This poem is about Abse’s newly-formed relationship with his
wife. We can draw a conclusion that the persona is Abse, due to the fact that
he mentions that he is a Jew and that she is a Gentile (not Jewish).
In the second stanza, he mentions their first ‘illicit
holiday’, with illicit meaning that it is forbidden, it could mean that their
love is forbidden – possibly due to the difference in beliefs. His reminiscing
continues into the third stanza in which he recalls a ‘friendly gull’ swooping
down close to them.
In the fourth stanza, he looks back on it from the present
day, stating that he has three grandchildren.
The rhyme scheme in this poem has an A-B-C-C structure, with
a rhyme every 3rd and 4th line. The themes here are love
and memory, which makes me think of the Whitsun Weddings slightly, due to the
imagery of new love and newlyweds. However, this poem is the opposite to what we expect from Larkin, since he is never open about his feelings or emotions.
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