A study of reading habits Essay

The theme of journeys is present in Philip Larkins poem, A Study of Reading Habits. However, it is non a physical journey that we imbibe, scarcely a metaphorical journey about the speakers sustenance progression through his changing outflows take ind by books. The title is a mock, honorable title for it sounds like a piece of academic research Larkin uses starting line person persona to give expression to things he would prefer not to have attri onlyed to himself. The structure of the poem divided into three stanzas school years, jejune years and the present.The tone is sarcastic and colloquial, that along with the shorter lines, creates a little secure poem from Larkin. In the first part of his journey, the persona is imaginative and loves to read, so much so that is it ruining his eyes. He imagines a dream world where he could be cool and deal out the right hand hook to his bullies. The alliteration of dirty dogs is symbolism of the personas bullies, which portrays the m as the villains. It is the stories, which makes him believe he is invincible, like that of the heroes he reads about.The stories provide an escapism to which he evoke be brave, hero, and not the bullied kid to which he is in reality. in that respect is a smooth, harmonious quality in the beginning stanza due to Euphony. This underscored how comfortable and fantasy-like childhood can be. The second part of his journey represents his adolescent years. We like a shot see him with inch thick specs, which is ironic to him previously stating his gentleness for reading was ruining his eyes. We see the persona become to a greater extent gothic and dark, with his new love of Horror Fiction.Cloaks and fangs sounds dangerous and eerie, which is his new escapism. some(a) critics suggest that ripping could be vampire vocabulary save it in like manner can refer to being posh. Through his journey through stanza two, we see him move on to more lustrous novels, where his escapism is him bei ng a womanizer. Larkin use borrowed language of clubbed with sex and broke them up like meringues to create the poets whimsical world. The similie refers to his lust for sexual encounters with women.The phrases argon quite tatty and some suggest it is good-for-nothing writing on Larkins behalf, but some argue it is Larkin trying to sound like a bad guy. Larkin is trying too hard to sound like Raymond Chandlers character, Marlowe, but it just doesnt work. In the final part of the personas journey, which leads him up to the present tense, we see a completely conflicting resume of reading. In the final stanza the speaker comes to terms with reality he can no longer hide behind books.He realizes that his world is less fulfilling than the fantasies portrayed in books, and says dont read much promptly. He feels betrayed by books and his tone becomes bitter. The yellow figure evokes the sense of failing and represents cowardly characteristics. This metaphor produces the effect of a co wardly character, which evidently relates to the persona. This pith he can no longer fantasice for the characters he looked up to atomic number 18 weak. With no more escapism, the persona no longer wants to read.In the third-year line of the poem Lark says Get stewed, which is said in a light hearted jokey way. Some suggest it refers to getting drunk, which may be his alternative escapism, but some argue it means get lost, referring to the disappointment. On the contrary, the final line represents the personas new feelings towards books. He believes they are a worthless load of crap. The theme of the poem is that escapism and ignoring reality only makes life less fulfilling, which is illustrated through the theme of a journey.