Talking In Bed

Talking in bed ought to be easiest,
Lying together there goes back so far,
An emblem of two people being honest.
Yet more and more time passes silently.
Outside, the wind's incomplete unrest
Builds and disperses clouds in the sky,
And dark towns heap up on the horizon.
None of this cares for us. Nothing shows why
At this unique distance from isolation
It becomes still more difficult to find
Words at once true and kind,
Or not untrue and not unkind.

Analysis (ai): This poem explores the disconnect that can arise in intimate relationships over time. While the speakers once found solace in "talking in bed," it has become increasingly difficult to communicate their true feelings. The poem's comparison of the couple's intimacy to the "incomplete unrest" of the wind and the "dark towns" on the horizon suggests a sense of displacement and impermanence. This theme of alienation is common in Larkin's work, which often reflects the disillusionment and loneliness of modern life. (hide)

Like (35) 9 Keep going Nicely penned Amazing Like (35)

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Thesigmaskibidipoetriz - this poem just rizzed me up! Low taper fade sigma rizz yo! Philip Larkin def got mad aura points from that one! Really exemplifies what it means to have W mewing streak! Ichiban... we lit gangy! I'm Sal from Impractical Jokers and I approve this message.

on Dec 03 2024 09:37 AM PST x rate: , , skip edit

Kenny Wilson - Full of great lines. "None of this cares for us"

on May 15 2023 04:02 AM PST x edit

Jaye Nelia - Larkin’s fear of death cropped up in everything he wrote, and for him it seemed to be pulling him away, always, from anything healthy or good. Fearing death meant always having to devalue life so that its eventual loss might be bearable. So what “ought to be easy” isn’t for him, because to actually feel the solace of the marriage bed would mean being unwary of death for a little while. Instead, his guard had to remain up. He denies comfort.

on Mar 27 2023 12:30 AM PST x edit

Arthur Allison - I like"the wind's incomplete unrest"it makes the work pulsate with passion of dispassionate drama

on Mar 28 2022 10:46 PM PST x edit

UmadDamu - marvelous

on Nov 09 2021 12:26 PM PST x edit

KittenPoetess - Lovely, so relateable.. you took the words from me, that if which I could not speak..

Amazing

on Sep 02 2020 09:37 PM PST x edit

Joopster - Mister Larkin upping his game once more. I'm curious if he has even better stuff in his heap. If not, I'll have to do it myself and do a Larkin updated, improved and really intended...

on Jul 04 2020 03:40 AM PST x edit

Terry Collett - Classic poem and theme

Great!

on Jan 25 2020 04:42 AM PST x edit

Barkwrite17 - Good write

on Apr 07 2019 04:05 AM PST x edit

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Comments from the archive

- From guest Beth (contact)
It can be said that this poem speaks about the complexities involved in relationships, specifically in reference to true love's failure to withstand the test of time. As you can see in the last line, he is questioning whether true love is even the foundation of relationships at all. Read closer into the tone of the speaker's voice paired with the words, such as "unrest", "none" and "nothing". He is bored and, although he enjoys the fact that he can fall back on his relationship for stability, he feels his love has gone stagnant (i.e. "..Yet more and more time passes silently").

on Feb 17 2010 04:03 AM PST x edit

- From guest heavensRosepoet (contact)
I like this reminds me of how we open up so freely and deeply when we feel at ease and so in tunes with the other person thoughts are shared fears are calmed emotions flow easily and become even closer..

on Jul 04 2009 01:27 AM PST x edit