This is a 2 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.)
Perhaps the ‘poetry’ part of the title
is making reference to how leaving
and starting fresh is often
romanticized, though the speaker
Poetry of Departures quickly dismisses this idea.
This is a thoughtful poem, where the speaker reflects on his own life in the light of other people’s
actions and decisions. It depicts a universal desire to restart one’s life and begin new, though under
the pressure of social convention the speaker feels they could never really take this risk. The thought
alone however, that the speaker could abandon his life, seems to bring him comfort.
Different themes:
Social expectation
Identity
Escapism
Key poems to link to and why:
Arrivals, Departures- desire for escapism and feeling of no choice under societal expectation.
Contextual links:
Relates to Larkin’s own cynicism and criticism of social expectations.
Making his audience ‘less deceived’ about escapism from society by depicting it as illusionary
and romanticized.
Key aspects of form and structure:
Rhyming is seen at the end of every stanza, bringing each stanza to a close, signifying the
end of one thought and the start of another. Sense of finalization.
Key methods and arguments of poem:
The poem recalls an ‘epitaph’ heard by the speaker, conveying his sense of approval of a life of risk
where everything is dropped for the sake of change:
This has been heard ‘fifth hand’- role of society to spread rumour, and how this man has
become the talk of town for his actions that went against normal social expectations. Almost
like a story of mythology- something that inspires the speaker but also something that
seems unattainable.
Interesting that the story is an ‘epitaph’- usually refers to something spoken about someone
who has died. This could be inferring that through breaking social expectations, this man has
suffered a metaphorical death in the eyes of society.
“Audacious, purifying, Elemental move.” Sense that this man has made a choice for himself
that resides deep within all of humankind- to leave a structured, known life behind. Like a
heroic figure- becomes a fantasy for the speaker. List here gathers momentum of
admiration. BUT- sense of doubt already appearing - ‘I think.’
Conversational tone and repetition of ‘And’ used to connect the reader with the poem:
‘chucked up everything and just cleared off’- colloquial to further give a sense of rumour.
Poem encourages reader to also reflect upon societal boundaries on the human desire for
escapism.
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