Imitations

This poem like 'Sons' shows a father son relationship. "My son and I" instantly shows this poem is a father and son relationship poem. The use of "other side of the glass" shows a division between him and his son, perhaps showing the old and youthfulness.  The idea of  "snowflakes" and "surprised April" offers an uncertainty in growing up as snowflakes don't usually occur in the spring.  This could relate to Larkin's 'First Sight' as again it brought a sense of un-expectancy and loss of hope.

"My son is 16, an approximate man" showing at this age he is still young and the idea of "whitewash" giving innocence or purity but he is also on the brink of growing up and maturing. "Eyes half closed" shows how relaxed he seems and that he has no care in the world other than going about his everyday teenage life and "listen to pop" and "dreams of some school Juliet" showing young love and fantasy.
Abse then goes to describe the sky which I feel refers to his son. The fact "despite a half blue sky" the idea he is growing and knows what he does, it also has "white blossom , whiter snow" he is still innocent and has a lot to come to terms with in life (naïve)

Like 'Sons' it takes the persona make to their childhood "till I'm elsewhere, the age my cool son is " remembering what his relationship with his father was like as he talks how he is now a "duplicate" of him.

The last lines in the poem talk of "two white butterflies" showing freedom and company, perhaps even longing for a loved one (his father) but the butterflies are "held each to each" they become in-separate but then "pass" as disappear as quickly as they came. This could reflect the relation with his father - that you are with them all your life and then take your own paths and eventually it ends and you "pass"

Sons

The poem starts with alliteration, "Sarcastic Sons Slam front doors" this gives exaggeration to these words, offering the idea of adolescents and their mood swings. This poem takes the persona back to their childhood as "I think" takes him back to growing up, the "small-tanned gardens" "wild flowers" are all places in his memory. Now his "son is like that" beginning to become more like his father, and growing up into his own person.
In his second stanza, Abse uses a juxtaposition "both prim and brash?" these opposite's may highlight the changing emotions of the adolescent. The use of the phrase "at the frontier of nowhere" may suggest the use of "nowhere" may be referring to his youth and the idea of finding his youth.

The third stanza again shows memory "a London door should slam" as certain things remind him of home.
The last stanza shows his love for his son, "son, you are like that and I love you" showing he doesn't care who he is and he understands the idea of "not belonging" as you grown up you may feel like you don't belong but just to be yourself and "maturity will switch" showing growing up just comes easily and happens quickly.

I feel this poem links to 'Dockery and Son' as both poem have a sense of remembering youth and taking them back to childhood memories, also in 'Dockery' the persona questions the idea of having a son but in this poem its clear they are fond of each other.

In the Theatre

This is based on truth, in a 1938 Cardiff hospital, they were locating a brain tumour but due to the time era only local anaesthetic was given.

The stanza starts with what the sister on the ward thinking, "only two more on the list" this sounds un-sympathetic but as she only thought it, she kept it to herself. "small voices, small lies" suggesting they don't mean much. Abse gets to a serious point as he talks of the horrors and if they make "a  man laugh" then you should feel bad. Though the operation is made to make you better it can also create more problems as "two more on the list"."

The "patients eyes too wide" showing fear and pain the patients are more awake as they cry "leave my soul alone" shouting in desperation and can't cope with the pain, the nurses and sisters are described as being "petrified" perhaps showing little faith in what may happen. His voice is described as "artic" meaning coldness and a high pitch however the last stanza shows a change in the patient
"leave....my...soul...alone" these gaps in the voice, show breathlessness and gone suggest the patient is slowly dying, this idea is concluded with the "silence"

The Mistake

This poem is about a special plant in the garden. He describes the tree as "once had no identity" but now everyone knows about it. Even though the tree was "from Korea" the tree was sent, but now its found in Wales so "now we had something to boast about" now Wales can have something special to represent it and they were proud because they offered the leaf "proudly."
However "our pagan benediction" their religion will "charm away your cold" and acts as a remedy/ healer.
"Who in all of Great Britain processed such treasure" it makes them stand out from everywhere else. But then came a "summer of drought" following their boasting of this 'treasure' came bad things that became "tired of lies" as became untrue. Perhaps implying if you boast too much about certain things in live they will become untrue and that boast will be taken away.
In the last stanza the "parched tree asserted itself, sprouted ordinary walnuts" it carried on as normal, it offered false hope.

This poem may connect with either Larkin's 'First Sight' with the idea that nature can offer a sense of hope and that out of bad things often comes good however it could link to 'Faith Healing' with the idea of a religious healer- as the tree gave people a sense of hope and healing but in the end turned to be a mistake as all the boasting created the idea to become untrue.

The Boasts of Hywel ab Owain Gwynedd

Hywel ab Owain Gwynedd is a prince, poet and soldier who was killed in battle. He is known as a poet of love.

This poem is boasting about the women he can get as he talks of his women, one for every day. The themes in this poem are mostly love, and how he see's each women differently also the betrayal as he uses more than one women and therefore becomes unfaithful.
He describes one women as "busty next" which describes her physically showing he describes what he see's not how he feels. Another he describes one women as "not to love her is a sin" again perhaps relating to her physical appearance rather than whether he loves her. For the Wednesday's women he uses the word "generys" welsh meaning mistress, he describes "dry old hymns" to please her, showing he will do whatever to impress these women. He describes his Friday's women as his "epic regular" suggesting they often meet, he says "she wants no baby" suggesting it's just for fun. He continues with "let her name be a secret for her husbands sake" showing not only does he fall for any women but also married women.
The poem ends with a sexual innuendo "lick up juices" this may be used to show how he feels towards females and that he can get whatever women he wants, as long as his "busy tongue keeps quiet."

I feel this poem link with Larkin's 'Wild Oats' Larkin describes a women as being out of his league and being a "bosomy English rose" again showing her physical appearance rather than emotionally connecting. I feel both poems focus on the physical side to women but Abse's poem shows how someone can get anyone they want whereas Larkin had more self doubt.

Welsh Valley Cinema (1930)

'Welsh Valley Cinema' is set in, what seems to be a 1930's slums. The cinema seems to be named 'The Palace' but this could also be a contrast because it's found in the 'slums.'  The poem is about the working class whom wait in the "unseen shaft of darkness" waiting for the film to begin.
Going to the cinema brought huge amounts of excitement "thrill" "fairground sight" "carnival" all give a sense of fun and happiness. Abse uses colour imagery by the "changing colours" and the people in the crowd are left breathless by the "musical asthma"

The cinema brought everyone together and the idea that the film "sank to disappear, a dream underground" perhaps symbolises that the audiences dreams are being shown by the films- but become unreachable. Abse uses "gobbing silicosis" to describe the way they breath, the miners have bad breathing due to the dust in the pits. The audience are describe as "observed a miracle" this could imply they have never seen anything like it before, therefore to them its an ideal life and would be a miracle for them to have. Abse uses dreamlike fantasy's both "Goldilocks" and "dab away her glycerine tears" perhaps show a fairy-tale, that dreams are often unrealistic, also dabbing away the tears also could show fake.

The last stanza shows the harsh reality. " woodbine smoked swirled on" the idea that everyday life carries on and that everything was good, "till THE END" when the film finishes it brings back the harsh reality. "Damned fall" everyone exits the cinema to the "familiar malice of the deary, unemployed, gas- lamped street" back to their everyday working class lives. The cinema in this poem I feel offers hope and an escape from reality and in 1930 that is what this type of entertainment offered.
I feel this poem links to Larkin's, "Sunny Prestatyn" because the girls in the posters offered their audience an escape as does the cinema. Both show the idea of the harsh truth of reality that is offered covered by glorified object (posters, film.) It could also link to "Essential Beauty" as negativity was covered by more glorified aspects. The miners in 'Welsh Valley' suffer from poor breathing form the pits but they describe it as "musical asthma."

The Game

This poem has a theme of religion and sport. It is based on a football match at his hometown , Ninian Park. The first stanza sets the scene for a normal match, the crowds, terraces and the bands.

Abse refers to the football game as almost a fantasy, the words he uses to refer to both teams are very different. The team he supports he uses words such as "cherubs" and "wings" symbolising angelic views whereas the opposition is described as "passing evil" and "demons have agents" this links to an idea of corruption in the sport as the "referee is bribed" suggesting the opposition had certain people who bribed the ref. to fix the game.
The 4th stanza represents half-time  as "a distant whistle blows" during the free time, people begin to reminisce old games with "Aston Villa, Orient, Swans"
The sixth and seventh stanza  the nostalgia of the game kicks in as the game restarts however it's described as if they didn't win as people "seem depressed" but the young boys "swarm the field for an autograph" this shows how young and almost innocent they boys are. They don't mind as much as some fans that they lost in a corrupt game but are happy with a footballers autograph either way.

The last stanza shows the stadium once everyone has left, "programmes trampled underfoot" perhaps showing the rush to get out of the stadium. "Dark" and "rain" could be pathetic fallacy used to describe how people are feeling once the game is over, "threatening newsboys shout" this could show they were proud of the game as they "shout" and want to tell people. However the use of "threatening" gives a sense of danger or fear.