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Comment 2 of 2, added on June 5th, 2006 at 9:36 AM.
I dispute the below comment that Larkin doesn't provide any opinion or insight of his own in this poem and suggest that, in fact, the third stanza, which begins: 'What's wrong!' might in fact be an incredulous cry of outrage before Larkin then proceeds to say exactly what is wrong.
Walker from United Kingdom
Comment 1 of 2, added on March 18th, 2005 at 4:06 AM.
I consider Faith Healing to be one of the key poems of this collection, but then, arent they all?! In this poem, Larkin adds no direct insight and no expression of his own thoughts and feelings. The priest in the first stanza stands 'Upright in rimless glasses, silver hair, Dark suit, white collar'. This makes him seem to embody respectibility, although, it is revealed later, he does not. The line break of 'spring rain of loving care Each dwells some twenty seconds' brings your attention to the latter, and disconcerting the reader; 20 seconds is not a long time of care. The deep American voice seems to lack emotion. And then there is the blasphemy of 'Directing God' --> this guy does not seem at all loving, or even caring!
Jenny C from United Kingdom
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I dispute the below comment that Larkin doesn't provide any opinion or insight of his own in this poem and suggest that, in fact, the third stanza, which begins: 'What's wrong!' might in fact be an incredulous cry of outrage before Larkin then proceeds to say exactly what is wrong.
Walker from United Kingdom