Going Flashcards
(11 cards)
What is the companion poem to going?
Coming
What is the significance of the line “there is an evening coming in” ?
The disappearance of light shows the coming of death
Why is there enjambment in “coming in// across the fields” ?
The enjambment shows that death is an inevitable and uncontrollable force
Why does the speaker say that it is an evening that they have “never seen before” ?
Because we have never faced death more than we like to think about it
What is the significant of the line “that lights no lamps” ?
Puts forth a secular viewpoint, typical of Larkin as he was an atheist
Why is death described as “silken it seems at a distance
To show that death from afar seems like a natural resolution to life
Why does the speaker say “drawn up over the knees and breast// it brings no comfort”?
We are forced to face death intimately
What is the significance of “where has the tree gone, that locked// earth to sky” ?
The tree is a symbol of stability from life to the afterlife
Why does the poem end on three questions?
It empathises that death brings uncertainty more than anything
Why does the poem end on the single line “what loads my hands down?” ?
Single line represents isolation as the speaker finally confronts death but cannot make sense of life, death, or what comes after
Relevant context
Larkin was 23 when he wrote this poem which may reflect a grave attitude towards the future and a preoccupation with death. This is also seen in other poems (wants and next please). The less deceived was originally titled “Dying Day”
