The concept of daybreak in Larkin

A Brief Study

Essai , 2014 , 13 Pages , Note: 1,0

Didactique de l'Anglais - Littérature, Œuvres

"Philip Larkin, born in 1922, has been read under what are generally perceived as his major themes: death, fatalism and gloominess. However, throughout his life he had constantly been struggling with and reflecting on problems of sex, marriage, love, and living (cf. Motion, esp. 291). Publishing four volumes of poetry by the time of his decease in 1985, Larkin became known for his lucid and often sharp-witted verse as well as for being socially withdrawn, sometimes called "the Hermit of Hull", where he resided from 1955 onward."

A short overview over Larkin's oeuvre, focusing on the poems' connection with the image of "dawn" and its linkage to the poet's indecisiveness and struggle between life and writing.

Inhaltsverzeichnis

• Introduction
• Early treatment of "dawn"
• Late treatment of "dawn"

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte

This essay explores the connection between shyness, indecisiveness, fear of death, and the aspiration to become an outstanding artist as linked to the concept of daybreak in Larkin, drawing mainly on his own writing. The essay focuses on Larkin's early and later works, analyzing how his treatment of "dawn" reflects his personal struggles and artistic development.

• Larkin's fascination with light and his developing melancholy
• The curse of Adam and the cold, barren world
• The speaker's estrangement and passivity
• The connection between daybreak and the hope for change and emotional abundance
• The theme of perseverance and the struggle against failure

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel

The essay begins by examining Larkin's early works, including his short story "Getting up in the Morning" and his poem "Dawn." These works reveal Larkin's early fascination with light and his developing melancholy, as well as his perception of the world as a cold and barren place. The essay then explores the poem "Nursery Tale," which features the theme of perseverance and the struggle against failure, despite the "weariness of daybreak." The essay concludes by analyzing two poems, "XVI" and "XVII," which connect morning and day with the hope for change and emotional abundance. These poems foreshadow Larkin's career as a poet haunted by death, but also highlight the golden shine of morning and its endless possibilities.

Schlüsselwörter

The keywords and focus themes of the text include Philip Larkin, daybreak, dawn, shyness, indecisiveness, fear of death, artistic aspiration, melancholy, the curse of Adam, estrangement, passivity, hope for change, emotional abundance, perseverance, and failure.

• Université: University of Tubingen
• Note: 1,0
• Auteur: B.A. Jari Niesner (Auteur)
• Année de publication: 2014
• Pages: 13
• N° de catalogue: V279060
• ISBN (ebook): 9783656728481
• ISBN (Livre): 9783656728474
• Langue: anglais
• mots-clé: larkin, brief, study