Larkin in this poem is reliving his life at university and how his life has changed. There are many clues this poem is about uni such as: "black-gowned" "dean" "stand before a desk." However Larkin relises that someone who once knew now has a son here, making Larkin feel old as his generation has now passed. The quote"i try the door of where i used to live:locked" this may suggest that you cant relive the past and whats behind you can't come back so its better left untouched and 'locked' away from change. Also the idea he is "ignored" also suggests he is invisable and not interesting, he isnt young enough and yet is surrounded by young people which you get from the main age band of 19-21yrs when the majority are away at university.
Also the fact Larkin adds the fact he "ate an awfull pie" seems abit pointless and an odd detail to add to the poem suggests he is in a bad mood and the tone implys at this point in time everything is awful.
Larkin makes reference to his own life in this poem as he uses "no son, no wife" which prehaps reminds him o his own life and how much "had gone from life" suggests to the audience how he feels about his own life, how different it is to others.
Larkin raise the qeustion of why anyone would have children, this is shown th
rough the idea of Increase vs dilution- this is shown in the 5th stanza the idea that he feels his identity would be diluted or lost if he had children. He would lose himself and would not be able to be selfish as he would have to look after others. This portrays him as being vain and full of self importance.
In the last stanza he has a negtive view of life:
"Life is first boredom, then fear.
whether or not we use it, it goes, and we will all die at some point
leaves what something hidden from us chose,
and age, and then the only end of age" the end of a life, death.
This pessimistic view gives Larkin a negetive view on life as the idea that when your young you are bored yet when you are old you fear age, you fear the end of age (death)
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