Philip Larkin, in his poems, seldom talks about himself or issues revolving around his life, he seems to be more concerned about showing the reader how he views the world. As a person he was constantly suspicious of change, in his life he was a librarian; conservative to the industrial and social changes that were taking place around him. Specifically in these 3 poems he creates vivid images of values and traditions that he feels are integral to British culture, in the poems he seems cynical towards the new generation of youth and the implications that they have on the world. He certainly seems worried that changes are happening but, in these poems, it is uncertain as to whether he is suspicious of the changes or whether he has come to accept them.
“Show Saturday” and “To the Sea” both express Larkin’s attachment to the idea of rituals that (in his opinion) shape and culture English heritage. The whole visit to the sea conjures almost nostalgic images of a past-time. Larkin effectively separates the past and present throughout the whole poem with his first line; “…to step over the low wall that divides”. The line ends here but the use of enjambment suggests to us that Larkin was metaphorically talking about the divide between his memories and his current status; in his memories Larkin recollects his visits to the seaside and describes his affection towards them, however in the present Larkin seems to be dwelling somewhere between pleasurable solitude and loneliness. “Show Saturday” similarly expresses Larkin’s adoration of ritual; in this case he talks about the show rather than the sea. The syntax of the title puts a unique emphasis on the word “show” rather than “Saturday”, by inverting the word order into “Show Saturday” Larkin is able to convey his feelings of how the show is essential to England. The poem seems unusual; it is written predominantly as a narrative, with Larkin as the detached onlooker of the scene. He describes what is going on around him...