Talking in Bed

 

 

Talking in bed

Probably my favourite of the Whitsun Weddings collection, this poem explores the relationship between a couple in its most intimate setting: in bed.

 

Analysis

The immediate negative auxiliary verb, 'ought' establishes an uneasy atmosphere that will underlie the rest of the poem.

 

The use of pathetic fallacy in the centre provides a metaphor for the turbulence of the couple's relationship, the use of the wind as a symbol of power and strength, it's 'incomplete unrest' reflects the relentless power struggle between 2 people. As clouds 'build and disperse' a struggle of conflict is implied as well as perhaps symbolising the high expectation of romance that when found, 'does not live up to what we expected of it' as Larkin said, the ideal disperses into reality- reaffirmed through the harsh sibilance sounds. The image of the 'dark towns' that 'heap' up on the horizon provides an ominous future for the couple, 'heap' also depicts a pressurised heat, juxtaposing the warmth expectation of the bedroom, labelling romance the 'difficult business' that Larkin always claimed it was.

 

However, once the final line is read, 'or not untrue or unkind' the poem can be read as what I feel is a critique on the deception of relationships. After that line, the whole idea of 'talking' with your partner appears cold and meaningless and the homonym 'lying' with your partner can be read as dishonest conversation.

 

Likewise, the structure of the poem reflects this distaste for romance. The regularity of the stanzas embody the monogamous relationship that is being displayed, yet the turbulent rhythm of the iambic pentameter and the harsh sibilance sounds that lie beneath the plot accumulate to the readers unease. I also find the absence a fourth quatrain aesthetically unsettling, the tercet is missing a fourth line from which we can infer a lack of fulfilment- symbolic of Larkin's definition of love as 'isolation, disillusionment and failure'. The tercet can represent his personal failure in love that leads to  incompleteness or oppositely, a critique of the unfulfilled disillusionment that is paired with romantic relationships. This confirms a tone of irony that runs throughout this poem, as they could not be closer in physical proximity but there is indeed a certain 'isolation' between the couple.