Church going by Philip Larkin.pptx

poetry

1. Poem: Church Going By Philip Larkin By: Amjad Gul

2. TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction of the poet 01 About the poem & Summary 02 Stanza Explanation 03 Themes 04

3. ABOUT THE POET: Philip Larkin: (1922-1985) Philip Larkin was born on 9th August 1922 in Coventry, England.  He was the only son in his family. His father was City Treasurer during the years 1922 to 1944.   From 1930 to 1940, Philip Larkin attended the City’s King Henry VIII School. He would regularly contribute to the school magazine, and he edited the magazine in the last year of his school. He went to St. John College, Oxford, after graduating from school. Though the war was going on, he continued to complete his degree without any interruption. Due to poor eyesight, he had failed his army medical test.  In November 1943, he got a job at Wellington, as a librarian.

4. ABOUT THE POET: Philip Larkin: (1922-1985) He was associated with the movement school of poetry. Poetry characterized by a pessimistic strain. Tone is never ecstatic. Shy and reclusive nature reflected in his works. Early poetry reflects the influence of Yeats and Thomas Hardy.

5. ABOUT THE POET: Philip Larkin's Style: The poetic style of Philip Larkin is characterized by the combination of an ordinary language, clarity, and colloquial style. Movement Poetry: It is the term that was coined by Jay D.Scott . The poets are included in this movement poetry such as Philip Larkin, Kingsley Amis, Thom Gunn, Elizabeth Jennings, Robert Conquest, John Wain , Donald Davie and D. J. Enright .  

6. “ABOUT THE POEM” This poem is published in Philip Larkin’s collection named “The Less Deceived” in 1954.   A medium length lyrical poem   Firstly published on 24 th April 1954, the edited version of “Church Going” was published in July, 1954.   There are seven stanzas, each having 9 lines. This poem is having rhyming scheme.

7. SUMMARY: CHURCH GOING BY PHILIP LARKEN The poem starts when the poet enters in a Church and there is no any activity going on…… When he enters in the Church the door closes he saw the books are available on the shelf and seats are arranged properly. The garden of the Church is full with beautiful flowers and the preparations are going in full swing for “The Sunday Service.” The poet tells that; some articles of brass were kept at the holy end. A small neat organ was placed there. Tense, musty and un-ignorable silence prevailed there. He took off his hat and cycle clips as a token of revenge.

8. SUMMARY: CHURCH GOING BY PHILIP LARKEN He stood there and looked at the roof which was either cleaned or restored. He mounted the lectern, perused a few verses and pronounced “here endeth ” much more loudly than he had actually meant. The echoes of his pronouncement sniggered there briefly. Then he signed the book and donated an Irish sixpence. Later on he reflected that the place was not worth visiting. In fact he often visited the church and after the visit he always reacted like this. He did not know what to look for in the church.

9. SUMMARY: CHURCH GOING BY PHILIP LARKEN Then the poet began to muse what will happen when the churches fall into disuse. The parchment, plate and pyx will be kept in locked cases. The churches will become deserted places. Then people may avoid them as unlucky. Then the women of doubtful characters will enter the churches and make their children touch a particular stone. They will pick simples for caner or on some advised night, they will see walking a dead person. But the poet asserts that superstition, like belief, must be eliminated. If he disbelief is gone, only grass, weedy pavement brambles and brick structure will remain. Then the shape of the church will not be recognized. Then nobody will regard it as a church. Only that person who taps, jots and knows about the rood-lofts will be able to recognize it or that person who is a ruin-bibber and randy for antique will recognize it or a Christmas addict counting on a whiff or gown-and –bands and organ pipes and myrrh, will be able to recognize the church or only that person who is the poet’s representative will be able to recognize it .

10. SUMMARY: CHURCH GOING BY PHILIP LARKEN The poet’s representative will be bored and uninformed. But since he knows the ghostly silt he will be able to recognize it. He will know that this place was built for ceremonies concerning marriage, birth and death. He will be able to tell the categories of persons for whom the church was built. I have no idea about the worth of this frowsty barn but it pleases me to stand there in the church in silence. It is a sacred place on earth. And all our compulsions are met here. They are recognized and rolled as destinies. And that much can never become obsolete because someone or the other will always, have the yearning to be serious. He will, then, visit the church because he had heard that this is the only place which can help man grow wise. 

11. Stanza: 01 Once I am sure there's nothing going on I step inside, letting the door thud shut. Another church: matting, seats, and stone, And little books; sprawling of flowers, cut For Sunday, brownish now; some brass and stuff Up at the holy end; the small neat organ; And a tense, musty, unignorable silence, Brewed God knows how long. Hatless, I take off My cycle-clips in awkward reverence,

12. Explanation: it begins with the speaker describing the scenario, through the initial action phrases, his entering into a place. He mentions that the doors close with a “thud” behind him. Another Church refers that he visits church frequently. Later on, He glances around and notices all the items that are consistent throughout all the churches. ‘ Unignorable silence’ that is overwhelming in the space. It seems that the church has been absent of people for quite a long time.

13. Stanza: 02 Move forward, run my hand around the font. From where I stand, the roof looks almost new- Cleaned or restored? Someone would know: I don't. Mounting the lectern, I peruse a few Hectoring large-scale verses, and pronounce "Here endeth " much more loudly than I'd meant. The echoes snigger briefly. Back at the door I sign the book, donate an Irish sixpence, Reflect the place was not worth stopping for.

14. Explanation: The speaker moves “forward” to the front of the church and runs his hand over the pews. He looks around and notices what seems to be complete repair and restorations done to the roof. He reads some long verses from the bible that produce an echo of his voice. He departs after leaving an “Irish Sixpence” an incredibly small amount of money, in the donation box. He concludes that this place is not worth visiting.

15. Stanza: 03 Yet stop I did: in fact I often do, And always end much at a loss like this, Wondering what to look for; wondering, too, When churches fall completely out of use What we shall turn them into, if we shall keep A few cathedrals chronically on show, Their parchment, plate, and pyx in locked cases, And let the rest rent-free to rain and sheep. Shall we avoid them as unlucky places?

16. Explanation: In the above lines, the poet has some kind of inner conflict about his attraction to churches. But, he disappoints by seeing the hollowness and emptiness of the church. He is curious about what the church will be like, or what the human race will utilize all the churches for when the last believer is gone. The Poet says that the church will be the resting place for sheep, and for those who are in search of shelter in the rainy season, in the upcoming time.  

17. Stanza: 04 Or, after dark, will dubious women come To make their children touch a particular stone; Pick simples for a cancer; or on some Advised night see walking a dead one? Power of some sort or other will go on In games, in riddles, seemingly at random; But superstition, like belief, must die, And what remains when disbelief has gone? Grass, weedy pavement, brambles, buttress, sky,

18. Explanation: In the fourth stanza of ‘Church Going,” the speaker continues his contemplation of what the churches will become when all the religiously devoted have passed on. People are left only with myths or superstitious ideologies, where mothers might bring their children “to touch a particular stone” for luck, or perhaps people will come to see the dead “walking”

19. Stanza 5 A shape less recognisable each week, A purpose more obscure. I wonder who Will be the last, the very last, to seek This place for what it was; one of the crew That tap and jot and know what rood-lofts were? Some ruin-bibber, randy for antique, Or Christmas-addict, counting on a whiff Of gown-and-bands and organ-pipes and myrrh? Or will he be my representative,  

20. Explanation: The church seems “less recognizable” as the days move forward until its original purpose is completely unknown. A new question: who the very last believer or pilgrim, or seeker of truth will be who enters the building? Will this person even comprehend where he or she is? What will this man or woman think as the final remnants of a dead religion? The last person, he assumes, will be “one of the crew” who knows what a “rood-loft” is. Or someone who hungers for anything that is antique: ‘ruin bibber’, or someone who is a “Christmas-addict?” Lastly, he considers the option that the seeker will be as is he, someone who is “uninformed” and unclear on the purpose of religion. 

21. Stanza 6 Bored, uninformed, knowing the ghostly silt Dispersed, yet tending to this cross of ground Through suburb scrub because it held unspilt So long and equably what since is found Only in separation – marriage, and birth, And death, and thoughts of these – for which was built This special shell? For, though I’ve no idea What this accoutered frowsty barn is worth, It pleases me to stand in silence here;

22. Explanation: This last person might be as the speaker is, curious about the place because of its long-lasting nature. It has “held unsplit ” for so long, one might wonder what has allowed it to survive. The onlooker might think on further in the same vein as he, wondering what the “frosty barn is worth” and how, without knowing its worth, it can please one to “stand in silence here.”

23. Stanza 7 A serious house on serious earth it is, In whose blent air all our compulsions meet, Are recognized, and robed as destinies. And that much never can be obsolete, Since someone will forever be surprising A hunger in himself to be more serious, And gravitating with it to this ground, Which, he once heard, was proper to grow wise in, If only that so many dead lie round.

24. Explanation: Despite the speaker’s lack of interest in religion, he nonetheless acknowledges that it has given meaning andconsistency to people’s lives and has treated all equally. Through the church, human‘compulsions ’ are acknowledged as important and are given the status of destinies. The church takes people and their paths through life seriously. There is a part of most people that longs to be treated with such seriousness and respect. At the end of the poem, the speaker accepts that we will always need something like churches togive meaning to our lives. It will draw people to it, even in its ruined state.  

25. THEMES: Religious Faith In The Modern Age The Void Of Disappearing Religion The Desire for Human Connection

26. \ Religious Faith In The Modern Age This poem explores the theme of religious faith, questioning the point of Christianity in the modern age and finding that it still has value. The speaker talks about the meaningless and purposeless visions of the religion that the organized form religion of Christianity no longer serves the motifs of humans. Modern man is thousand times away from the traditional religion of Christianity.

27. The Void Of Disappearing Religion After exploring the church, he questions what will become of churches after religion is no longer useful. The speaker is not religious, but he does continue to go to churches (a ritual at a particular place) with a kind of reverent curiosity similar to the religious person who goes to church seeking faith, wisdom and answers. humans are compelled to find deeper meaning and a higher, more spiritual purpose. As Larkin says, "That much never can be obsolete."

28. The Desire for Human Connection According to the speaker, churchgoing is a practice to hold connectivity among humans. The church helps in the union of the different communities through serious practices. Speaker thinks that churchgoing appeals to humans because it bought communities together .

29. THANK YOU