The Mower - A poem by Philip Larkin


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Philip Larkin - The Mower

The mower stalled, twice; kneeling, I found
A hedgehog jammed up against the blades,
Killed.  It had been in the long grass.

I had seen it before, and even fed it, once.
Now I had mauled its unobtrusive world
Unmendably.  Burial was no help:

Next morning I got up and it did not.
The first day after a death, the new absence
Is always the same; we should be careful

Of each other, we should be kind
While there is still time.

Added: on July 10th, 2009 at 9:13 AM | Viewed: 6471 times | Comments (11)

The Mower - Comments and Information
Poet: Philip Larkin Poem: The Mower Year: Published/Written in 1979 Comment 11 of 11, added on November 17th, 2009 at 10:45 AM. sdwe49vbbty1 How do I make money during the summer? Links Library from United States Comment 10 of 11, added on November 16th, 2009 at 10:55 PM. Very important information In truth, immediately i didn't understand the essence. But after re-reading all at once became clear. Crasty from United States Comment 9 of 11, added on July 10th, 2009 at 9:13 AM. This poem was first published in "Humberside", the magazine of the Hull Literary Club, Autumn 1979. I used the poem's ending for an article I wrote for "About Larkin", the journal of the Philip Larkin Society, No.22, October 2006,describing a commemoration of the life of Maeve Brennan, held at Hull University on October 18th 2003. I felt that the words remind us that no matter how much we praise people when they have died we should let them know how much we love them when they are still alive. Larkin had developed an affection for the hedgehog he accidentally killed. He had photographed it drinking from a saucer in his back garden. Thr photograph is kept in the Hull University archives and appears on the front cover of "About Larkin2 No 22, October 2006. Ivor Maw More Comments >> Are you looking for more information on this poem? Perhaps you are trying to analyze it? The poem, The Mower, has received 11 comments. Click here to read them, and perhaps post a comment of your own. Of course you can also always discuss poems by Philip Larkin with others on the Poetry Connection poetry forum!

Poem Info
The Mower Year: Published/Written in 1979 Last read: 2009-11-20 14:26:00 Viewed 6471 times. Added on July 10th, 2009 at 9:13 AM.

Larkin Info
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