Section 3 Summary

On a trip from England to sunny Bombay, Larkin is prepared to leave behind and dismiss his native land for its outdated traditions and obsession with "mawkish nursery games."

The poet shows his skill for observation and imagination in "The Large Cool Store." The store has displays of clothing, laid out in various sizes and colors. It is obvious which clothes are meant for the work day world and which are meant for evening.

"Here" is a tale of traveling through rural countryside and into a large town, filled with statues and domes. There are tattoo parlors, consulates and ships in the harbor. The people in the town wear cheap suits and aspire to own washers and dryers, and come down from the hills to find their heart's desires. Yet there is loneliness and silence. While nobody is looking, the weeds grow and...