At the Concert

The persona, in this poem, is at a concert. Whilst listening to the music, he thinks about his walk to the concert and how he saw a bored sheep and horse. He also thinks about the “pretty Miss” that he is sat next to and wonders is she is just as bored with life as the sheep and horse. He then thinks about his cat that he left at home. Throughout the concert, he is distracted and thinking about everyone in the world and the cycle of life.

The poem is told non-chronologically which doesn’t reflect the meaning of the poem. The persona is explaining that life is boring and everyone is tuck in their own routine that they desire to break free from. However, the non-chronological order of events suggests that the persona is trying to interest himself about life and break away from the routine.

He talks about a sheep, a horse, the pretty Miss and his cat whilst listening to a boring song. The fact that the persona describes the concert as “yawn-fecund” shows that his boredom made him think of others and their boredom. He thinks about the sheep who is eating the “same old grass” with its “same old flavour”. The repetition of the phrase ‘same old’ shows that boredom and the fact the everything is the same every single day. He thinks about the horse who “stays utterly still” and is compared to a statue. This shows that the horse has no purpose and no reason to move. The “pretty Miss” who could be called this to convey lack of identity, is bored at the concert and doesn’t react to the music until the last note. The last note is described “like a prince’s kiss”. The use of the similie shows that life is plain and needs to be compared to things to add depth and colour. The similie shows that the last note brought the woman to life – like Snow White was brought to life when her prince kissed her. His cat, who “squats in [his] chair” isn’t being played with and carried around. The cat is just sitting there, blinking “now and then”. The cat is described as ‘squatting’ which shows that it is watching the world pass it by. The lack of blinking shows that it is the only thing for the cat to do. It is unamused watching the “blank TV screen”. Blank could reflect on the lifestyles that the animals and the woman live.

To the woman, the persona asks (in his head) if her life is “static too”. Static suggests that the life she lives is still and rigid which shows that it is unmoving and is trapping her into routine. The use of the word ‘too’ shows that the persona believes that he and everyone is living a life just like her. People don’t go out and make something with their lives – they wait “for something to happen”. “Join the queue” also shows that there are many people in the same situation and the boring life people live stays with them “all the way to the Old People’s Home”. This suggests that the persona believes that a simple, plain life is lived every day until we die.

The persona doesn’t want to be at the concert. He wishes he was “staring through the garden window at a pear tree blossoming a masquerade of snow, an epiphany”. This shows that the persona doesn’t want to waste his life anymore. The tree blossoming a masquerade of snow suggests that as it grows it conceals things – like epiphanies for people to find. The persona has found the epiphany (not to waste life because everyone is living a boring life) through watching the sheep grow and live its life and watching the horse do the same. Now that the persona has found the epiphany, he feels there is a reason now for the pretty Miss to be clapping and people yelling ‘Bravo’.

‘At the Concert’ can be compared to ‘Broadcast’ by Larkin. Both poems illustrates the listening to music. Both personas are distracted. Larkin’s wants to find the clapping of his loved one and Abse’s is reflecting on life. However, Larkin’s poem shows the love of someone who yearns to be with someone but Abse’s poem shows disappointment in life. This disappoint for life is shown in ‘Self’s the Man’ by Larkin. Arnold is stuck in a routine with no money for himself as it goes towards things for his family, he has no time for himself because he has to do chores for his wife and is miserable.

Red Balloon

Literally, in the poem, a red balloon is floating around the town and the persona (who has a very strong sense of Abse) find it. Whilst growing obsessed with his balloon, others mock him for having it and abuse his for not giving it up. Metaphorically, the balloon represents Abse’s religion – Judaism.

The red balloon sails “across the startled town”, “wind-blown”. The balloon represents Judaism which could mean that the religion has been around the town and has shocked those who live there because, throughout history, Jews aren’t popular and stereotypically dislikeable. The fact that the religion is ‘wind-blown’ suggests that it shouldn’t be there and has been pushed into the town.

As it “floated down”, it “oddly landed where [the persona] stood”. ‘Oddly’ is an unusual word to choose and could create a sense of irony. Abse’s family are Jewish and he, as he was growing up, would adopt this religion. The adoption of this religion is shown through the persona taking the balloon as “finding’s keepings”. The persona looks after his religion – his balloon. This is shown through him polishing it. We get a sense that the persona has made his religion come alive as the balloon is described as “shining like living blood”.

The protection of the balloon represents that the persona took pride in his religion. The balloon was his “joy”, it “ceased to be a toy”, it “soared higher like a happiness” and the persona “boasted” about it. However, the balloon (his religion) was also his “shame” which shows that he is aware the Jews are criticised and can bring shame into towns.

Soon, the criticising began. The balloon was said to have been “stained with our dear Lord’s blood” which could suggest that it is an awful thing to carry round. People were stereotyping and mocking the balloon saying, “let’s get it circumcised” because it is a known thing that Jews are circumcised. Boys “laughed” and “cursed” at him; some “clawed” at the balloon. Yet, his balloon would not burst which shows that the persona refused to give up his religion. 

It soon got to a stage where the persona was being threatened and told to give up his balloon. Though he didn’t “know exactly why”. This shows that the persona isn’t fully aware of why people refuse to give up Jewish prejudice. It got to the stage where the persona ran to his father. He told him to “bolt the door, turn the key” to take cover and protection. This way, the boys can only try to “insult [his] faith and steal [his] red balloon from [him]. This shows that a Jewish persona had to hide from prejudice so that his faith would stay with him.

 

‘Red Balloon’ can be linked to ‘Water’ by Larkin because both poems describe religion. However, Larkin’s poem describes what the persona would do if he could create a religion. Abse’s persona tells the hard life a Jew had to live with when surrounded by those who hated Jews and would attack them. The poem can also be linked to Larkin’s ‘Faith Healing’ which describes the powerful belief women have and that their belief can cure them. This poem shows powerful religious belief – so much so that the persona is refusing to let prejudice take away his religion. He refuse to let go of who he is.  

Musical Moments 2

Outside a Graveyard

This part of the poem supports the suggestion that the piano teacher has died. The persona who is probably the little boy in the previous poem, is talking to his teacher after her death. The persona states that “[she] is gone, too many” which shows that there has been a lot of deaths. Death is shown to be so common that the death of the teacher had not “touch[ed the persona] deeply”. The music from the persona’s life seems to be limited now, this can be shown through, “a one fingered piano note only”. This could also show that, like the piano not being played, the life of the teacher will slowly fade and come to an end.

Regret is mentioned repeatedly through the stanza which supports the suggestion that the persona is the boy from the previous part of ‘Musical Moments’. The regret could be from the boy not appreciating the lessons and always trying to escape them. All the persona wants to say is “sorry Miss Crouch” which also shows regret of the boy.

Miss crouch is described as “gentle” and is seen as a lovely woman. This is shown through the persona saying to his teacher: “if there’s a heaven, that’s your address”.

Then, there is a memory being described. Through the use of the flashback, Abse is able to portray the life of the teacher and show the type of life that she lived. The persona describes seeing the teacher at a concert. She is shown to be taking in the music (suggested through, “eyes rapidly shut”). He describes that it was like the “music was making love to [her]” which, through personification, the persona shows the closeness the teacher share with music and what music meant to her.

After the flashback, the persona describes himself like his teacher when he saw her at the concert – closed eyes. This allows the persona to see Miss Crouch: “Up there!” and is “several hundred feet” in the air” which shows that she is like an angel “in an evening dress” which shows elegance. The image of her is playing the piano and she and her piano are “triumphantly rising between the clouds” which shows that she is going to heaven.

 

‘Musical Moments’ can be linked to Larkin’s ‘For Sydney Bechet’ because both poems describe someone connected to music. Larkin’s poem is about idolising a jazz player, but Abse’s poem describes someone who wasn’t very appreciated at the time she was alive. She was only appreciated when she was gone. This shows regret; wishing the persona had done something different. This is why this poem is also similar to ‘Reference Back’ by Larkin because both poems describe regret. Larkin’s poem describe a loss of youth and wishing to go back and making the most out of life. Abse’s poem shows a persona regretting not appreciating someone while they were alive and making the most of their presence in their life.

 

Musical Moments 1

His Last Piano Lesson

The poem is about the persona telling the readers about a boy who is leaning to play the piano. There is a sense of war going on at the time of the piano lessons and the lessons are stopped by the father of the boy who is relieved that the teacher has been dismissed. After the lessons are finished, there seems to be peace.

The piano lesson takes place “after tea”. It is said that “Germany is still six million miles away” which shows that whilst the boy is having lessons there is still conflict in the world but Germany haven’t invaded or made a move yet. The teacher knocks at the front door while the “boy’s at the back” which suggests that the boy was planning to sneak out before the teacher came. It is suggested that the boy is bored and doesn’t want to have the piano lesson. This is supported by the boy being described as “numbly bored”. 

The outside world seems to be having fun. There are “cries of children” and a “high flung tennis ball”. This shows the contrast between the boy and the other children; the boy seems to listen out for the sounds because he is unable to be outside and is trying to bring the outside world inside. The fun of the outside is disturbed by the “park keeper”. This could reflect the war going on in the background – the keeper is “blowing his whistle” which could suggest that he is calling them to safety.

There seems to be a time gap between the fourth and fifth stanza. The teacher isn’t mentioned and the “piano-lid’s closed, a coffin of music”. This is show that the boy has managed to escape the lessons and it has killed the music. The use of the word ‘coffin’ could show that there has been a death; the absence of the teacher could mean that the teacher has died. This triggers a memory for the boy who remembers the Remembrance Day for “Crimes Past, 1933” which could suggest that the teachers’ death is only one of the “so many”. There is a sense of the boy’s father pushing him to do the lesson because the father is “raging” at the fact that the boy’s last lesson was his last. The boy seems to be happy about the finishing of lessons (“O joy”) which support the suggestion that it was the father’s idea for piano lessons.

The last stanza shows the stillness. This could show the end of the war which reflects the end of the life of the teacher - There’s “only a landing light” with “no hectoring noises”. The stillness will only last “before sleep”. Sleep shows “grisly fictions” and show “forgeries of the world” which shows that in the dreams of those who have suffered from the war, they still think it’s going on through their dreams.  

‘Musical Moments’ can be linked to Larkin’s ‘For Sydney Bechet’ because both poems describe someone connected to music. Larkin’s poem is about idolising a jazz player, but Abse’s poem describes someone who wasn’t very appreciated at the time she was alive. She was only appreciated when she was gone. This shows regret; wishing the persona had done something different. This is why this poem is also similar to ‘Reference Back’ by Larkin because both poems describe regret. Larkin’s poem describe a loss of youth and wishing to go back and making the most out of life. Abse’s poem shows a persona regretting not appreciating someone while they were alive and making the most of their presence in their life.

The Malham Bird

The poem – dedicated to Abse’s wife – describes memories and flashbacks of his life with the woman he loves. The persona (who has a large sense of Abse) describes the odd relationship between him and her – a Gentile and a Jew. He also describes his first holiday with her and the events that went on. The two last stanzas go back to the present where they are married and have grandchildren.

Abse has captured love from the first stanza. He and his wife fell in love and feels it should be on the news for reinventing the world because she is a Gentile and he is a Jew. Gentiles are those who belong in tribes and the tone of the first stanza suggests the unlikelihood of them falling in love. He describes the ‘shocking’ story of how he fell in love with a Gentile. The expiration mark shows that it is shocking and yet is able to fall in love.

The use of the question and addressing his wife reflect the closeness of the relationship and the secrecy of the holiday. It is described as “illicit” and the beach is depicted as “hidden”. This shows the intimacy of the relationship he has with his wife and links to the start of the poem that they may have felt to be hidden because of their differences.

Superstition is linked into the poem. A “tamed seagull” flew over them as they were on holiday. Tamed could mean controlled but could also mean calm like a pet. Tamed pets have loving relationships with their owners which could be what Abse is linking to. The tamed seagull was seen as “a portent” (sign) which could show that their relationship will be loving. This is suggested, also, through the fact that the omen is described as a “love letter”. “As if Dafydd’s ghost had sent it” suggests marriage. ‘Until death do us part’ is a marriage vow and ‘ghost’ could symbolise that. Dayfdd was the prince of Wales and being sent from a prince could have a fairy tale link to it and could suggest that their love will last forever.

The couple were “more than together” which shows how close they were. They were united as one – not just together. They lay together, watching the clouds. The end of the relationship is suggested through: “two chalk lines kiss and slowly disappear” however, Abse could be suggesting marriage again. The clouds (chalk lines) could represent them. They spend their lives loving and kissing until death parts them. The omen (“the friendly seagull”) reappear again which shows that they were truly supposed to be together as the sign as come twice and this time it was “magnified, near”.

After the memories, Abse goes back to the present and thinks about “the malham bird of Eden”. This bird ate the forbidden fruit but, unlike other birds, didn’t get banished but stayed lonely forever. This link could be a contrast. Abse was like the bird. He fell in love with a Gentile which could be seen as the forbidden fruit but unlike the bird, he doesn’t feel lonely. He has his wife and a family – yet, just like the bird, he is “in paradise”.

This poem could be linked to ‘The Whitsun Weddings’ by Larkin. They both show love in couples. However, Larkin doesn’t describe the experience first-hand – he is an observer who thinks negatively about marriage. Abse shows the experience from his perspective and shows love very positively. This poem can also be linked (more strongly) to ‘Broadcast’. Larkin describes his love for this woman and the poem is dedicated to her – just like this poem is dedicated to Abse’s wife. Larkin describes inside jokes and is romantic with his poem. We see this in ‘The Malham Bird’ too. It is based on memories and romance. However, Larkin only describes that one memory – Abse links it to the present and shows that his love, unlike Larkin’s, has lasted. 

Last Visit to 198 Cathedral Road

In the poem, the persona has visited an old flat – possibly one that he once lived in. It could still be owned by his parents. He creeps in at night to look around.

“When, like a burglar, I entered after dark” suggests that the persona shouldn’t be there and that the flat he is in doesn’t belong to him. “I don’t know why” is repeated which shows that the persona has done this without thinking. The persona sits in his “father’s armchair” which suggests that he could be doing so to feel an equal to his father or to relive his personality. The persona “suddenly” (showing that his actions are quick which reflects the reference of a “burglar”) shines his light around the room which shows that he shouldn’t be there because, to look around a room, usually turning on the light is what people do.

Humour is used in the second stanza to describe the living room. A contrast is used “living room … dying room”. There is a sense of death in this room – “so much dust”, “the awakened” and “a fright” which could suggest that the house is abandoned. The use of personification shows that the household objects are coming to life and they are unattractive – they “yawn hideously” and are “wriggling”.

 

Larkin uses a lot of personification in his poems to show the moods. He does it in ‘Home is so Sad’ to show grief of the house. This poem can also be linked to ‘Mr Bleaney’ which is about rooms and objects telling personas about the person and what their life was like. However, in Larkin’s poem (Mr Bleaney), Larkin seems to be judgemental of Mr Bleaney. Abse, however, accepts those who live there and enjoys looking around to see what else the room can tell him about his parents.

 

A Winter Visit

The persona is describing a walk with “her”, who is revealed to be his mother. She is at a very elderly age of ninety and he is worried about her as she is “aged and frail”. They walk through the park where she tells him that she’s “half dead” because of the coldness that winter has brought. When he realises that it is true that she is half dead, he wants to cry but knows he can’t so he distracts himself by telling her about flamingos.

There is emphasis on the local park being cold and deserted. The park, a natural place, is only filled with man-made light. The park is dark and lifeless, so much so that not even peacocks that are full of colour and life “do not screech” (to give the place sound and life) don’t go there to awaken the dead park. The coldness and darkness of the park could represent the end of life. The persona could act like an escort for his mother. She is ninety and could die which is reflected by the park.

The persona questions whether he should tell his mother about how the colours of a peacocks’ tail are made. This could suggest that he is questioning because she is “aged and so frail” which could mean that she may not understand. The creation of the colours is a metaphor – something like colours of an animal is created by something so small. This could reflect his mother. She was made by things that were very small (an egg and a sperm) which turned into something big. This could suggest that his mother has a big personality and a big influence of him and the world that she lived in. This creates sympathy for the persona who has described his mother as someone fantastic and would miss her if she went. The emphasis at the start: “now she’s ninety” stays in the readers’ heads knowing that she is at the end of her life which adds to the sympathy.

The mother is described as a “sibyl” which is a woman who believes she has prophecy powers. This shows that she can see into her future knowing that she is old. It could mean that she is aware of her age and knows she is at the end of her life. She knows that she “would die” which is distressing. “This winter” shows the coldness and could reflect death. This meaning is added to when she tells the persona that she is “half dead”. This creates more sympathy when the persona announces that he knows it’s true and wants “to cry”.

The persona explains that he must not cry. “Only Nothing keeps” shows that significance of nothing through giving it a capital letter which could show personification. ‘Nothing’ lasts forever which shows that everything must come to an end. This reflect on his mother and the persona’s understanding that ‘everything’ includes his mother and she won’t keep for much longer. The persona claims that he is “not qualified to weep” which shows that he understands that nothing keeps. It could also be linked back to the quote: “I inhabit a white coat” which shows a profession, like a doctor who understands the cycle of life and shouldn’t weep because he knows this.

To take his mind off of the thought of his mother dying, he speaks of the “small approximate things” which could mean that although those things are small, they give the mother-son relationship meaning and a purpose. They can bond over small things and appreciate their time left together instead of focusing on the worrying things. The persona chooses to talk about “four flamingos standing, one-legged on ice, heads beneath wings”. The flamingos could symbolise his mother. They are standing one-legged on ice which makes them vulnerable and could fall. There is significance of them with their heads under wings which could mean they are hiding from the world and waiting to be taken away by angels – those who have wings and can escort the flamingos to heaven.

The use of a simple rhyming scheme could show the flow of life and how it goes on. It could show that his mother’s life has been simple. The use of personification shows significance of ‘Nothing’ and adds depth to the loss. The use of hyperbolic metaphors also adds to the loss and pain of his mother.

‘A Winter Visit’ can be linked to ‘Home is so Sad’ by Larkin. Each poem describes the sense of loss and grief and they both use personification to demonstrate this. However, Larkin’s poem doesn’t give a sense of Larkin into it. We get a sense of Abse in this poem because his decriptions of the persona’s feelings are so vivid, we get the hint that the persona is Abse who is connected to his poetry and the experiences his personas go through.