Point of View

The point of view used in the collected poems of Philip Larkin changes from first person to third person omniscient, depending on the topic. The first person is more personal and subjective and is used mainly when Larkin is describing his own feelings and experiences. A good example of the first person can be seen in "Mother, Summer, I," "To My Wife," and "I Remember, I Remember."

An example of Larkin's poetry that uses first person from another person's perspective is "Deep Analysis." In this poem Larkin takes on the persona of a woman who has been rejected and does not understand why the man of her dreams has chosen to bestow his affections on another. The use of first person in this instance is more effective than if the poet had used a third person omniscient since most of the observations and emotions are internal...