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Poet: Philip Larkin
Poem: Sad Steps
Poem of the Day on:
Jun 30 2009
Comment 7 of 7, added on April 17th, 2006 at 8:59 AM.
Sad Steps was the first Larkin poem that i ever studied, and after a shaky start, i have grown to love it!
I think it is really clever how Larkin takes such a mundane experience - needing to go for a piss, and is able to turn it into an experience in which the persona, and the reader, end up reflecting on life and its value.
The poem moves rapidly away from its colloquial and amusing beginning, in which the words 'groping' and 'piss' stand out - It moves from it's relaxed conversational opening to a profound poem of reflection.
The persona's emotional reaction to the sight of the moon is startling, as the poem describes .
'startled' triggers elaborate thoughts about the significance and electric nature of youth - somthing which the persona has left behind.
The heavy curtains described symbolise the persona's distance from the emotions of youth, which he sees as 'immensements!'.
The moon, symbloising his lost youth, is described by Larkin in both a beautiful and harrowing way. It may be the 'Lozenge of love' but the line 'Wloves of memory' suugests that the moon does not only conjur up happy youthful memories for the persona, but also reminds him of the things that he has lost through aging -perhaps memories are eating away at him- he is reminded of his lack of ability to feel emotion and love as acutly as the young do - his ability to really live and feel.
The structure of the poem conveys its sad, reflective nature. Each stanza is like another sad step away from life, towards death, and the 'wide stare' of the moon epitimises the strength of the romantic emotions that the speaker has lost in the eclipsing darkness of getting old.
Charlotte from United Kingdom
Comment 6 of 7, added on March 20th, 2006 at 11:23 AM.
This poem is complete jokes!!! we're doing it for our GCSE course work and our class couldn't read past the first line due to the word 'piss'(shows you how mature we are)...and when we finally managed to move on (with a few stifled giggles)...weburst out laughing again with 'there is something laughable abotu this'...our teacher just couldn't control herself. Thank you to Mr. Larkin for giving us a laugh if nothing else!!!
Ivhsek from United Kingdom
Comment 5 of 7, added on January 20th, 2006 at 1:29 AM.
The way the moon dashes through the clouds that blow
Loosely as cannon-smoke to stand apart
....awesome what else do you need to say
bunny from United States
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Sad Steps was the first Larkin poem that i ever studied, and after a shaky start, i have grown to love it!
I think it is really clever how Larkin takes such a mundane experience - needing to go for a piss, and is able to turn it into an experience in which the persona, and the reader, end up reflecting on life and its value.
The poem moves rapidly away from its colloquial and amusing beginning, in which the words 'groping' and 'piss' stand out - It moves from it's relaxed conversational opening to a profound poem of reflection.
The persona's emotional reaction to the sight of the moon is startling, as the poem describes .
'startled' triggers elaborate thoughts about the significance and electric nature of youth - somthing which the persona has left behind.
The heavy curtains described symbolise the persona's distance from the emotions of youth, which he sees as 'immensements!'.
The moon, symbloising his lost youth, is described by Larkin in both a beautiful and harrowing way. It may be the 'Lozenge of love' but the line 'Wloves of memory' suugests that the moon does not only conjur up happy youthful memories for the persona, but also reminds him of the things that he has lost through aging -perhaps memories are eating away at him- he is reminded of his lack of ability to feel emotion and love as acutly as the young do - his ability to really live and feel.
The structure of the poem conveys its sad, reflective nature. Each stanza is like another sad step away from life, towards death, and the 'wide stare' of the moon epitimises the strength of the romantic emotions that the speaker has lost in the eclipsing darkness of getting old.
Charlotte from United Kingdom