Toads Flashcards
Stanza 1:
Why should I let the toad work
(…)
And drive the brute off?
- Begins with rhetorical question.
- Expressing his unhappiness with the “toad work” and how it seems as though he’s supposed to let it “Squat” on his life.
- It is clear from these first lines that the “toad” is not a physical animal, instead, it is used as a metaphor to represent the pressures of the world and how work and obligations are always there.
Stanza 2:
Six days of the week it soils
(…)
That’s out of proportion.
- In the second stanza, Larkin’s speaker describes the six days of the week that the “toad,” or work, plagues him.
- It “soils” his life, thoughts, and emotions with a “sickening poison.” His work, which is never defined, brings him no great benefits.
- It only allows him to “pay…a few bills,” and in return, he is poisoned by it. The cost and benefits are completely out of proportion.
Stanza 3:
“Lots of folk live on their wits:
(…)
They don’t end as paupers;”
In the third stanza, he speculates on what it would be like to live as some others do “on their wits.” The following lines insert a number of examples of people that Larkin sees as living off their “wits” rather than depending on poisonous work. He includes “Lecturers” who use their brains and passions to make money. Then there are “Lispers” or people who have lisps. He feels as if they need to work even harder than those without lisps to secure work.
He goes on to refer to “losels,” or worthless people, who have no redeemable character traits. There are also “loblolly-men” and louts.” There are clowns and drunken people. Just as in the first two lines, he looks to this group as examples of those who are worse than him but still managed to get by without the weight of the poisonous toad. The use of alliteration in these lines unites the different types of people, it connects them through sound and the visuals on the page.
Metaphor of the toad
The metaphor of the toad in the poem is a way of representing the drudgery and routine of everyday life.
The toad is a persistent and unpleasant presence that “squats” on the narrator’s life, much like the monotony of work and the demands of society can feel like a weight that one cannot escape.
The use of the toad as a metaphor is effective because it is an animal that is often associated with ugliness, slowness, and sluggishness, all qualities that are often used to describe the dullness of routine.
“Six days of the week it soils
With its sickening poison—
Just for paying a few bills!
That’s out of proportion.”
In these lines, the sentence continues from the second line to the third line without pause or punctuation, emphasizing the idea that the burden of work is a constant and overwhelming presence in the speaker’s life.
The lack of pause creates a sense of momentum and urgency, underscoring the speaker’s desire to escape the cycle of work and find fulfillment in life.
Allusion:
“Why should I let the toad work
Squat on my life?
Can’t I use my wit as a pitchfork
And drive the brute off?”
Here, the phrase “pitchfork / And drive the brute off” is an allusion to the story of Sisyphus, who was constantly pushing a heavy boulder up a hill, only to have it roll back down again. The idea is that the toad, representing the burden of work and responsibility, is like the boulder that the speaker is constantly pushing uphill, only to see it roll back down again. By using the allusion to Sisyphus, Larkin emphasizes the sense of futility and repetitive nature of the speaker’s life, and suggests that the pursuit of work and career may be ultimately meaningless.
Anaphora
The anaphora is evident in the repeated phrase “Lots of folk,” which is used to begin each sentence in this stanza.
By repeating this phrase, Larkin creates a sense of rhythm and emphasis, drawing the reader’s attention to the various possibilities for happiness that exist outside of the traditional paths of work and career.
The use of anaphora also creates a sense of unity and coherence in the stanza, tying together the different examples of happiness that the speaker describes.
Overall, the anaphora serves to reinforce the central message of the poem: that it is up to each individual to seek out and create their own sources of happiness in life.
Metaphor
The metaphor of the “huge and birdless silence” highlights the monotony and lack of vitality that work can bring to one’s life. The use of the word “silence” creates a sense of emptiness and absence, emphasizing the idea that work can stifle creativity and individuality. By comparing work to a “birdless” silence, Larkin suggests that work can rob individuals of the freedom and joy that comes with pursuing one’s passions.
On the other hand, the metaphor of the “bright nowhere” suggests that individuals must actively create their own spaces of possibility and potential outside of the confines of work and routine. The use of the word “bright” emphasizes the optimism and potential that can be found in leisure time, while the word “nowhere” suggests that this potential is not necessarily tied to a specific physical location or activity. This encourages readers to think beyond traditional paths and expectations, and to seek out and create their own sources of fulfillment and happiness.
what is toads about
delves deep into the human experience, exploring the nuances of work, leisure, and the pursuit of happiness.
Captures the essence of the struggle between the dreary monotony of daily routine
+ promise of fulfillment found in moments of leisure
+ Larkin creates a compelling contrast between the oppressive weight of work and the liberating potential of free time.
