Ambulances Philip Larkin Secret nature of what is

+++++ ‘Ambulances’ Philip Larkin ++++++

Secret nature of what is occurring – distance separates living from understanding- something sacred/mysterious happening which is inexplicable Repels enquiry, shut fromnot near death. to off those everyone – living vs. dying Simile – Transferred religious epithet – connotations describes suggests sound of privacy or ambulance separation – suggests from this is all others/life? that can be heard – all Connotations pervading – of alldeath/peace? affected Final rest etc. Metaphor – describes the Closed like confessionals, they thread careful their Describes journey Loud noons of cities, giving back appearance – Every one through thetheir irony? That looks at them. none of the glances they absorb. traffic to the appearance is Morbid patient, Light glossy grey, arms on a plaque, sosuggesting dull/ fascination unnoticeable know that one but the perilous They come to rest at any kerb: effect metaphorical daythe they will they All streets in time are visited. have journey incur theon people is between profound. same fate. life Plural- common + death for scene – all will be the patient. Lexical choice – suggests affected – link to inevitable, unavoidable – and word chocice in explains why people on street are so afraid – they know that‘any’ one and ‘all’ day this will be their own fate.

Lexical choice – connotations of carelessness/discarded/scattered – random collection of people linked by death – juxtaposition of ‘children’ and ‘strewn’ – suggests even children’s lives can be taken – death– affects all. Alliteration Contrast in colours – connotations – white – illness, fear, entrapment + red – bloodsuggests loss of blood (white) = loss of life speeds up collection of Random Then children strewn on steps or road, rhythm of poem people are gathered – depicts the Or women coming from the shops together suggests the brevity of life – irregularity how quickly itofislife – just everyone's Past smells of different dinners, see Suggests happenis be there as over Brief glimpse oftodissimilar death/end A wild white face that overtops similarly death -isall patient – of death) (manner In this speed mustrandom. end is inevitable. Red stretcher-blankets momently suggests normality at which life can of people As it is carried in and stowed, coming home from be taken/lost streets – something Dehumanisation – alien/unexpected is Word choice – suggestsinserted impersonal reduces an individual in into the scene nature of body being placed in unrest/unease this extremity of causing ambulance – connotations of hauling life/death to an object of luggage – suggests the frequency observation paramedics do this – have become detached

Alliteration – again Revealing key Connotations of death – final laying outspeeds of the body –Suddenly again whole poem the up the rhythm theme –realise of poem – Repetition of ‘and’ – by Larkin’s musings conveying has been clouded on death, also has –affected can’t thetruth brevity meaninglessness of avoid of evokes the on street and us through reading people death – No canpoint only to lifepoem– universal life. effect. monotony/weariness contemplate for aends anything – all of life as death will And sense the solving emptiness ‘second’ being. Larkin’s faced the same. always and Connotations of=– withanswer our own That lies just under all we do, to mortality thetruth Universal Doors closing – continually occur. fearexistential ofemptiness/ what will come. question mortality metaphorically Suggests the close And for a second get it whole, loneliness – – of heaven/hell depicts the proximity ofthe death – So permanent and blank and true, summing up death is the end. ‘closing’ of aslife this individual’s meaninglessness within situation is described The fastened doors recede. Poor soul, of life They whisper at their own distress; Pessimistic yet realistic – don’t feel real sympathy for each Reflect on–their own –mortality Whisper onomatopoeia other too – – how small and preoccupied trivial our own with our shushed/sincere/solemn afraid concerns faced with the ownloud grief – of what to admit are this when out (will make come in future bleak/inescapable facts ofthe it more real) –will they know it will – thus we retreat into physical +too decay happenchange to them – ‘their own our own selfish fears distress’

Pun on the short distance between life/death Lexical choice – very little to keep people going through life – again lack of meaning/point. Lexical choice – suggests all present at the scene have been irrevocably altered/tainted by their proximity to death even the very air has been imbued with death Further exemplifies the Alliteration – ‘s’ – soft. way the ambulance For borne away in deadened air sibilance – sounds like represents a separate hissing - exhaling of last May go the sudden shut of loss world of its own and in breaths? Again as poem doing so. Metaphorically prefigures patient that Round something nearly at an end, progresses other closed box – coffin conveying the becomes increasingly close And what cohered in it across proximity (closed, fastenedofdoors) to death. ‘shut’ also has that Suggests The years, the unique random blend life there death isofvery connotations life= metaphorical little Of families and fashions, there ending/closing. journey Enjambment – again conveyed by speeds up rhythm of literal journey – suggesting Triviality of that life vs. Contrast/paradox. Irony of all holds life together-poem juxtaposition of Is Larkin being genuine ambulance. brevity ofoflife. Also profundity the profundity of family life vs. oftriviality/banality of fashion – suggests here or ironic about all suggests time mortality/death they are both inconsequential in greater scheme of life/death. Depicts that constitutes life? passing from the how little there really is in life to make it meaningful – all Larkin can familiar (life) to the think of is family and fashion (almost mocking/sarcastic tone here. ) or unknown/solitude does it suggest the commonality of what we all have (death) but will ultimately lose in death?

Joy / happiness of the end to life? – ‘loosen’ – Suggests closeness connotations of of death – tenuous unravelling – life At last begins to loosen. Far grasp on is this = thread –life Greek Conveys how alone almost at is an – to Mythology etc now –end no-one from the exchange of love to lie person nothing sewn bymore the 3 thatof offer proclamations Unreachable inside a room can done to– keep sisters of fate love orbe they remain them cut theas thread at too ill unheard they are The traffic parts to let go by attached/connected point where to focus on the words Brings closer what is left to come, death to life. will occur. Theme of loneliness – cannot be comforted in And dulls to distance all we are. Compares death – alone. ambulance’s Through illness and to– Distance Again separates (‘parts’) Regular rhythm/structure to poem literal journey Sombre/serious subsequent death of identity between the dying – living from suggests regularity/inevitability journey/passage atmosphere throughout fades ‘dulls to distance’ – living andshun the ambulance people death – suggested motif of metaphorically poem toby convey Larkin’s thatthrough makes us who we dying cannot of death? Seem – harbinger ambulance contemplation –all everyday occurrence – life. on life and are becomes meaningless beafraid breached – associated of being similar to death – again Larkin’s view on cannot with it – represents carrier of emptiness of life. communicate death etc.

Key Themes: loneliness/isolation that death brings An encouraging and motivating view!

Brevity/meaninglessness of life

Consider the presentation of death/passing of life in ‘At Grass’ and ‘Ambulances. ’ Identify key areas of agreement and/or disagreement in their presentation. You should support your answer by referring to important ideas in the passage. 5 U/A

Disagreements Agreements Death comes only when you want it in AG compared with no choice/any moment in A Death = private/not many around in final moments Death comes peacefully/gradually in AG compared to immediately in A. Life = a journey culminating in death. Always have company as life comes to a close in AG compared to on own/isolated in A Acceptance of life passing in AG vs. fear/terror of it ending in A. Death comes only in old age in AG vs. even the young are taken in A. Life is meaningful – enjoy it in AG vs. life is ultimately pointless in A.

Choose two poems in which differing stances are adopted on the same subject. Show the stances are revealed and discuss which treatment you find more effective.