Larkin analysis improvements.

Larkin’s poetry cynically portrays a society in which the proletariat ‘are deluding themselves’ rather than presenting a hopeful picture of a society where ‘they (go) beyond the limits which society sets for them’ to what extent do you agree with this statement? Make close reference to four Larkin poems.

It is possible to agree that Larkin presents the proletariat as ‘deluding themselves’ in a number of his poems such as ‘Mr Bleaney’, ‘Here’, ‘The large cool store’ and ‘This be the verse’. Larkin deconstructs the socio-economic issues of the 1960s by demonstrating class division between the proletariat and the bourgeois. Larkin depicts the ‘false consciousness’ of the working class in his collection ‘the Whitsun weddings’ when he presents the proletariat as believing they are equal through purchasing commodities which highlights further that the proletariat are not trying to overcome the limits their society has set.

Larkin demonstrates how the working class are ‘deluding themselves’ in the poem ‘the large cool store’ when he presents how the proletariat believe that  buying what appears to be an expensive commodity will increase their social status. Larkin exemplifies the monotonous lifestyle that the proletariat inhabit through his depiction of dull coloured clothing that they buy. ‘Knitwear, summer casuals and hose’ are illustrated as being ‘brown, grey, maroon and navy’ which exposes the mundane lives of the lower class. These colours connote the ‘drab’ lives of the workers which may also reveal details of their factory/manual jobs.   The poem epitomizes the alienation of the proletariat when he writes ‘To suppose they share that world, to think their sort is matched by something in it, show separate and unearthly love is’. This description highlights how the working class have a false consciousness by believing they’re equal; however they are seen as inferior to those of the bourgeois. Commodities such as clothing are the ‘fundamental units of capitalism’ which therefore may imply that the proletariat are deluding themselves by buying into an ideology that contributes to their poverty.  A Marxist idea is that the bourgeois control the proletariat through alienation in a number of aspects of society; this in return, provides the bourgeois with workers who are willing to work for just enough to buy commodities in order to follow the status quo with the ‘coolest’ items of clothing. According to H. Bertens Capitalism ‘refies’ people as the bourgeois see them in terms of production however they are alienated into believing that a small wage increase will change that, however it may not.   

Similarly, in Larkin's poem 'here' the proletariats desire to feel equal to the bourgeois is most apparent. Furthermore, 'Here' shares similar themes to the 'large cool store' as Larkin presents the proletariat as trying to fit the status quo by wanting to buy commodities. This indicates that Larkin was aware of the materialistic and superficial views of society hence his literature highlighting these themes. Larkin describes the proletariat as they 'push through plate-glass swing doors to their desires - cheap suits, red kitchen-ware, share shoes, iced lollies..'. This indicates that the working class want to buy items that appear ‘cool’ to them however by describing the suits as 'cheap' Larkin maintains his representation of the proletariat as  poor but superficial. This corresponds with the poem 'the large cool store' to emphasize how a capitalist society is obsessed with material items as one may say from a Marxist view.  This may be interpreted as the proletariat class deluding themselves due to the fact that a Marxist would believe they will never be equal due to the class they were born into. A Marxist, Han Bertens supports this idea as he believed 'your social determines much, if not all of your life' this therefore suggests that the proletariat are 'deluding themselves' as they are presented as believing that buying expensive things will make them equal yet they cannot change what class they were born into. The proletariat are presented as encoding values from the bourgeois which are irrelevant to their lifestyle. In the poem 'Here' larkin describes the long hours the proletariat work by describing 'work men at dawn'. Here Larkin cynically portrays the society from the time by highlighting the exploitation of the workers which indicates that Larkin himself may have had a cynical outlook on the society. This is due to him presenting how the workers are mistreated which suggests the quality of life for the proletariat was low. This demonstrates that the proletariat work long hours which suggests they work in manual/factory jobs. However later in the poem their desire for commodities is presented. This supports how the proletariat are deluding themselves as it implies that they work long hours for the bourgeoisie only to buy what they in fact made for an inflated price which makes a surplus profit for the bourgeois.

Larkin does not only explore themes of reification and consumerism throughout his series of poems. In the poem 'This be the verse' Larkin depicts Marxist ideas from the Marxist literacy theory that 'the way we think and the world around us are either wholly, or largely conditioned by the way the economy is organised' and that the class in to which you are born determines your future. The most prominent theme throughout this poem is the 'curse' of the proletariat class. Larkin states 'they fuck you up your mum and dad, they may not mean to, but they do' this may suggest that Larkin believes that your parents are at fault for what social/economically position you're in. From a Marxist point of view being born into a working class family would be unfortunate because they believe that a capitalist society can only run through the exploitation of the working class. Larkin demonstrates his own views on being born into a working class family and tells the reader to ‘get out while you can, and don’t have kids yourself’ which suggests that Larkin agrees with a Marxist idea that being born into a working class family would lead to your downfall. It could be interpreted that by Larkin warning the reader to ‘get out while you can’, he is illustrating the false consciousness of the proletariat. This suggests that Larkin believes that everyone should give up because there is no other way out and that the capitalist society that they live in is entrapping people through alienation. Is is possible to argue that 'this be the verses' contradicts the marxist statement 'it is inevitable that society will evolve into socialism' due to Larkins depiction of the unavoidable 'cycle' in which we are trapped. It is implied that we inherit both social and economic flaws from our parents which we cannot escape from. This suggests there is no opportunity to change or progress as we will forever be stuck in the ways of our parents and therefore our society will not evolve, but stay the same. The contradiction of this statement validates Larkins cynicism as it highlights his belief that their is no chance for the lower classes to make a better life themselves. Larkin's work exposes the bourgeois manipulation of the proletariat in efforts to keep them feeling futile and despondent. The poem maintains a theme of dejection for the proletariat class which indicates that they conditioned to feel like this by the upper class so they feel 'helpless' and are reluctant to spark a change. 

The poem ‘Mr Bleaney’ also presents Marxist themes. Larkin describes the man – Mr Bleaney – as ‘he stayed the whole time he was at the bodies, till they moved him’. ‘The bodies’ was the name of a factory that made car shells in the 1950s therefore, by describing how Mr Bleaney was at the ‘Bodies’ Larkin is placing him in the category of proletariat. However, this may also be interpreted as Mr Bleaney being deceased, ‘till they moved him’ may suggest that he was moved to another work placement, or a morgue, this creates the image that Mr Bleaney is alienated and alone. The only name we are presented with in the poem is ‘Mr Bleaney’ which indicates that he was alone. Larkin’s purpose here may have been to use Mr Bleaney as a metaphor for all of the proletariat and create the image that they are all ultimately isolated and alone due to the social constraints they face. Larkin uses colloquial language to emphasize the social class of the man - ‘stub my fag’ which suggests he in a working class man as this use of language would generally be used by the proletariat. Larkin embodies the alienation of a capitalist society in the poem; however it may be argued that this poem suggests that the proletariat are not ‘deluding them’. On the last line of the poem the narrator realises ‘He warranted no better, I don’t know’, this creates a sense of uncertainty for the narrator however also suggests that the narrator realises he’ll most likely end up in a similar situation to Mr Bleaney as they are both working class.  This supports the Marxist theory that it is impossible to escape the class you were born in, however it demonstrates that some members of society realise their fate.


To conclude, Larkin deconstructs a number of Marxist ideas throughout his series of poems. He presents the working class as deluding themselves in the majority of poems however it is possible to argue that Larkin realises that they know deep down. Larkin  suggests that the proletariat do not try to go beyond the limits society has set for them because they have a false consciousness that they’re life is okay as it is.

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Larkin poem analysis

Larkin’s poetry cynically portrays a society in which the proletariat ‘are deluding themselves’ rather than presenting a hopeful picture of a society where ‘they (go) beyond the limits which society sets for them’ to what extent do you agree with this statement? Make close reference to four Larkin poems.

It is possible to agree that Larkin presents the proletariat as ‘deluding themselves’ in a number of his poems such as ‘Mr Bleaney’, ‘Here’, ‘The large cool store’ and ‘This be the verse’. Larkin deconstructs the socio-economic issues of the 1960s by demonstrating class division between the proletariat and the bourgeois. Larkin depicts the ‘false consciousness’ of the working class in his collection ‘the Whitsun weddings’ which highlights further that the proletariat are not trying to overcome the limits their society has set.

Larkin demonstrates how the working class are ‘deluding themselves’ in the poem ‘the large cool store’ when he presents how the proletariat believe that  buying what appears to be an expensive commodity will increase their social status. The poem epitomizes the alienation of the proletariat when he writes ‘To suppose they share that world, to think their sort is matched by something in it, show separate and unearthly love is’. This description highlights how the working class have a false consciousness by believing they’re equal; however they are seen as inferior to those of the bourgeois. Commodities such as clothing are the ‘fundamental units of capitalism’ which therefore may imply that the proletariat are deluding themselves by buying into an ideology that contributes to their poverty.  A Marxist idea is that the bourgeois control the proletariat through alienation in a number of aspects of society; this in return, provides the bourgeois with workers who are willing to work for just enough to buy commodities in order to follow the status quo with the ‘coolest’ items of clothing. According to H. Bertens Capitalism ‘refies’ people as the bourgeois see them in terms of production however they are alienated into believing that a small wage increase will change that, however it may not.   


Similarly, in Larkin's poem 'here' the proletariats desire to feel equal to the bourgeois is most apparent. Furthermore, 'Here' shares similar themes to the 'large cool store' as Larkin presents the proletariat as trying to fit the status quo by wanting to buy commodities. This indicates that Larkin was aware of the materialistic and superficial views of society hence his literature highlighting these themes. Larkin describes the proletariat as they 'push through plate-glass swing doors to their desires - cheap suits, red kitchen-ware, share shoes, iced lollies..'. This indicates that the working class want to buy items that appear ‘cool’ to them. This corresponds with the poem 'the large cool store' to emphasize how a capitalist society is obsessed with material items as one may say from a Marxist view.  This may be interpreted as the proletariat class deluding themselves due to the fact that a Marxist would believe they will never be equal due to the class they were born into. A Marxist, Han Bertens supports this idea as he believed 'your social determines much, if not all of your life' this therefore suggests that the proletariat are 'deluding themselves' as they are presented as believing that buying expensive things will make them equal yet they cannot change what class they were born into. The proletariat are presented as encoding values from the bourgeois which are irrelevant to their lifestyle. In the poem 'Here' larkin describes the long hours the proletariat work by describing 'work men at dawn'. This demonstrates that the proletariat work long hours which suggests they work in manual/factory jobs. However later in the poem their desire for commodities is presented. This supports how the proletariat are deluding themselves as it implies that they work long hours for the bourgeoisie only to buy what they in fact made for an inflated price which makes a surplus profit for the bourgeois.


Larkin does not only explore themes of reification and consumerism throughout his series of poems. In the poem 'This be the verse' Larkin depicts Marxist ideas from the Marxist literacy theory that 'the way we think and the world around us are either wholly, or largely conditioned by the way the economy is organised' and that the class in to which you are born determines your future. The most prominent theme throughout this poem is the 'curse' of the proletariat class. Larkin states 'they fuck you up your mum and dad, they may not mean to, but they do' this may suggest that Larkin believes that your parents are at fault for what social/economically position you're in. From a Marxist point of view being born into a working class family would be unfortunate because they believe that a capitalist society can only run through the exploitation of the working class. Larkin demonstrates his own views on being born into a working class family and tells the reader to ‘get out while you can, and don’t have kids yourself’ which suggests that Larkin agrees with a Marxist idea that being born into a working class family would lead to your downfall. It could be interpreted that by Larkin warning the reader to ‘get out while you can’, he is illustrating the false consciousness of the proletariat. This suggests that Larkin believes that everyone should give up because there is no other way out and that the capitalist society that they live in is entrapping people through alienation.


 The poem ‘Mr Bleaney’ also presents Marxist themes. Larkin describes the man – Mr Bleaney – as ‘he stayed the whole time he was at the bodies, till they moved him’. ‘The bodies’ was the name of a factory that made car shells in the 1950s therefore, by describing how Mr Bleaney was at the ‘Bodies’ Larkin is placing him in the category of proletariat. However, this may also be interpreted as Mr Bleaney being deceased, ‘till they moved him’ may suggest that he was moved to another work placement, or a morgue, this creates the image that Mr Bleaney is alienated and alone. The only name we are presented with in the poem is ‘Mr Bleaney’ which indicates that he was alone. Larkin’s purpose here may have been to use Mr Bleaney as a metaphor for all of the proletariat and create the image that they are all ultimately isolated and alone due to the social constraints they face. Larkin uses colloquial language to emphasize the social class of the man - ‘stub my fag’ which suggests he in a working class man as this use of language would generally be used by the proletariat. Larkin embodies the alienation of a capitalist society in the poem; however it may be argued that this poem suggests that the proletariat are not ‘deluding them’. On the last line of the poem the narrator realises ‘He warranted no better, I don’t know’, this creates a sense of uncertainty for the narrator however also suggests that the narrator realises he’ll most likely end up in a similar situation to Mr Bleaney as they are both working class.  This supports the Marxist theory that it is impossible to escape the class you were born in, however it demonstrates that some members of society realise their fate.


 To conclude, Larkin deconstructs a number of Marxist ideas throughout his series of poems. He presents the working class as deluding themselves in the majority of poems however it is possible to argue that Larkin realises that they know deep down. Larkin  suggests that the proletariat do not try to go beyond the limits society has set for them because they have a false consciousness that they’re life is okay as it is.

How did Marx and Engels view literature?Marx and Engels didn't regard literature as insignificant, it is stated that 'art and literature were part of the very air that Marx breathed' which suggests that Marx valued Literature. 
 What is the sociology of literature?
Concerned with the means of literacy production, distribution and exchange in a certain society, how books are published, the social composition of the authors and it also examines texts for their sociological relevance.  
What did Matisse believe about all art?
'all art bears the imprint of its historical epoch but that great art is that in which this imprint is most deeply marked'  
What is 'original' about Marxist literary criticism?
The originality of Marxist criticism, then, lies not in it's historical approach to literature, but in it's revolutionary understanding of history itself.
Why is art part of the superstructure?Art, then, is for Marxism part of the 'superstructure' of society. It is part of a society's ideology - an element in that complex structure of perception which ensures that the situation in which one social class has power over the others is either seen by most members of the society as 'natural' or not seen at all.
What, according to interpretations of Conrad's work was the crisis facing the  Western bourgeois class?
The pessimism of the bourgeois class.
Which four elements make up the levels of 'unity' which Marxist criticism focuses on?
Text, ideology, social relations and productive forces.
In his letter Joseph Bloc, what did Engels want to deny about the base and superstructure?
He denied that the base and the superstructure were connected.
Why does Marx believe we enjoy classical Greek literature?

Them and (Uz) by Tony Harrison

Tony Harrison adresses the class divide between the bourgeois and proletariat in the poem 'Them and (uz)'. A marxist may believe that a capitalist society is a divided society in which the upper class are viewed as superior to the working class and also that your social background will determine your future. Tony Harrison's uses his working class background and regional dialect to emphasize how the people using dialect or 'slang' which was more common in the north, were seen as less intelligent as apposed to people in the south who would use standard english and received pronunciation more commonly.

Harrison presents his vast knowledge on literature and language when he uses the greek speech such as 'αία' and then the english translation 'ay, ay'. Here Harrison is isolating the non-greek reader to mock those who cannot speak greek and emphasize how he was mocked for his regional accent. This also highlights Harrisons knowledge of culture which goes against the stereotype that people from a working class background may be less cultured.

Harrison recalls his 'nicely spoken' class mate in the second stanza. When he refers to the other student  as 'nicely spoken' it suggests that the child speaks 'correctly' using standard english. The word 'nice' connotes positive meanings which demonstrates how those who speak using standard english and received pronunciation were praised on their speech as speaking in this way would suggest a upper class upbringing.  On the other hand Harrisons regional accent was condemned - 'can't have our glorious heritage done to death'. This suggests that Harrisons accent was mocked by a teacher as it did not up hold the 'glorious' heritage of literature. From a marxist perspective this may suggest that there is a strong class divide between those who are seen to keep the 'glorious heritage' (usually the bourgeois) and those who tarnish it (the proletariat).

Harrison demonstrates a common idea that highly regarded literature can only come from someone well spoken. This is presented when he says 'Poetry's the speech of kings. you're not one of those', this suggests that respected literature generally comes from the bourgeois and people who did not speak in the 'correct' way were seen as unintelligent. Standard english would be spoken by people of high importance such as politicians, people working at BBC and other member of high social ranking which means that people would associate standard english with intellect and non standard english with stupidity. A king would use standard english and received pronunciation which indicates that those who did not were not seen as able to write great literature. This highlights a stereotype that people who don't speak using standard english and RP would be from a working class family. When Harrison says 'you're not one of those' he's mocking standard english speakers for thinking he is unworthy of writing great literature. This highlights how it was believed that the social background of a person determined how well they could do in life because Tony Harrison was from a working class family in Leeds and his accent portrayed this. Therefore it was believed he would not be able to write well because of his class and upbringing.

The proletariat are presented as victims in part one of the poem 'Them and (Uz)'. Tony has separated the poem in to part one and part two which may have been done to highlight the class divide between the proletariat and the bourgeois. However in part two, Harrison demonstrates how his speech and accent is out of choice and does not determine his intelligence. He describes how 'we'll occupy your lousy leasehold poetry' to mock the upper class who believed that all great literature had come from people who spoke 'correctly'. However that is not the case as presented by Harrison when he describes great writers such as shakespeare who may have had a regional accent. By describing the poetry as leasehold 'poetry' Harrison is highlighting how the upper class would steal work from people who didn't speak as they did and claim it as there own.

To conclude Harrison demonstrates how social class does not determine the intelligence of a person. He demonstrates how even though he comes from a working class northern background he is still well cultured and intelligent.

The Large Cool Store

The poem is about an M&S in the 1960s which at the time was a cheaper store where the proletariat were about to afford 'fashionable' clothes. Karl Marx believed that capitalist valued commodities and materialism which is supported by the poem which presents the proletariat societies feeling they need commodities to feel accepted in society. Phillip Larkin presents themes of class in the poem 'The large cool store'. He demonstrates how the proletariat have a false consciousness by believing that buying cheaper versions of bourgeoisie fashion, will make them equal.

The title of the poem 'The Large Cool Store' connotes two different meanings. Firstly the word 'cool' may suggest that the poem is referring to the store having the most fashionable pieces of clothing. However alternatively the word 'cool' may indicate the store is cold or unwelcoming. This may suggest to the reader that although the store offers what appears to be in fashion for the proletariat, it is uninviting for the bourgeoisie due to the ideology of commodification and that items should be expensive in order to be good.

Larkin describes how the clothes are set out in 'simple sizes plainly'. The use of the words 'simple' and 'plainly' may be interpreted to be describing the proletariat who shop at the store which indicates that Larkin believes that the lower class are unintelligent. This suggests that at the time of the poem, the bourgeoisie would have believed they were better than the proletariat and indicates that they believed they were more intelligent. Larkin highlights the dull lives of the proletariat further when he describes the colours of the clothes as 'Browns and grey, maroons and navy'. The dull and dark colours Larkin has used to describe the clothes could be interpreted as a metaphor for the lives of the working class. This indicates that the proletariat's lives were monotonous and boring which may be due to their need to work. These colours connote colours of factory workers, therefore Larkin is demonstrating how the people who shop here will be at the same professional level as a factory worker.

Larkin demonstrates how the customers of the shop 'leave at dawn low terraced houses'. By describing how they leave at 'dawn' it indicates that they are leaving early in the morning to go to work. This presents how the proletariat have to work very long hours in factories. This creates a sense of irony in the poem as it suggests that the proletariat will spend many hours in factories producing the clothes that are sold in places such as the 'large cool store' just to buy them back off the bourgeoisie for a higher price. This also indicates that the workers have a false consciousness because they are presented as following the status quo and the daily routine of working for the bourgeoisie and then giving the money they're paid back to them at the shops and showing no signs of resistance. Larkin describes their houses as 'Low terraced houses' the word 'low' suggests that the proletariat live in small houses and the word 'terraced' indicates that the proletariat class all live very close to each other as their houses are attached.

The false consciousness of the proletariat class is highlighted when Larkin says 'to suppose they share that world, to think their sort is, matched by something in it' here the reader is exposed to how at the time, the proletariat would have believed that by buying something that appears more expensive and more fashionable that they are the same as the bourgeoisie. This demonstrates how both the working class and the bourgeoisie were materialistic and wanted commodities. This suggests that people believed that something was better because it was more expensive. This suggests that the society at the time had a cultural mindset that people should have 'cool' things or they won't be accepted. However, Larkin expresses how he doesn't agree that the proletariat are equal to the bourgeoisie when he describes them as 'they and their' this suggests that he believes that they think they share his world but they don't.

The poem highlights the zeitgeist of the 1960's, otherwise known as the 'swinging sixties' because during this decade there were many developments in fashion. This is presented by the shop selling 'cool' clothes. This suggest that during this time people wanted to look like they had expensive clothes. A marxist may believe that this was wrong because they believe in people all being equal and fashion means that people can advertise their wealth and in return their poverty. This contributes to a marxist belief of a capitalist society being a 'split society' and a marxist may not like fashion due to it emphasizing the social class of a person.

The 'large cool store' has an ABABA rhyming pattern throughout the poem such as 'clothes', 'hose', and 'those' rhyming on line 1,3,5 and 'plainly' and 'navy' rhyming on line 2 and 4. This may have been used to create a monotonous and repetitive atmosphere to emphasize the boring life of the proletariat class. However, in contrast caesura and enjambment are used in the poem which breaks up the rhythm, this may have been used to build up tension and create a more dramatic effect to the poem.

To conclude the poem demonstrates how the proletariat are desperate to be considered equal to the bourgeoisie yet they are not expected in society by the upper class as they are viewed as unintelligent and inferior.