Toads/ Toads Revisited

'Toads' is a poem about working. In both poems the title 'Toads' is a metaphor for people working.

The first poem 'Toads' is how Larkin doesn't really enjoy work, he explains how work makes money and the main reason you work is to receive that money. Larkin uses irony to cover envy when describing the homeless as he says they seem to enjoy [eating windfall and tinned sardines] Larkin is then sarcastic when describing the "unspeakable wives" and how they are so skinny yet "no one actually starves" this shows they have very little money, and compared to others aren't surviving yet his use of italics may imply that its not believable and they must be malnourished and starving due to lack of food.
The use of "something toad-like squats in me too" implies something bad is happening and perhaps emphasises his laziness or self doubt. Near the end of this poem Larkin writes about his dream of "fame and the girl and the money" which is a typical dream for many yet he wants it "all at one sitting" so he doesn't want to work for it but he needs too.
 The last stanza sums up the poems as Larkin explains the idea of working.
" its hard to lose either, when you have both" this sums up the idea of working for a dream and if you lose both sides (living and working) you wont survive because they rely on one another. If you cant have one there's little possibility of keeping the other. Therefore in order to survive you need to be able to have a job and have some income to keep your life well.

In 'Toads Revisited' Larkin's attitude has changed slightly. He still describes the work avoiders but this time for reasons, he mainly talks about the "characters in long coats" meaning the homeless and the out-patients from hospitals and "palsied old step tankers" elderly and people who have aged as having reasons for not working therefore he almost has sympathy. But as they are unemployed they just watch everyone and are looking into others lives. Larkin shows how anything should feel better than work yet wherever he goes doesn't suit him, e.g. the playground is not a "bad place" yet it "doesn't suit[him] because he feels out of place.
Finally his last line sums his change in mood.

"give me your arm ,old toad, help me down Cemetery road"

• he wants work to help him till the end of his life and keep him going with a good lifestyle till the end. Rather than be like the lonely people who look into others lives.