In poetry, death is a common theme, and the diversity of the topic along with the varying outlooks on it are endless. Due to the themes’ somberness, it is important to view death as a topic that can be interpreted in many ways, depending on the choice of language and phrasing used. Philip Larkin’s “Aubade” is a poem that puts heavy emphasis on the emotions one experiences while thinking of the certainty of mortality. It is evident that the use of diction in Philip Larkin’s “Aubade” emphasizes the protagonist’s obsession with the theme of mortality through the implementation of distinct, forthright language and thoughtful connections with ordinary every-day concepts, providing a blunt image of the protagonist’s sense of defeat and acceptance
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The title, “Aubade”, referring to a song about two lovers splitting at dawn, gives a romantic feeling to the poem, however in the actual poem the main character expresses his emotions in a somber, eloquent manner. The author writes: “That this is what we fear—no sight, no sound, / No touch or taste or smell, nothing to think with, / Nothing to love or link with, / The anaesthetic from which none come round” (Kirszner 27-30). The way death is described here shows that they are aware of how easy it is to die, and it is in fact not romantic, as the title may suggest, but simply a depressing affair. When the author writes “the anaesthetic from which none come round”, they are referring to how simple dying is and yet when it happens, there is no turning back and there is no aftermath. Although the title suggests that death is a lover to him/her, the graphicness of this quote in particular juxtaposes the title by completely opposing what “aubade” infers, and what the person genuinely feels towards death. The illustrative word choice and language within this poem provides a stark contrast between the romance of the title and the bleakness of what the main character legitimately feels in regards to …show more content…
The narrator is able to speak on how death is inevitable, however at one point in the poem the direness of their thoughts on ceasing to exist one day comes through in an abrupt, desperate manner. The narrator speaks straightforwardly: “Most things may never happen: This one will, / And realisation of it rages out/In furnace-fear when we are caught without / People or drink… / Being brave / Lets no one off their grave. Death is no different whined at than withstood” (Kirszner 34-37, 38-40). In this area of the text, the despair of the protagonist bursts through very suddenly, then dies down almost immediately into tired, dejected language. This is seen when the author writes “and realisation if it rages out… / people or drink” and addresses the fact that when left alone without the presence of other distractions such as people or alcohol, the idea of actually dying hits hard. The protagonist is clearly in anguish over this fact, then uses an insensitive statement “death is no different whined at than withstood…” to emphasize how tired they are of hearing the ways that people try to avoid death or face it with bravery. The author’s application of language that is emotional and heavy helps the reader connect with the protagonist’s pessimistic yet honest
The title, “Aubade”, referring to a song about two lovers splitting at dawn, gives a romantic feeling to the poem, however in the actual poem the main character expresses his emotions in a somber, eloquent manner. The author writes: “That this is what we fear—no sight, no sound, / No touch or taste or smell, nothing to think with, / Nothing to love or link with, / The anaesthetic from which none come round” (Kirszner 27-30). The way death is described here shows that they are aware of how easy it is to die, and it is in fact not romantic, as the title may suggest, but simply a depressing affair. When the author writes “the anaesthetic from which none come round”, they are referring to how simple dying is and yet when it happens, there is no turning back and there is no aftermath. Although the title suggests that death is a lover to him/her, the graphicness of this quote in particular juxtaposes the title by completely opposing what “aubade” infers, and what the person genuinely feels towards death. The illustrative word choice and language within this poem provides a stark contrast between the romance of the title and the bleakness of what the main character legitimately feels in regards to …show more content…
The narrator is able to speak on how death is inevitable, however at one point in the poem the direness of their thoughts on ceasing to exist one day comes through in an abrupt, desperate manner. The narrator speaks straightforwardly: “Most things may never happen: This one will, / And realisation of it rages out/In furnace-fear when we are caught without / People or drink… / Being brave / Lets no one off their grave. Death is no different whined at than withstood” (Kirszner 34-37, 38-40). In this area of the text, the despair of the protagonist bursts through very suddenly, then dies down almost immediately into tired, dejected language. This is seen when the author writes “and realisation if it rages out… / people or drink” and addresses the fact that when left alone without the presence of other distractions such as people or alcohol, the idea of actually dying hits hard. The protagonist is clearly in anguish over this fact, then uses an insensitive statement “death is no different whined at than withstood…” to emphasize how tired they are of hearing the ways that people try to avoid death or face it with bravery. The author’s application of language that is emotional and heavy helps the reader connect with the protagonist’s pessimistic yet honest