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Comment 13 of 13, added on September 29th, 2009 at 9:40 AM.
I think this poem is about being envious of the lifestyles of those people who are able to throw caution to the wind and live footloose and free. He deals with his envy by seeing their "unspeakable wives" and barefoot children as an affront to civilization. The toad that squats in him is the need for security and fear of the unknown. He recognizes in himself a slave to the rat-race, albeit enslaved by his own character. In the final sentence he says that if you have the toad work squatting on your life and the toad inside yourself needing the security, it's hard to be rid of either.
In "Toads Revisited", Larkin dismisses his dream of escaping the toads by comparing his secure and predictable life to those "dodging the toad work by being stupid or weak." Between the two poems he has changed from admiration of what he sees as courage (really just living in the moment and being carefree) to contempt for stupid, weak failures.
One interpretation of the two poems is that, in order to live with himself, in the second poem he has to squash the dream of shouting "Stuff your pension" or he would always regret not having tried.
However, I also wonder if the poems were written at different times of year. In "Toads", I can see Larkin stuck at work in the library on a beautiful summer's day, dreaming of escaping, whereas in "Toads Revisited" he mentions the lights coming on at four. I can see him writing this in winter as a rebuttal to his previous poem, sitting in his warm office at the library staring out at the cold darkness at the end of the day. Maybe even hurrying home with his collar turned up, pitying those too weak and stupid to survive the rat-race and create a home for themselves. In the summer it's easy to be envious of those who don't work but come the winter it's all worth it!
Ed Roberts from United States
Comment 12 of 13, added on July 8th, 2009 at 1:44 PM.
What does fire in a bucket represent? Is this phrase used in everyday language? If it is, what does it mean?
Sandy Lipiz from United States
Comment 11 of 13, added on May 3rd, 2009 at 2:11 AM.
Fire in the bucket may accomodate some
But it rendors my pitchfork ill-used and blunt
And whilst the toad has an obnoxious image
He's saving our souls from carnage and pillage
.....Isn't He?
angela esgate from United Kingdom
Comment 10 of 13, added on January 8th, 2009 at 1:39 AM.
Or maybe the "toad" is actually cowardice. I'm not really sure which.
Andrew from United States
Comment 9 of 13, added on January 8th, 2009 at 1:23 AM.
I think that the second unnamed "toad" in this poem is honesty or integrity.
Andrew from United States
Comment 8 of 13, added on December 11th, 2007 at 9:41 PM.
Are you serious? These have to be the most rediculous comments I have ever read. I'm disappointed that this site approved them.
David from Canada
Comment 7 of 13, added on February 20th, 2007 at 7:39 PM.
TOADS ARE SEXY. TOADS HAVE SEX. PEE PEE
Chandan Gouri from Denmark
Comment 6 of 13, added on September 23rd, 2005 at 11:07 AM.
As a toad lover, I am naturally a fan of this poem. I would urge any of you who share my affinity to also check out the odes section of www.squaretoad.com. There are some creative individuals delivering the same message as Larkin, love for all toads!
Shelly Winslow from United States
Comment 5 of 13, added on May 7th, 2005 at 2:16 PM.
Larkin chose to work all of his life as a librarian, he enjoyed working and showed contempt for those who dodged 'the toad work/by being stupid or weak'as in Toads Revisited, the companion peice to Toads. The narrator in Toads Revisited also comments that walking in the park should feel better than work, but doesn't. The first stanza of Toads is Larkin adopting a persona and in the later stanza's when he talks about the barefoot children and thin wifes and says no one actually starves, the irony becomes evident. When one of Larkin's friends became a freelance journalist Larkin arrived on his doorstep on his first day to check his friend was actually working. It is dangerous to assume that the persona in a poem is Larkin, to know nothing about Larkin, to miss the subtleties in the poem and then draw conclusions.
Rosalie Rosewood
Comment 4 of 13, added on March 13th, 2005 at 1:16 PM.
This is generally a poem about how unfair life is. The persona is complaining about the fact that he works so hard and there are people in the world who survive with having to do any mnaual labour what so ever. They get by on wit and flattery. He draws reference to some occupations which he does not consider as work and also to certain types of people who do not work as much as he does but still manage to live. However he reveals that is too honest and down to earth to stoop to flattery and misuse of wit to acheive greatness and everthing he may want. And also that it is hard to lose either one of the qualities of wit or willingness to work when you have both.
Maruschka Ollivierre from Saint Vincent and the Grenadin
This poem has been commented on more than 10 times. Click below to see the other comments.
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I think this poem is about being envious of the lifestyles of those people who are able to throw caution to the wind and live footloose and free. He deals with his envy by seeing their "unspeakable wives" and barefoot children as an affront to civilization. The toad that squats in him is the need for security and fear of the unknown. He recognizes in himself a slave to the rat-race, albeit enslaved by his own character. In the final sentence he says that if you have the toad work squatting on your life and the toad inside yourself needing the security, it's hard to be rid of either.
In "Toads Revisited", Larkin dismisses his dream of escaping the toads by comparing his secure and predictable life to those "dodging the toad work by being stupid or weak." Between the two poems he has changed from admiration of what he sees as courage (really just living in the moment and being carefree) to contempt for stupid, weak failures.
One interpretation of the two poems is that, in order to live with himself, in the second poem he has to squash the dream of shouting "Stuff your pension" or he would always regret not having tried.
However, I also wonder if the poems were written at different times of year. In "Toads", I can see Larkin stuck at work in the library on a beautiful summer's day, dreaming of escaping, whereas in "Toads Revisited" he mentions the lights coming on at four. I can see him writing this in winter as a rebuttal to his previous poem, sitting in his warm office at the library staring out at the cold darkness at the end of the day. Maybe even hurrying home with his collar turned up, pitying those too weak and stupid to survive the rat-race and create a home for themselves. In the summer it's easy to be envious of those who don't work but come the winter it's all worth it!
Ed Roberts from United States