Places, Loved Ones

Question 1

how does Larkin use rhyme in Places, Loved Ones to explore his themes?

Answer 1

• AB rhyme scheme
• regular rhyme scheme reflects monotony and predictability of society’s following of stereotypes and expectations

Question 2

analyse the title of Places, Loved Ones

Answer 2

• use of plurals indicates universality of concepts
• suggests a connection forged between physical and emotional space
• lack of conjunction suggests a lingering distance between concepts

Question 3

analyse the quote ‘No, I have never found’ from Places, Loved Ones

Answer 3

repeated negation of ‘no’ and ‘never’ indicates the speaker’s separation from typical societal expectations; the speaker separates themselves from those who comply to them

Question 4

analyse the quote ‘proper ground […] that special one […] everything I own’ from Places, Loved Ones

Answer 4

• reference to notions of fate and singularity typically associated with ‘true love’
• half rhyme between ‘one’ and ‘own’ indicates the speaker’s distaste for ‘true love.’ alternatively, suggests regret at missing his opportunity for this.
• ‘proper ground’ indicates the pompous voice of society; used to mock generic ideas of finding happiness

Question 5

analyse the quote ‘instant claim […] down to my name’ from Places, Loved Ones

Answer 5

• use of legal terminology hints at legally-binding contract of marriage and suggests romantic relationships are a form of restrictive contract
• suggests the speaker has not experienced the kind of love that leads to marriage
• love is portrayed as stealing/a loss

Question 6

analyse the quote ‘seems to prove / you want no choice’ from Places, Loved Ones

Answer 6

• use of pronoun further separates speaker from rest of society; defensive tone suggests he is superior in his ability to make clear choices and not be swayed by the stereotypical convention of marriage
• ‘no choice’ - Larkin juxtaposes notions of fate and free will, suggesting that succumbing to fate necessitates the sacrifice of free will to emphasise the speaker’s superiority over those who embrace singularity in love and place

Question 7

analyse the quote ‘town turn dreary / the girl a dolt’ from Places, Loved Ones

Answer 7

• cynical tone ridicules married couples and portrays marriage as an infinitely binding contract
• ‘special one’ becomes ‘girl’ and ‘proper ground’ becomes ‘town’ - marriage is romanticised; the reality is bleak

Question 8

analyse the quote ‘yet having missed them, you’re bound […] to act as if what you settled for mashed you’ from Places, Loved Ones

Answer 8

• conjunction indicates a turning point to a confessional tone (speaker reveals his own reality); shift from mocker and dismissal to a subtle indication of regret; speaker has missed out on security in love and home
• ‘bound’ creates a sense of inescapable restriction suggesting both marriage and loneliness are binding; we are continuously forced to embrace our ‘fate’ - Larkin blames humanity’ inertia for our inability to escape this bind

Question 9

analyse the quote ‘wiser to keep away / from thinking you might still trace […] your person, your place’ from Places, Loved Ones

Answer 9

• Larkin offers advice to readers suffering from loneliness and alienation as he encourages them not to dwell on the possibility of love and place; idea that opportunities, once missed, cannot be recovered
• parallel phrasing and 2nd person pronouns indicate contrasting element of hope; this seems futile in conjunction with his previous advice