a gentile and i a Jew" showing they may of been from different faiths but still found love, implying it isn't impossible to find love.
The following stanza's show abse's memory of the relationship, this stanza in particular shows a sense of loss as it starts "dear wife" showing a communication like a letter making it sound more personal, the stanza then ends with a question "as if Dafydd's ghost has sent it?" showing he wants her reassurance and her to answer his question like she used to. Abse talks about lying in the "shadows naked" showing an intimacy and a connection but perhaps the idea of 'shadows' reflects how he now misses her.
In the third stanza Abse uses a metaphor for his wife's death "two chalk lines kiss and slowly disappear" showing how quickly everyday life can change and that you can be with someone then the next they are gone.
The last two stanza's show the idea of the 'Malham Bird' the fact its a "black feathered bird" may resemble death along with grief and loss. Also the bird comes from a Jewish legend that this certain bird didn't get banished from the garden of Eden and was respectable as others showed greed and therefore was able to live in paradise. However they are described as "singing pecked forbidden fruit" which may imply they are happy about their chosen choice, which may imply that that humans may think they are making the correct decision but without realising it often choose the wrong one.
However despite being the bird being alone it is still "forever winging over the vanished gardens of Paradise" showing a positive light in the choices made and that the bird is now immortal.


I feel this poem links well to Larkins, 'Talking in Bed' as both have a theme about love and intimacy but in Larkin's though they are together they are also lonely whereas Abse now struggles with loss of his wife and therefore becomes lonely.

Postcard to his Wife

Postcards are normally written in inform a family or loved one about your experience whilst they are away. In this case the poem is written as Abse being the persona "you, I, Abse's"  and the theme is love and loss after losing his wife in a car crash.
"wish you were here" is a normal phrase used to show affection to someone who isn't with you, but in Abse's case it shows an absence and loneliness. He talks about "Venus de Milo" who is a Greek goddess of love and beauty but to Abse its "only stone" showing without her he has little meaning. Abse shows his desperation to have his wife return "so come home" implying she is needed. "The beds to big!" showing his loneliness and almost feels lost without her, the use of exclamation mark gives the line more emotion and makes it realistic. He talks about his adventures "must go North to climb 2000 feet" perhaps showing something they both aspired to do together but also showing he would do anything to have her at his side.
The third stanza follows the ideas of adventure as the "whim" "twisting" "wild" all showing simple activities but together would become interesting and fun. "where hedges have wild business with roses" this has a sense of romance to it and her company and nature is all he wants. This could also imply in her absence the hedges have grown 'wild' showing things change but his emotions can't be controlled.
The final stanza shows how they could "mimic the old gods who enacted the happy way to be holy" an act of god gives him hope and heavenly love. He also describes himself as "uxorious" showing how devoted to his wife he is that all the grieving is perhaps unhealthy.
The last line shows the emotion Abse went through "absence cant make Abse's heart grow fonder"  showing now she's gone its impossible to love his wife anymore than he did at first.
I feel there isn't a direct connection between Larkin as he writes as an observer whereas this poem is very personal however the theme of love and loss could link to 'Love songs in Age' and another poem about loss 'Home is so Sad'

Terrible Angels

The poem 'Terrible Angels' shows the theme of war and how war has both a mental and physical affect on the soldiers who fight.
The war has a sense of patriotism and proud-ness as "father showed me his war medals" a positive keepsake of the war with their "pretty coloured ribbons" could show that fighting the war was glorified and made to appeal when in fact it affected people negatively. This poem gives a sense that you cant escape the horrors of war as the father tells stories at bedtime, this could show at night when the dreams come its easier to tell others about his experiences.

The persona's father talk about the "angels of Mons" which refers to Battle of Mons, which was the first major battle in World War One. Since this war the legend of the 'angels of Mons' referred to the idea a miracle happened and saved the Troops as the British retreated at Mons in Belgium,  during 1914. This is followed by "expedition from God" showing religion had a main part in the war and that it acted as a lucky charm/guardian which the soldiers could seek comfort and hope in. Also the idea of 'angels' could  show a fantasy idea, the angels in fact looked after the British soldiers and their "invisible presence caused horse to bolt" showing they unsettled nature as ghosts of war but also this could refer to the enemy, the 'angels' cause destruction to the opposition in order to protect.

The third stanza opens with "but war coarsens" as the fighting gets worse "even genteel angels" showing that war changes even the kinder and gentle people and affects everyone. The persona's father describes them as "spoke/ silence of gas" could resemble poisoning and how the gas affected the human body but as they "sang/shrapnel striking helmets" again could resemble how the men died and the fact not everything can protect the soldiers. However in the second part of this stanza the angels become a sense of evil "soldiers screams/ thrilled/the cold angels" which is odd as angels are usually associated with beauty and being messengers from god but they become "bold and bloodthirsty" knocking the purity and peacefulness of angels.

The final stanza is an after-thought as written in brackets which brings more detail and focus to the after thought. " (My father, invalided home, was told he knew more about angels than was healthy.)" Showing the father's persona had a first hand experience and in my opinion these last lines show that for those who observed the war at home via media were almost naïve towards what truly happened and although they may try to understand they wont fully understand. Whereas, the father whom experienced the haunting memories of friends/colleagues being blown up in front of their eyes and the pain that they still carry shows you can never truly escape the mental/physical affect of war.
I feel this poem link with Larkin's 'MCMXIV' as it shows the negativity of war and how people at home and people fighting have a different experience.

A figure of 8

The first stanza opens with a metaphor " In Mr Theophilus's jail" showing how classrooms used to be, the word 'jail' suggests a restricted and confided place to work in. The poem implies a strict structure to school life creating a mundane daily routine, which is no surprise the boy "half listens to a story" showing boredom or a distraction and being able to think for themselves.
The second stanza creates a sense of escape "free at last", arms horizontal" showing freedom and having their arms out suggests a youthfulness and being playful but then Abse shows a division of childish and adult themes as the boy metaphorically "flies to Africa, to see naked women" showing dreams about adult themes suggesting a determination to become older. But this is followed by "farts H2Ss" which brings immaturity back.

The following stanzas show young imaginations. Playing war games "shot down in flames" suggesting a thirst for danger or to become soldiers perhaps someone they look up too. However "someone had bombed the park" this could reflect the child's naivety and how everyday childhood memories can be covered or destroyed by the truth that you learn as you grow older for example the park would hold happy memories that become destroyed by the 'bomb.'
A "spaceship" brings back the childish imagination and the optimism they have; that after all the chaos "safely the boy comes back to base" again showing that the children at home/school are hidden from the reality and the outside world. The last stanza ends with "FUCK WINNIE THE POOH" showing a rebellion against his childhood and the stereotypes and naivety it holds which the child appears to be sick of.
This final stanza shows that the child must then return to their everyday routine and that until they grow older they wont truly understand every issue, but in fact even when you are old you may not necessarily understand everything in front of you showing a perfect cycle "figure of 8" that you cant escape.

This poem links well to Larkin's 'Study of Reading Habits' as during a child Larkin daydreamed about being heroic and as an adolescent wanted to be someone else. The books and characters offered Larkin an escape from reality through the stories but in as he grew older he learnt the truth. In 'A Figure of 8' the childhood was covered by school lessons, and playtime that didn't expose the outside world.

A Wall

This is a short poem about taking things and objects for granted without truly understanding and observing them in detail.
"you wont find it named in any guidebook" showing it isn't important enough to be in a guidebook because its just an ordinary wall that goes unnoticed by many. It lies "plonk in the middle of rising ground" showing it was once important but now overtime other significant things have grown around it. This poem has a sense of identity as "no other wall are adjacent" showing it's lies on its own and holds its own significance. However the wall itself as a symbol represents many "different sizes, different greys."

I feel this poem can link to Larkin's 'Arundel Tomb' as over time nature strips the statues of their true identity and become "blurred" whereas in 'A Wall' the nature is the only part that accepts the wall's identity. Overall both poems hold a sense of purpose and identity.

"Don't say this wall is useless" showing to many it's there on a daily basis and no one truly uses it however it still has a purpose that many may not understand, "it exists for gold lichens" after time nature takes over and appreciate it more than humans.
The final stanza implies that humans just take things for granted and don't understand their meanings whereas nature use the objects for everything, as it creates a sense of freedom for the 'butterflies' as its an "obstacle course" but also creates a sense of security for "huddling sheep."
The poem ends with the line "for you to say, this wall is beautiful" showing it holds a place for everyone and that once in a while you should take responsibility and acknowledge the things you take for granted.

The Death of Aunt Alice

The poem is about the death of Aunt Alice, and how she did many unusual acts in her lifetime. The funeral is described as "orderly" and "decent black" implying Aunt Alice would of approved but then it follows by no one being "berserk with an axe" showing she wasn't everyone's favourite. From the poem it suggest she wasn't as religious as some and her bible was "page one of the newspaper" showing she took more knowledge in what was actually current in her life.
From the poem she seems quite pessimistic about certain topics "typhoid" or "fords on the M4 mangled" showing she has seem many negative issues but to add excitement to a story as she changed some stories with "such disguises and such transformations."

The fourth stanza is set as a list about her friends who each had died, how they died and her reactions. Each one has a witty remark "he never had a head for heights" this could show she covered her true emotions by turning everyday issues into a story to tell and that she lived for excitement as "disasters that lit your eyes." Many events told in this poem are paired with an adjective "pale saints" "tall stories" to give a sense of more depth.

Overall the theme in the poem is death, and perhaps un- expectancy with the idea that everyday events and objects (cars, aeroplanes, factories etc.) can cause death and destruction implying 'Aunt Alice' told the harsh truth whereas others just wanted to pretend and live in a fantasy which may be the reason not everyone was keen to hear her stories as they exposed the truth. This could link to Larkin's 'Sunny Prestatyn' as the harsh truth was hidden but the glorified adverts. 

Two Photographs

This is about two different photographs about two different women who have one thing in common, they are both his grandma's. Throughout the poem they are shown in contrast.
Firstly Annabella who is vulnerable, pretty compared to Doris who is portly and handsome. Though one "fasted" another "feasted."

Annabella has a "welsh with a Patagonian accent" whereas Doris has an "English with a welsh valley's lilt" showing the define difference in their voices and perhaps upbringing. Annabella believes in being "damned" cursed but Doris shakes it with a "devilishly laughed" showing she seems more relaxed. Doris comes across as a rebellious character as she "ate pork!" which in Jewish religion is forbidden also the use of an exclamation mark may empathise his surprise with her actions.

In seeing these photographs he beings to dream and remember the women and their "grey hair" seems "illusory" showing age becomes distant. Abse uses a simile to describe his memories as being "like dust that secretively flows in a sudden sunbeam" the 'dust' could symbolise his memories and the sunbeam could be the moment that made him remember and begin daydreaming.

However towards the end of the poem "what's survived?" he begins questioning  life and that only "amber brooch" "string of pearls" remain, only objects can hold the memories together and "grandchildren will ask who?" the younger generations only rely on the objects or stories to understand what happened, so Abse beings to wonder "I never lived" when he's gone who ill remember him and what objects will hold memories for him to be told to other generations.

I feel this poem links well with 'Love Songs in Age' as the music holds memories and each object/mark on the music tells it's own story, and remembering how time was in the music/photographs allows you to question your own life and how it pleases or upsets you.