Reference back
“that was a pretty one, I heard you call …From the
unsatisfactory hall to the unsatisfactory room”- pathetic, banal
adjective of pretty- superficiality, inappropriate adjective
typically used to describe music- a pitiful attempt at connection
despite a lack of interest. Italicised- His mother's words could
be Larkin mocking her showcasing his annoyance towards her
lack of interest in his genre of music. A desire for connection is
met with a lack of interaction - disconnect. Enjambment
perhaps symbolizes the longing of the parent to communicate,
which is met with an almost complaint - a detraction
"unsatisfactory hall". One, unanswered line of dialogue -
relationship is broken and only consists of the mother reaching
out to her son in vain through direct speech- gulf in maternal
relationship. Refrain of "unsatisfactory" illustrates the
discontent within the home. from "hall" to "room" shows that
the home gives a sense of entrapment, no sense of escape-
unusual syntax, not what a childhood should be. Tender
domestic observance.
‘played record after record”- repetition signifies the
synonymous, slow drab music- dichotomy of negative thought
towards his mother. Powerful nature of emotions evoked by
music.
"idly, Wasting my time at home, that you Looked so much
forward too”- Enjambment between 'you'/'looked' show
dichotomy/disparity between speaker's boredom and
disappointment and his mother's excitement- dichotomy of
thought highlights the distance between them. CONTEXT OF
THE DAD DYING. Image of loneliness for the mother. "idly" -
admitting to a lack of proactiveness and leads into a regretful
"wasting" of lost time. Disconnect is displayed by juxtaposing
behaviour - "idly, wasting" and "looking so much forward to".
Connotations of frustration, life being portrayed as static.
“Oliver’s Riverside Blues, it was”- intercontextual reference-
priority of values- music triumphs over his mother. Song
contrasts to the poem- was released 30 years prior to when this
poem was written- commenting on the immortality of songs
comparatively to the inherent mortality of humans- reminds
, him of his youth. JAZZ CONTEXT. Music isn’t just a pleasurable
past time, it’s an escape.
“the flock of notes these antique negroes blew…out of Chicago
air into”- exciting and vibrant metaphor- sense of freedom from
maternal relationship and glimmer of hope in what is presented
as a dormant life free of progression. The notes building the
“sudden bridge”- anthropomorphism/personification. ANNA
WARBURG CRITIC QUOTE. Memories are brief- like a flock of
birds flying away. “antique”- value and worth, not attributions
of his mother- most passionate when talking about music,
makes it sound alive- contrasts dreary atmosphere of the
house.
“Three decades later made the sudden bridge”- polysemy of
bridge, literary and musical term- jazz music is the method of
their connection. Use of noun “bridge”- inability to rid ourselves
of memories- use of adverb “sudden”- time is able to heal
familial wounds and thus overtime we could rebuild
relationships with people- sense of optimism? AI= “sudden”-
sense of a transient connection or an insincere one- mother
possibly fakes this (music being “pretty”). But sincere
motivations- love for her child? Bridge- metaphor for music
connecting the age divide between older and younger
generations.
"Your unsatisfactory age To my unsatisfactory prime."-
repetition/juxtaposition highlights pessimism which end stop
emphasises. Enjambement- distance the metaphorical bridge
crosses in order to connect them. But, what connects them in
reality is the ‘unsatisfactory’ nature of their live- the only
dependable, shared feature of humanity? Oxymoron of the
“unsatisfactory prime”- monotony of what should be idealised,
most treasured time of life- societal diatribe- despondent,
questioning society’s pressure to have a satisfying life by
20’s/30’s and the pushing notion that the best parts of life are
fleeting- they have been and gone (larkin was 33 years old).
“age”- presuming she’s unsatisfied due to her being older-
presumptuous. Anaphora.
“Truly, though our element is time, we are not suited to the
long perspectives open at each end of our lives”- philosophical
“that was a pretty one, I heard you call …From the
unsatisfactory hall to the unsatisfactory room”- pathetic, banal
adjective of pretty- superficiality, inappropriate adjective
typically used to describe music- a pitiful attempt at connection
despite a lack of interest. Italicised- His mother's words could
be Larkin mocking her showcasing his annoyance towards her
lack of interest in his genre of music. A desire for connection is
met with a lack of interaction - disconnect. Enjambment
perhaps symbolizes the longing of the parent to communicate,
which is met with an almost complaint - a detraction
"unsatisfactory hall". One, unanswered line of dialogue -
relationship is broken and only consists of the mother reaching
out to her son in vain through direct speech- gulf in maternal
relationship. Refrain of "unsatisfactory" illustrates the
discontent within the home. from "hall" to "room" shows that
the home gives a sense of entrapment, no sense of escape-
unusual syntax, not what a childhood should be. Tender
domestic observance.
‘played record after record”- repetition signifies the
synonymous, slow drab music- dichotomy of negative thought
towards his mother. Powerful nature of emotions evoked by
music.
"idly, Wasting my time at home, that you Looked so much
forward too”- Enjambment between 'you'/'looked' show
dichotomy/disparity between speaker's boredom and
disappointment and his mother's excitement- dichotomy of
thought highlights the distance between them. CONTEXT OF
THE DAD DYING. Image of loneliness for the mother. "idly" -
admitting to a lack of proactiveness and leads into a regretful
"wasting" of lost time. Disconnect is displayed by juxtaposing
behaviour - "idly, wasting" and "looking so much forward to".
Connotations of frustration, life being portrayed as static.
“Oliver’s Riverside Blues, it was”- intercontextual reference-
priority of values- music triumphs over his mother. Song
contrasts to the poem- was released 30 years prior to when this
poem was written- commenting on the immortality of songs
comparatively to the inherent mortality of humans- reminds
, him of his youth. JAZZ CONTEXT. Music isn’t just a pleasurable
past time, it’s an escape.
“the flock of notes these antique negroes blew…out of Chicago
air into”- exciting and vibrant metaphor- sense of freedom from
maternal relationship and glimmer of hope in what is presented
as a dormant life free of progression. The notes building the
“sudden bridge”- anthropomorphism/personification. ANNA
WARBURG CRITIC QUOTE. Memories are brief- like a flock of
birds flying away. “antique”- value and worth, not attributions
of his mother- most passionate when talking about music,
makes it sound alive- contrasts dreary atmosphere of the
house.
“Three decades later made the sudden bridge”- polysemy of
bridge, literary and musical term- jazz music is the method of
their connection. Use of noun “bridge”- inability to rid ourselves
of memories- use of adverb “sudden”- time is able to heal
familial wounds and thus overtime we could rebuild
relationships with people- sense of optimism? AI= “sudden”-
sense of a transient connection or an insincere one- mother
possibly fakes this (music being “pretty”). But sincere
motivations- love for her child? Bridge- metaphor for music
connecting the age divide between older and younger
generations.
"Your unsatisfactory age To my unsatisfactory prime."-
repetition/juxtaposition highlights pessimism which end stop
emphasises. Enjambement- distance the metaphorical bridge
crosses in order to connect them. But, what connects them in
reality is the ‘unsatisfactory’ nature of their live- the only
dependable, shared feature of humanity? Oxymoron of the
“unsatisfactory prime”- monotony of what should be idealised,
most treasured time of life- societal diatribe- despondent,
questioning society’s pressure to have a satisfying life by
20’s/30’s and the pushing notion that the best parts of life are
fleeting- they have been and gone (larkin was 33 years old).
“age”- presuming she’s unsatisfied due to her being older-
presumptuous. Anaphora.
“Truly, though our element is time, we are not suited to the
long perspectives open at each end of our lives”- philosophical
