Thorough analysis and summary of Larkin's poem 'If, My Darling', produced by all A* achieving student at A level.
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Course
Unit 3 - Poetry
Institution
PEARSON (PEARSON)
This is a 4 page document that acts as a thorough essay plan and revision resource, produced by a student who achieved all A* at A level. It is split into an analysis of the poem itself, context, form, structure, language and ideas. (Hence touching upon all A0s assessed in the A level poetry exam.)
Use of a conditional- we later find out that the
poem is about what would happen if his darling
were to find out the truths of his mind. My Darling
is also an endearing term, establishing that the
poem is likely written about someone whom Larkin
If, My Darling is in a relationship with.
This is a poem that focuses on the difference between our outward and inner appearances and
reality, and how we present this to wider society. The speaker of the poem feels that the
relationship between him and his ‘darling’ is superficial, as she does not really understand the true
inner workings of his mind, which is a twisted dark place. In the poem, Larkin turns his mind into a
physical place, and describes the sinister things that lie inside, and the poem concludes with the
speaker deciding his lover would never be able to cope with these truths, so it is best to hide them
from her.
Key themes:
Illusion
Relationships
Place
Women
Relationships
Mental instability
Different poems to link to and why:
No road- use of place.
Wants- illusion vs reality.
Contextual links:
The poem alludes to Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland through the simile of ‘like Alice’
who explored the world through her imagination
The world that Larkin creates is reminiscent in its eventual mood of Orwell’s 1984, though
on a domestic, even a homely canvas, and without the same bottomless feeling of
hopelessness
Links to title of collection- Larkin doesn’t want his partner to be deceived by his character,
which beneath the surface is very dark and sinister.
Larkin typically explored life with ‘sad-eyed realism’ in his works, and he does this in the
poem by establishing the sense that we have two different fronts in this world
Key aspects of form and structure:
Elongated structure of equal stanza lengths to visually mirror the image of Alice falling into
wonderland.
The stanzas are split to represent how, as the poem progresses, his darling is almost entering
another level or truth of his mind.
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