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Comment 4 of 4, added on December 13th, 2005 at 5:04 AM.
the building is not real
ernoult from United Kingdom
Comment 3 of 4, added on October 7th, 2005 at 9:04 AM.
Anna, I think 'clean-sliced cliff' is purely descriptive. 'The Building' is Hull Royal Infirmary and as Larkin first describes it 'Higher than the handsomest hotel / The lucent comb shows up for miles.' It is a '60s built building and is 13 stories high and a really dominant landmark when you are approaching Hull.
'Clean-sliced cliff' describes how it stands separate, cut-off from all the buildings around it and as high as a cliff (sadly, over the years, a few people have leapt to their death from some of the higher floors).
I have worked in it as a nurse for over 20 years now, and still think of it as Larkin sees it, as well as my own more mundane workaday view of it!
mark from United Kingdom
Comment 2 of 4, added on October 4th, 2005 at 12:55 PM.
Basically I think the 'clean-sliced cliff' represents death and these people are standing on the top of it, trying not to think about death (a struggle to transcend the thought of dying) but that's all they can think about. Really I just think the cliff is representative of how scared these patients are... if that helps at all.
Lauren from United Kingdom
Comment 1 of 4, added on September 25th, 2005 at 6:36 AM.
I dont understand the metaphor in the second from last stanza, 'the clean-sliced cliff' can anyone give some kind of interpretation to help me - i need to write an essay on this poem. Thankyou
Anna from United Kingdom
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the building is not real
ernoult from United Kingdom