Talking in Bed

Talking in bed ought to be easiest,    (the fact it isn't easy)                 

Lying together there goes back so far,

An emblem of two people being honest.  (paradox- two truths become a lie)             

 

Yet more and more time passes silently  (nothing to communicate)         

Outside, the wind's incomplete unrest     (uncomfortable, tension)            
Builds and disperses clouds in the sky,                

 

And dark towns heap up on the horizon.  (no freedom, cant escape)                
None of this cares for us. Nothing shows why

 At this unique distance from isolation     (loneliness, unhappy)          

 It becomes still more difficult to find
 Words at once true and kind,  (things change)          

Or not untrue and not unkind   (absence in intimacy, cant be honest)               

 

 

 

This poem is about Larkin's relationship, from the title itself you can gain some understanding of what the poem is about.

• Romantic couple
• no distraction
• intimacy- private conversation
• in the evening.

There are many themes that may be taken from this poem. The idea of pessimistic vs. realism is echoed as Larkin's view on relationships are quite negative as it suggests all relationships are like this and after a long period of time they get boring. It also shows how human nature is and how people act in relationships and with each other. Larkin also echo's an anti women theme that you have to be careful what you say to women as you cant upset them. You can never tell anyone the truth as it may hurt their feelings.