Failed Relationships AS Unit 2 Essay (Carol Ann Duffy & Philip Larkin)
42 views 1 purchase
Course
AS Unit 2 - Poetry Post-1900
Institution
WJEC
An essay completed as preparation for the AS Unit 2 exam, which was written to compare the different ways Carol Ann Duffy and Philip Larkin presented failed relationships within their poetry. This essay focuses on detailed analysis of Duffy's 'Havisham' and Larkin's 'Wild Oats.' I was awarded an A ...
Both poets deal with failed relationships within their work,
compare at least 2 poems from each. Explore this theme.
Both Larkin and Duffy draw inspiration from their own past
experiences of failed relationships within their poetry, especially
being prominent within Duffy's ‘Havisham’ and Larkin's ‘Wild
Oats.’
In Duffy’s Havisham, it focuses on the detrimental and damaging effects
of a broken relationship, themed around the persona’s obsession of living
in the cruel past, where she loses all self-respect and can’t move away,
depriving herself of a fresh start. One critic has stated that Duffy based
Havisham on Charles Dicken’s ‘Great Expectations’ and shows great
influence from him as the character of Miss Havisham experiences the
same connections to a past relationship which once made her happy. The
use of the oxymoron ‘beloved sweetheart bastard’ highlights the
confliction of emotions that the persona is feeling, as it emphasises the
aggression and the anger that heartbreak can inflict on a person. As they
not only hate their partner for leaving them with the pain, but also love
them which may convey feelings of loss of themself over the partner,
leaving the persona to ‘decay,’ which reflects Peter James’ view of ‘human
life is likely to be a better experience’ nicely. Feelings of bitterness can
also be seen in Larkin’s ‘Wild Oats’, through the phrase, ‘well, useful to
get that learnt’ Larkin’s use of self-reflecting has a condescending tone
conveying the idea that the narrative voice simply saw the relationship
and the breakdown of it, simply as a learning experience and felt that it
was easier to leave the feelings behind. This contradicts the persona’s
feelings in Havisham to an extreme level, as whilst in Havisham the
persona is left broken, ‘cawing Nooooo at the wall,’ whereas in ‘Wild Oats
he is still fixated on pursuing a better relationship with ‘bosomy rose’ and
leaving the ‘friend in specs’ behind. One critic said that Larkin uses poetry
to examine the reality of his own life, as it’s said that it’s based on his own
engagement with Ruth Bowman and his constant crush on her friend Jane
Exall. The flippant tone used throughout Wild Oats highlights how
dismissive he was of the failed relationship and the constant want of
someone ‘better.’ The juxtaposition of the ‘rose’ and ‘friend in specs’ may
also highlight how shallow he was as he felt underserving of the ‘rose
which leads him to use the friend as a learning curve, supporting Edward
Charles’ view of Larkin’s work being ‘rooted into his own actual
experiences.’
The theme of failed relationships is expressed in a very different form by
Duffy within her poem ’Brothers’ which sees the connection she has
herself with her brothers slowly fall apart. ‘The phrase 'what was possible
retreats and shrinks’ highlights how broken their relationship is, as the
verb ’shrink’ shows how much it has faded over time, due to different
circumstances. It is said to be an autobiographical poem, based off Duffy’s
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller Isabelnia. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $5.87. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
